Engine Serpentine belt squeal after reinstall?

dqureshi06 · Oct 30, 2024

After installing a new water pump and Tstat I noticed the belt is chirping and squealing pretty badly, at idle and when I give the car gas. I noticed the belt is wobbling to some extent and I don’t know if it was like that before I took everything off. I took the belt off and noticed some noise when I spin the belt tensioner pulley, but not sure if it’s acceptable or not. The only pulleys I really messed with during the install were the water pump pulley and the belt tensioner one. What is the best way I should chase this sound? My engine is running hot now than before it’s climbing up to 230f. I would hope it’s only because of the belt issue and not something else.

nickyb · Oct 30, 2024

If the belt is turning you shouldn't get that hot.
Is the state opening? Did you burp the system?
Run with rad cap open and look to see coolant flowing.

dqureshi06 · Oct 30, 2024

nickyb said:
If the belt is turning you shouldn't get that hot.
Is the state opening? Did you burp the system?
Run with rad cap open and look to see coolant flowing.

Yes I burped the system twice. Went pretty well and saw coolant flow but the temperature creeps up to the O in normal on the temp gauge. I’m sort of at a loss at what this could be apart from maybe a faulty thermostat I installed. I didn’t test it before installing it.

AeroCoupe · Oct 30, 2024

Did you route the belt correctly?

By wobbling do you mean up and down or side to side?

dqureshi06 · Oct 30, 2024

AeroCoupe said:
Did you route the belt correctly?

By wobbling do you mean up and down or side to side?

Yes it is on correctly. I mean side to side.

AeroCoupe · Oct 30, 2024

if the belt is in good shape then it’s a pulley issue either out of alignment from install or just worn out. The tensioners can also have issues on the pulley and in the tension. Where is yours in the spring range on the tensioner with the belt installed?

Noobz347 · Oct 31, 2024

You said something is "wobbling". What is it?

You also said you did something with the water pump pulley? What was it?

rednotch · Oct 31, 2024

The water pumps can have the pulley spacing off a good amount on replacement pumps, even the old ford racing c302 pumps had that issue in the late 90's early 2k's. Look at the water pump pulley as its running see if the belt is running forward or aft or the old wear line. Its a good idea to spin them up on a drill an hit the surface with a scotch bright pad or even steel wool as it can create belt slip sometimes.

Tensioner pulley shouldn't be making noise, you can replace.the pulleys, so long as the springs still.good I'd rather have a stock tensioner then aftermarket.

AeroCoupe · Oct 31, 2024

I can second the OEM tensioner being better than most of the aftermarket. My OEM gave up the ghost two summers ago and the first aftermarket tensioner (Murray brand) was junk. Never installed it and returned it to the parts store. I ended up getting a Gates via RockAuto but the pulley was plastic so that was a bit annoying. The pulley on my stock tensioner had seen better days so I ended up buying a steel one. Gates tensioner I got is here:

More Information for GATES 38121

Steel pulley is here:

Advance Auto Parts - Down for Maintenance

85GTStangGuy · Oct 31, 2024

AeroCoupe said:
Steel pulley is here:

Advance Auto Parts - Down for Maintenance

Fyi, a Gates pulley very similar to that one is also available from the "rainforest" people....

Amazon.com

For people that want an idler pulley that is more similar to the one found on the foureye foxes, there's also a Four Season's branded one available from the "stone car" people. It has an identical construction (2-piece riveted pulley) to the one on my '85. Later model year cars, I believe, may have gone to the 1-piece formed pulley like your link.

More Information for FOUR SEASONS 45959

dqureshi06 · Oct 31, 2024

AeroCoupe said:
if the belt is in good shape then it’s a pulley issue either out of alignment from install or just worn out. The tensioners can also have issues on the pulley and in the tension. Where is yours in the spring range on the tensioner with the belt installed?

Thanks for the reply. Here is mine

rednotch · Nov 1, 2024

That belts too long...

rednotch · Nov 1, 2024

AeroCoupe said:
Did you route the belt correctly?

By wobbling do you mean up and down or side to side?

Have to remember these lengths assume stock pulleys too, aftermarket ones will change the lenghts, I typically run a K060832HD gates green belt which is 83.2 ID length. When bypassing smog pumps using Typical street under drive crank and water pump pulleys and a 3g swapped in. Stock a/c and either stock power steering or a march billet pulley.

AeroCoupe · Nov 1, 2024

So there is a post on the back of the tensioner that positions it on the bracket it attached to. Make sure that post is locked into the correct hole so that the tensioner is correctly positioned and can actually create tension. If it is installed correctly then you need a new tensioner or a different length belt.

Bracket without tensioner installed:

Bracket with tensioner installed:

rednotch · Nov 1, 2024

New tensioner won't help its all ready out of range because the belt is too long. If you need to muscle it against the spring tension to move the arm, the tensioner is fine, pulley might not be but that belt pictured is too long. They also have a locating peg so pretty hard to install wrong, mounting bolt is also reverse thread so no righty tighty lefty loosey unless you want to snap it.

Noobz347 · Nov 1, 2024

rednotch said:
New tensioner won't help its all ready out of range because the belt is too long.

...or something was reassembled incorrectly.

Engine Serpentine belt squeal after reinstall?

dqureshi06

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Engine Serpentine belt squeal after reinstall?

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I gotta say i never painted my nuts, Never Ever

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lube between the nut and the face. I know my lubes

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lube between the nut and the face. I know my lubes

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