Lordmonk3y

I know, I know, another belt thread... I searched around and couldn't find the answers I was looking for. So first off, I'm no stranger to wrenching on jeeps. I've swapped serpentine belts plenty of times and never had one continuously squeak like this including on this very jeep.

I bought a tension gauge, tightened down to spec, still squeaks. I'm now at max tightness and the belt is still squealing along with a few bearings. I don't get it.

This all started after replacing the power steering pump. I did everything the way I did it the last time I did the power steering pump 3 years ago but for some reason the belt still squeals. Any ideas?

JonRedcorn

I'd probably try another belt. Might have some type of contaminants on it. WD40, any kind of pb blaster. Maybe get a can of that belt spray that makes it sticky. Usually solves my squealing issues.

robsjeep

oil on the belt, the pulley, oil soaked into the belt, an old belt that got hard (just cause it is a new belt, it may not be new, perhaps it sat in a stockroom for 15 years) can all cause noisy belts. perhaps power steering fluid got on a pulley and it is the cause. Id get a new belt, and degrease ALL of the pullys after old belt is removed, prior to new belt install. clean the grooves, use a brush it need be to clean out the bottom of the grooves. dont forget to grease the belt adjuster screw, else you might find the adjuster block threads get ruined, the block is a weak sintered powder metal part. they fail. I made a new one from bar stock when my adjuster block broke.


p.s. Do the pulley clean with a no residue cleaner like brake clean for final clean.

evil_goat

It could be a bad bearing somewhere, or the PS wheel not being aligned properly. I bought this belt https://www.ebay.com/itm/CONTINENTAL...0AAOSwQNNebQBh and it stoped the squealing. (this specific one fits on my 1991 jeep Cherokee with AC, it might not fit on yours) Any other belt will work as long as it has a similar rib design to the photo.

Lordmonk3y

Tried pb blaster and it worked for 3.5 seconds. Spray too much and the belt flies off though so... Yeah.... I've never seen belt sticky stuff. I'll have to look into that. I probably will swap the belt though. Seems the cheapest and easiest thing to try next. Thanks

Adjuster block on mine is actually in decent shape. I lubed it up and the whole pump adjusts pretty evenly. I'll probably just get a new belt like what the others were staying and then try you pulley cleaning idea.
thanks

I actually thought about the pulley not being aligned properly but I pressed it on about as far as it would go so I think I got that right. I have a 94 xj with ac so it should be the same pulley layout as you. Unless you deleted your clutch fan. I might try that belt.
thanks

lawsoncl

Should be flush with the face of the shaft. It is possible to push it too far on. I'd also have a good look at the harmonic balancer and make sure it's not separating and misaligned. I've also heard of people having to scuff up the pulley surface with a wire brush to get it to shut up, but you'd think that would have worn in by now.

robsjeep

So the belt flies off when you spray lube on it? I dont think that is normal behavior, to me that suggests a pulley alignment problem. Id deal with that first. take the belt off and inspect all the pullys for wobble, check their bearings, check that they are mounted nice and squared up.

The belt silencer spray is a solvent that softens the belt outer surface to give it more grip. but hey, if your pullys are not aligned, you need to deal with that.


I am no expert on serpentine belts, i am an old school vee belt guy, but boy howdy, a belting flying off the pulley just from some spray lube, indicates to my old mind that the pulleys are not aligned, my bet would be the idler pulley, water pump pulley or one of the adjacent pulleys to them is misaligned causing the belt when it gets too slippery to wander off one of the non grooved pulleys such as that of the idle or water pump pulley..

Lordmonk3y

I wondered about that too but all those pulleys bolt on in was that are pretty hard to mess up. The only ones that I could see being miss aligned are the power steering pulley which I'm fairly certain is on right, and the crank pulley which I know is fine since I wasn't having any issues with it before on the old belt.

The times it flew off to be fair I sprayed a bunch and the thing was on reeeeaally tight too.

agreen

What are you doing spraying PB Blaster on your belt? Remember that talk about contaminants? Well, THAT'S ONE OF THEM!

Check the crank pulley (harmonic balancer) to see if the outer ring is separating from the hub. Spin all your other pulleys by hand to see if any of them have a sandy texture. If all is well, spend the next couple of hours cleaning each pulley with brake cleaner and a small wire brush with a few clean rags. Once everything is clean, put on a new Gates brand belt, without the PB blaster this time.

JonRedcorn

Yeah definitely do not spray PB on your belt lol.

This is the belt conditioner stuff I was talking about.

Lordmonk3y

Found the issue... Belt was indeed misaligned...

I hadn't tightened down the damn power steering pump all the way so it was sitting in there crooked...


Real shade tree mechanic work here folks

Lordmonk3y

Yeah I was using pb just to make sure it was actually the belt and not a bearing or something. Got some of that stuff too

OutbackOz

in a pinch i have put a dab of molasses on the belt to shut it up

robsjeep

The real clue something was not aligned is the fact that oilon the belt made it fly off. that should never happen , even with a gallon of oil if the belt and pullys are aligned.

glad it is fixed!