Belt squeal!!!! Help!!!

[Rick James]

OK, thread title says it all. I have tried Gates (which had NEVER given me a problem before the Whipple install) AND just installed a Dayco Poly-rib less than a week ago and it is already squealing like Ned Beatty in Deliverance...I can't take it anymore. Does anyone know what would cause this all of a sudden? I have even switched snout pulleys on the Whipple and still it happens. Only thing that helps is a shot of WD40, and that only works for a day or so. :shrug::fm::bash:

 

[FISHTAIL]

Have you done the tensioner mod? I assume you have an upper idler?

 

[Rick James]

Do you mean a notched tensioner? If so, yes. And yes I have an upper idler as well. This is driving me batty.

 

[FISHTAIL]

Yeah that's what I meant. Have you tried shaking a dead chicken at it?

 

[BT1288]

Mine did the same thing, new belt fixed it.

 

[Goodlife]

WD40 is the last thing you want to spray at it.

 

[IronTerp]

Scott, generally, many belt squeal issues are casued by pulley missalignment. Especially with the lower. My Gates' usually last for 3,000 miles or so and then they start singing like like an opera star....

 

[0mineralgrey3]

Mine are out of align and I cannot figure out why. Pisses me OFF! Squeak squeak squeak

 

[N2DAMYSTIC]

Had the same issue for quite a while with the Whipple. a few things I did eliminated the problem. Added some 1/16 inch spacers behind the Whipple pulley to bring it out a bit. HBH hooked me up with the spacers. The other thing I did was go another 1/2 inch down on belt size. It was extremely tight but did the job. Also, I removed all the pullies, cleaned them very well and even scuffed them with 2K grit sand paper. I Hope this helps.

 

[wheelhopper]

I have some minor squealing at first start up that goes away after it warms up. I am pretty sure my issue is the idler pulley.

 

[rich5150]

I have some minor squealing at first start up that goes away after it warms up. I am pretty sure my issue is the idler pulley.

With the engine OFF.
Take some DI-ELECTRIC grease on your finger, rub it alllllll through the ribs on the 8-rib and 6 rib belts... just cover about an inch or 2 total in one spot. Then restart the engine.

If the sound goes away 100%, its your belt. More than likely you got coolant on the belt.. you can either remove the belt, and wash it thoroughly...or get a new one.

 

[TDoh]

Had the same issue for quite a while with the Whipple. a few things I did eliminated the problem. Added some 1/16 inch spacers behind the Whipple pulley to bring it out a bit. HBH hooked me up with the spacers. The other thing I did was go another 1/2 inch down on belt size. It was extremely tight but did the job. Also, I removed all the pullies, cleaned them very well and even scuffed them with 2K grit sand paper. I Hope this helps.

+1

I had the belt squeal problem in my old Tahoe. Cleaning the pulleys was the best fix. Rubber from the belt was getting rubbed off onto the pulleys, and the rubber-on-rubber contact was making the squeal. It was the worst in wet weather...

Maybe a slight pulley misalignment is causing the rub off??

 

[Rick James]

Thanks guys. Dwight, I am back to my factory lower pulley, and the belt and pulleys look to be tracking perfectly smoothly. I am going to try cleaning the pulleys. I have noticed that the BF pulleys look a little pitted/grooved also. This only started after I installed the Whipple, so maybe Tim's idea would work as well.