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OK guys, I replaced the power steering pump on my 04SS........just a sec....**&(&(!!!!!!!! $$%$%$@#@##!!!!!!!!!!!! ok better. As I was saying, I replaced my PS pump and got it all back together with only a few left over parts. Put the NEW belt on, tensioner is OK, belt is lined with the pullies, I start it and beautiful, everything works...........OK, I wouldnt be here if it did. After about one minute, the belt starts screaming. Belt conditioner makes it worse. Deodorant helped for a second then because it was irish spring, the stink started coming back about noon, LOL, just kidding. I see nothing that would cause the belt to scream bloody murder like it is.
I wouldnt mess with the bandaid products anymore, something is wrong that needs to be addressed. Serpentine systems like this dont squeal if things are working properly. The automatic tensioner pretty well eliminated that problem.
The cause of squeal is the belt slipping against something, but there are several causes:
-one of the pullies on the belt loop isn't turning as it should. Maybe you've got an idler thats almost locked up and isn't spinning at the same rate as the belt, etc. You can pull the belt off and spin every pulley (except the crank) by hand to see if any feel unusual. If it didn't do it at all before, I'd sure pay close attention to the new ps pump.
-incorrect tension. To finish installing the belt, you have to loosen the tensioner to give slack, then release it once the belt is on. Does the tensioner seem very easy to move? Does the tensioner max out before the belt gets nice and tight (ie belt a little too long)
-contamination. Not likely with a brand new belt, but is anything leaking- the weep hole on the water pump or something? Just wondering if this is why it was ok at the start and then it picked up.
Last edited by bumpin96monte; Apr 27, 2023 at 10:09 PM.
Thanks for the reply. I inherited someone's problem. I knew this going in, bought it right, but the cost of fixing it, I would have to get $7k out of it to break even. The belt was making noise before the PS pump went out so I bought a new belt and the noise stopped but the PS blew, so after getting the new PS on, I started it and it was quiet. I took it to the store, about 5 miles and no noise, then on the way home it got louder and louder. The noise sounds like the top of the engine. Belt dressing makes it WORSE, is that a sign? Ive tried 2 belts now and they both squeak.
Originally Posted by bumpin96monte
I wouldnt mess with the bandaid products anymore, something is wrong that needs to be addressed. Serpentine systems like this dont squeal if things are working properly. The automatic tensioner pretty well eliminated that problem. The car is awesome condition, thats the reason I am trying to keep it going, (see below)
The cause of squeal is the belt slipping against something, but there are several causes:
-one of the pullies on the belt loop isn't turning as it should. Maybe you've got an idler thats almost locked up and isn't spinning at the same rate as the belt, etc. You can pull the belt off and spin every pulley (except the crank) by hand to see if any feel unusual. If it didn't do it at all before, I'd sure pay close attention to the new ps pump.
-incorrect tension. To finish installing the belt, you have to loosen the tensioner to give slack, then release it once the belt is on. Does the tensioner seem very easy to move? Does the tensioner max out before the belt gets nice and tight (ie belt a little too long)
-contamination. Not likely with a brand new belt, but is anything leaking- the weep hole on the water pump or something? Just wondering if this is why it was ok at the start and then it picked up.
The noise sounds like the top of the engine. Belt dressing makes it WORSE, is that a sign? Ive tried 2 belts now and they both squeak.
I don't know anything about belt dressing. As Id mentioned, its a band-aid to mask the noise but doesn't actually address the cause of the problem. Even if the noise did go away, youre then stuck in a lifetime of applying it to mask the sound (assuming it doesn't start shredding belts) which isn't really the right way to fix it.
No properly functioning serpentine system should require dressing to make it run silently. You need to walk through the troubleshooting steps Id mentioned to figure out the cause. We can't really tell you much more than that remotely without tearing into the system in person.
Last edited by bumpin96monte; Apr 29, 2023 at 07:34 AM.
I have not heard belt dressing in YEARS! More commonly used on cars that did not have a tensioner system and honestly, kind of a bandaid or snake oil.
I would slip the belt off. Spin all pulleys by hand. Start there and odds are you will find the culprit. It will either have excessive noise and/or a bad feel in the rotation. Being a SS, that should have a 3800. I am also aware of an issue if the PCV valve is missing an O-ring, it can sound like a belt/pulley problem (I have no experienced it myself, but read about enough people who have).
On the road again~~hardly
