Need some help here..

[sdfishman]

Alright I have a 2000 Ranger XLT 4.0 V6. My belt was squeaking so I replace the idler pulley. Still squeaked so I replaced the Serpentine belt. 40 miles later the squeak was back.. I replaced the tensioner pulley and it still squeaked. I finally broke down and bought a new alternator.. Half way down the block it started again. What can it be?? Someone told me it could be the power steering pump? This is driving me nuts.

 

[sdfishman]

??????????????????????????

 

[snoman6115]

does ur a/c work? if not it could be that ur a/c compressor bearing is shot. had that happen on my car, it was lound as shit but got quiet if i turned the ac on, (which didnt work)

 

[Earl43P]

If you want to rule out PS pump, suck the reservoir dry, add synthetic ATF. Drive, suck again, refill with synthetic ATF. If it affects the sound, keep adding and sucking until it's nice and clear red.

Threre are PS additives that some have had luck with. A PS noise usually changes tone when you turn the wheel. I had good luck with synthetic ATF. I replace it every so often, when it looks cloudy. I've even heard of people putting rear axle limited slip additive into the PS pump with good results.

I can't hear your noise from here, lol.

 

[sdfishman]

A/C doesn't work.. I tried turning it on and driving around the block.. Didn't make a difference..

does ur a/c work? if not it could be that ur a/c compressor bearing is shot. had that happen on my car, it was lound as shit but got quiet if i turned the ac on, (which didnt work)

 

[sdfishman]

Does the water pump squeak??

 

[sdfishman]

????????????????????????????????

 

[Nhaz]

If it has friction it can squeak. which pretty much means any moving part. So yes the water pump can squeak.

To help isolate the squeak have a friend run the truck to bring up the rpm to where it starts to squeak.

Using a long handled screwdriver stick the metal end on or near the part you suspect is squeaking and then stick the handle of the screwdriver in your ear. Seriously. The sound transmits nicely through the screwdriver and you can pin down where the squeak is coming from by moving the screwdriver to other suspect locations.

 

[sdfishman]

We checked everything. used the screw driver trick and still couldn't find it. I called around and was told the fan should do a full rotation and half after the truck is warm. 10 minutes of idling we turned it off and tried to spin it. It only moved a 1/4 turn. I am removing the fan clutch tomorrow since today wasn't the best day working on the truck and I'm going to run it up the street real quick without the fan to see if its the fan clutch. Process of elimination..

 

[marriedmanw]

I've been having the same problem with my 02 Explorer 4.0 SOHV, and I replaced the fan belt but the sqeaking noise came back within 3 weeks. I replaced belt tensioner with OEM Ford tensioner and the noise is worse than before. I haven't thrown anymore parts or money at it and was leary in changing the belt tensioner since it only has 65K miles on it. Really missing the 94 Ranger that I traded on this thing even though the Ranger had 187K.
Does anyone know what the torque spec for the belt tensioner is? I just got it tight by boxwrench.
SDFisherman: Please continue to update - I'm following your thread.

 

[marriedmanw]

sdfishman: In another post I see that you said it was a defective serpentine belt. What brand belt you using? I've used motorcraft and dayco brands with the same results. Also, did you torque the belt tensioner bolt to a certain torque?

 

[Earl43P]

The tensioner has a keyed tab, so it only fits flat on there in its exact spot. Torquing the mount bolt isn't critical, though it should be tightened 1/6-1/3 turn after a sharp rise in hand-tightening torque is felt. As long as the tab is seated, tight is tight. If the tab isn't correctly seated, it will be cocked and the pulley mis-aligned. The tensioner will also be less effective, making the belt loose.

Have you tried running the engine with the serpentine belt removed? At least then you'd know whether it is belt driven or not. You might also jumper out the AC low pressure switch on the accumulator, so the clutch will engage. If the noise changes, you may need a new clutch assy.

 

[marriedmanw]

Thanks Earl: The tensioner did slid into the slot and and I even used scour pad to ensure mounting surface was clean. I only hand tightened with box wrench and snugged it up. I have run the engine without the belt and the noise was gone. The noise was elimated with new belt but only for 3 weeks. The noise is still persistant with the AC running and I've noticed it's worse in morning or after sitting several hours and goes away when hot. Does the belt shrink when hot pulling everything tight?
Ford dealership looked and said they'd try a new tensioner so I got OEM from them but that didn't fix. I've put on two new belts and tensioner and it's still a problem. I even tried the idle pulley and that wasn't it.

 

[sdfishman]

I was using a duralast belt. I took it back for a Goodyear gator belt. Worked like a charm.. The problem was I change so much stuff "$400 later" I never thought it could of been the belt. I was told it would either be a roller in the timing belt or I needed a 1/2" smaller belt. I removed the belt and eliminated the internal problem..

 

[marriedmanw]

That's good to hear. I hope it's not a false positive. I had similar results when removing motorcraft belt and replacing with dayco belt, but after 3 weeks problem came back. I'll PM you in a few weeks if you don't mind to see if it's still quiet before I go out and buy another belt.
-Michael