Please help identify squeak - video link attached

srdigital

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Hello,

I'm trying to hunt down a squeak that has started recently. It's in the front of the motor, seems offset a bit to the drivers side, and it's coming from lower than the blower snout. Most prominent at startup, but goes away after a few minutes of driving. Car sat for ~3 months and began squeaking after driving for 2 days.

Earlier this year I installed a J2Fab alternator, and replaced all the bearings on my supercharger drive pulleys (Billetflow). Squeak developed later this year.

The squeak still remains after most recently replacing bearings on the OEM accessory pullies and installing a new inner belt (that crank pulley was fun to loosen . . .). I also installed a Stewart EMP water pump, cleaned all pulley surfaces/grooves, swapped my aux idler for an adjustable Whipple idler and new belt, and replaced both inner and out tensioners (outer was notched as per Whipple installation instructions).

Could this be the harmonic damper coming loose? My power steering pump failing? Even the new alternator squeaking? Could a spun bearing or something internal in the engine sound/act like this?

here's a link to a video with a few different angles

COBRA SQUEAK.MOV

any input would be appreciated!
 

Blkkbgt

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Have you pulled the belt off and spun everything by hand?

If that turns up nothing spray each idler with wd40 one at a time and see if it goes away.

Also just because you replaced the idler pulley bearings doesn't mean they were good. Bearings stored in hot wear houses can have dried out grease in them.

Lastly are you sure the bearings were pressed in correctly? One thing about OEM pulleys is they are not square on the back side. If you pressed in the bearings front to back as the idler is installed there is a good chance they are crooked. Been there done that and yes it's ficking annoying.
 

srdigital

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Have you pulled the belt off and spun everything by hand?

If that turns up nothing spray each idler with wd40 one at a time and see if it goes away.

Also just because you replaced the idler pulley bearings doesn't mean they were good. Bearings stored in hot wear houses can have dried out grease in them.

Lastly are you sure the bearings were pressed in correctly? One thing about OEM pulleys is they are not square on the back side. If you pressed in the bearings front to back as the idler is installed there is a good chance they are crooked. Been there done that and yes it's ficking annoying.

Spun everything by hand and there is no noise whatsoever. I pressed the bearings in using a press prior to bolting them in - both belts are centered on all idlers (the ones that aren't grooved) and i'm not seeing any wobble or rub on the timing cover on the idlers. the OEM idlers (inners are OEM, outers are billetflow) bearings were replaced after the squeak developed, not before.

i'm going to check alignment between the alternator pulley and the crank/blower tomorrow, i've read of people needing to shim but the belt seems centered . . . will try the lube each idler trick and see if that isolates it any.
 

railroad

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If the squeak goes away, as stated, after running for a while,,,,it sounds like a low battery and high alternator load.
Does it squeak after driving for a while and restart?
Is the belt wrap on the alternator the same as stock?
 

PhoenixM3

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To confirm, the squeak changes frequency with engine rpm? To confirm it’s belt related, start it without the serpentine belt.
 

03' White Snake

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What brand belt? Gates? If it is a Gates belt, then that is your problem. Get a new belt.
 

olympic

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Spray some water on the outside of the belt or rub a bar of soap on it while it's running. If the noise goes away it's the belt that's squeaking and you likely have an alignment problem.
 

srdigital

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no chirp with the belt off. used a stethoscope on all of the idler bolts, blower snout, tensioner, alternator etc. and wasn't able to hear the noise through it. the aux idler had gunked up a bit in only 30 miles or so, i took it off and cleaned it up. tried again with the belt back on but without the aux idler and it still chirped but much less. it's way worse at max tension.

i'm using a gates micro-v, tried 2 different sizes, both brand new belts and they squeaked the same. goodyear gatorbacks aren't around anymore, is a green stripe still recommended?

visually, the belt looks like it might be ever so slightly justified towards the back of the alternator pulley. maybe the alternator is too far forward. i've heard mention of that before, i'll do some research on it. if memory serves, i'll need to file down a bit of the rear boss of the alternator and use a shim in the front.

thanks for the help, y'all.
 

srdigital

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put a new continental 4080772 belt in this morning and it's 100% chirp free! hopefully it lasts. i can definitely see why the gates would slip - it's slick on the back, whereas the cont. is fibrous and textured both on the back and on the ribs.

i still suspect the j2fab alternator is slightly forward, but don't have the tools to confirm 100%.

thanks for the input, everyone
 

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