Well that was stupid

[dranger21]

I have a 99 with a 3.0 and noticed the serpentine belt was squeaking a little bit. So assuming this was going to be a simple fix i sprayed some belt conditioner on it and i later learned you shouldnt do that. Now it sqeaks a lot and it is EXTREMELY loud. Is there any way to quiet the thing for now without changing the belt? The little sqeak from before doesnt seem so bad now but this will drive me insane if i have to listen to this going down the road much longer. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

 

[Wicked_Sludge]

clean the belt and pullies with brake cleaner and a wire brush.

i prefer to have the engine idling, then i CAREFULLY drag the cleaner-soaked wire brush along all the pulleys and both sides of the belt, re-applying cleaner as it evaporates.

disclaimer: this method is VARY dangerous and you should not attemp it if you arent 100% comfortable doing so or cant do so without letting the brush or your fingers to become entangled in the pulleys/belts which can cause severe injury including (but not limited to) amputation. youve been warned

alternativly, you can remove the belt and clean everything manually.

 

[ZMan]

why not just change it? Its not that hard to do.

 

[1996 fordranger 4x4 stx]

I had a slight squeak on mine when I bought it so I went and bought a " GOOD YEAR GATORBACK BELT" it was east to install, all that was needed was a ratchet to put on the tensoiner while installing. easy peasy japaneasy

http://www.goodyearep.com/ProductsDetail.aspx?id=3128

 

[funkingonutz]

cause some people have no money......

 

[thegoat4]

Unscrew the fan and pull it out or strap it to the radiator so it can't fall into the belt. Run the engine and spray brake cleaner on the grooved side of the belt. Have a buddy rev it up around 2k or so, turn on the headlights, and turn the steering side-to-side to put a load on the pulleys. Don't turn on the AC. Right when you spray on the cleaner it'll quiet down immediately. After a few seconds of running it'll probably make noise again, but should be less. Repeat it until it gets back to as quiet as it was, meaning all of that "conditioner" crap has come off.

 

[TwoTrackMind]

Yeah, mine starts squeeking about every 50,000 miles or so. It just means that its worn out is all. Replacement with a new one fixes it just fine.

 

[Bryan22]

ya, but replacing the belt might not cure the problem. I did something similar, except i sprayed some 3m spray adhesive on mine. haha. That was just brilliant let me tell you. Sqeeled like a dying pig till I replaced the tensioner, cleaned the belt and it quit. The problem was never the belt and replacing it would've been a waste of money.

 

[REDRUM]

I lived with my squeek for a long time, then I finally went to Autozone and got the goodyear belt for $48. Took less than 30 minutes to install. Maybe it squeeks cause it is stretched out and therefore loose. that was my problem.

 

[Sasquatch_Ryda]

The brake cleaner and wire brush is the best method (watch your knuckles in the fan). I find the best thing to cure a belt chirp (if you absolutely don't want to replace the belt) is to take a small dab of silicone brake caliper grease on your finger and put it on the grooved side and the smooth side of the belt. With the engine not running of course.

 

[superdave1984]

Might not be the belt at all. Might be the bearings in the tensioner pulley. Had that issue on my Cherokee. New pulley was cheaper than a new belt.

 

[Ranger Dave (B25)]

Unscrew the fan and pull it out or strap it to the radiator so it can't fall into the belt. Run the engine and spray brake cleaner on the grooved side of the belt. Have a buddy rev it up around 2k or so, turn on the headlights, and turn the steering side-to-side to put a load on the pulleys. Don't turn on the AC. Right when you spray on the cleaner it'll quiet down immediately. After a few seconds of running it'll probably make noise again, but should be less. Repeat it until it gets back to as quiet as it was, meaning all of that "conditioner" crap has come off.

That's the fix I used to use with my old F-150. Even a Gatorback squealed on that truck. The tensioner wasn't worth a shit.

Always started squealing again when it was really humid, though.

 

[PlumCrazy]

Belt conditioner is made for v-belts. When a v-belt rides in the pulley it leaves a little space between the bottom of the belt and the pulley which gives the crud somewhere to go. If you spray it on a a typical serpentine belt it will simply make the pulleys stickier and allow more crud to build up and have no where to go, making the squeel worse.

-plumcrazy

 

[dranger21]

Yeah i realized that when it made that horrible noise. Of course the can says it works on serpentine belts but thats the last time i'll read the can. The brake cleaner worked to a certain extent and made it a little easier to put up with. I think I will just replace the belt soon though and see how that works if I can figure out how without screwing up something else. Thanks for all the help tho.