Squeeky belt

I replaced the serpentine belt and tensioner on my wagon because it was squeaking. I drove it for a couple of weeks and it was quiet. Then the squeaking came back. Thinking it was alternator bearings, I took the alternator apart but the bearings seem fine. I bought some of that spray for belts and it quiets down after I spray for about half a minute and starts squeaking again. I'm beginning to think its a shitty belt. Any suggestions? Thanks.

Get an engine stethoscope and touch the end to different places (non moving) while the engine is running. You will hear the offending part. You can use a large screw driver as well, but you may miss something.

check to make sure your pulleys are in alignment,.

Yeah check pulley alignment especially if you replaced the power steering pump recently. I would also check for coolant leaking onto the belt. A coolant leak could cause your belt to slip a little.

If you spray something on the belt (even water) and the noise goes away temporarily, that's known as belt "chirp": suspect pulley alignment. It usually starts with a rhythmic chirp that may well develop into a constant noise with time.

If it's a constant squeal that is not going away with anything, and the adjuster is bouncing visibly, then it's probably a weak adjuster (I know you just changed it, but is it Chinese?). If the belt is excessively worn then change the belt (again, probably does not apply in this case).

Ok, in the case of a slight misalignment (which probably means a worn accessory bearing, so take it as a sign of future fun) and given that you have a fairly new belt, you can clean the belt dressing you sprayed on there off with brake cleaner. Just spray it on with the engine running, then remove the belt and wipe belt and pulleys down with a clean rag, making sure you get down into the grooves.

Re-install the belt and start it up. Now spray the inside of the running belt with a healthy dose of silicone spray -- the kind that is safe for use on rubber (those of us in freezing climates use it to lube the door seals in winter so we can open the darn things!). Shut the car off and let it dry. The silicone spray will slightly lubricate the rubber and let the rib sides slip into the pulley grooves without noise. You may have to reapply the silicone every few weeks, but shouldn't have to go through the cleaning process each time.

buickwagon wrote:

 

Re-install the belt and start it up. Now spray the inside of the running belt with a healthy dose of silicone spray -- the kind that is safe for use on rubber (those of us in freezing climates use it to lube the door seals in winter so we can open the darn things!). Shut the car off and let it dry. The silicone spray will slightly lubricate the rubber and let the rib sides slip into the pulley grooves without noise. You may have to reapply the silicone every few weeks, but shouldn't have to go through the cleaning process each time.  

I wipe a glob of silicone from the tube on the ribbed side of the belt , then i start it,. let it idle for a minute then shut it off and let it sit over night,.

the lincoln had the rythmic chirp at idle,. i cured it by holding a bar of soap against the ribbed side while it was idling,.(er,. use your common sense and be damn careful IF you do this,. and NO! liquid soap won't work,. lol)

phantom 309 wrote:

I wipe a glob of silicone from the tube

What kind of silicone are you using? RTV? I was talking about silicone lubricant in an aerosol can. Can you get something similar in a tube?

buickwagon wrote:

phantom 309 wrote:

I wipe a glob of silicone from the tube

What kind of silicone are you using? RTV? I was talking about silicone lubricant in an aerosol can. Can you get something similar in a tube?

Yes any old tube of rtv i have laying around,..

I know of a silicone lubricant that is used on cables that comes in a tube,?
but i have no idea if its anything like the aerosol,.

Isn't WD40 a silicone lubricant?

phantom 309 wrote:

buickwagon wrote:

phantom 309 wrote:

I wipe a glob of silicone from the tube

What kind of silicone are you using? RTV? I was talking about silicone lubricant in an aerosol can. Can you get something similar in a tube?

Yes any old tube of rtv i have laying around,..

I know of a silicone lubricant that is used on cables that comes in a tube,?
but i have no idea if its anything like the aerosol,.

Isn't WD40 a silicone lubricant?

Super lube grease (translucent white) is silicon based and also works well with electronics (dielectric).
Hardware store will have a spray bottle for lubbing up house window tracks. Again silicone based.
GM dealers have the real replacement for Dow Corning's DC4 compound (the original). Again its translucent white.

WD40 is Fish Oil. That's why it works on arthritis.

Bill