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Thread: Belt or pulley squeal I can't locate

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    wh23g3g's Avatar
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    Default Belt or pulley squeal I can't locate

    I recently had my water pump and timing cover gasket changed and I still have a squeal. It was doing it a little before I had this changed but now all the time unless it's idling. I got a cheap tensioner but new, new belt, and new idler pulley before doing the water pump. When I got back the truck the mechanic showed me where the idler pulley hole needed a heli coil so he put one in. I checked the idler and tensioner and swapped them out but it's still squealing when driving. Doesn't seem to do it just idling and sitting parked. I can't really pinpoint the squeal but we thought it was the idler from what we heard but swapped it and still squealing. Any ideas?

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    Kingst3r's Avatar
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    Are you using a cheap belt? I had a squeek, bought a new belt..cheapest one from autopart store, still squeaking. Put a gatorback on it and it stopped.

    Can also try to pinpoint it using a screw driver and holding it to your ear.

    My R/T build (rebuild) thread

    http://www.dakota-durango.com/forum/...d.php?t=133167
    Quote Originally Posted by 70Cuda383 View Post
    It's an emissions thing. someone, somewhere said that the millions of gallons of gas that evaporate to the atmosphere every year was killing tree frogs on some south african isalnd or some shit, those endangered tree frogs can suck my left nut.

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    wh23g3g's Avatar
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    I bought a Mighty Silentrac 7PK2475. It was cheap. At the time I needed a belt because the one on my truck when I got it from the last owner was horrible and missing a groove that had come apart. I'll try a Mopar one. My and a friend tried a scope on the idler pulley and thought that was it. I replaced it and it still did it. I then noticed the tensioner was jumping back and forth so I swapped it out with a warranty unit. Started it up and heard no squeak. That was yesterday. I drove it to dinner today and half way down the road it begin to squeak again. I look at the engine running looking at the pullies and everything looks straight and no wobbling. I then drove it home from dinner and it was squealing on the way home every now and then. I got home and parked it and it wasn't squealing even when I revved it up. I don't know. Alternator is original 191,000 mile unit but still charging and no black powedery dust is evident so I can't see that being bad. It's hard to pinpoint the squeal to one spot. We tried it with a mechanics scope and got it wrong. I know I've read about Dodge tensioner systems prone to failure and noise.

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    I chased a phantom squeal for a few weeks. I replaced the PCV valve with one from HiPoTek. All squeals gone. Mine was the other way around, though - noisy @ idle/silent on the gas.


    Could also be a bad idler pulley.

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    wh23g3g's Avatar
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    Well I just ordered a Gatorback belt. None of the parts stores sell them around here. They all carry Dayco. I remember the stores use to carry Gatorback belts and they lasted a long time. I was going to get a Mopar one on ebay but didn't want to buy one from an individual without a warranty. They were like $50-$70 with shipping so I decided to get a Gatorback from Rockauto. I hope it fixes the squeal because now I've swapped out the suspected idler and tensioner. It didn't fix it. I had someone try to diagnose it with a mechanic's scope and they told me it was the idler pulley but even with it changed it still squeals. My mechanic told me it could be the alternator bearing and to squirt some oil on the bearing part but it's hard to get at without getting oil all over the alternator. I don't want to get anything in the alternator and cause it to catch on fire. So I will see what happens with the new belt.

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    Kingst3r's Avatar
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    If you spray water on the belt, does it quite up? Hopefully the new belt works..did for me.

    My R/T build (rebuild) thread

    http://www.dakota-durango.com/forum/...d.php?t=133167
    Quote Originally Posted by 70Cuda383 View Post
    It's an emissions thing. someone, somewhere said that the millions of gallons of gas that evaporate to the atmosphere every year was killing tree frogs on some south african isalnd or some shit, those endangered tree frogs can suck my left nut.

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    I chased phantom squeal for years. More of a chirp as the truck idled, with an aggressive cam. Half a dozen new belts of different manufacturers and it would go away for a few weeks/months but always come back. Thought it was the tensioner as it seemed to chirp as the tensioner pulley moved/jerked back and forth with the cam lope. New tensioner pulley and belt, it went away but came back. New alternator with new belt, went away but came back. Finally put a tiny dab of dielectric grease on a couple of spots on the belt and it's been silent. Belt doesn't seem to wear any faster or slip. Been on there for a couple of years like that with no noticeable negative effects. It's not much grease, just enough that you could put on the tip of pencil eraser. YMMV
    '03 Stampede Graphite Metallic Dakota R/T CC

    FRP tune, M1 2bbl, HiPoTek 52mm TB, K&N 14" Filter, Headers, Flowmaster duals

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    BIGROB's Avatar
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    +1 On the Gatorback belts. They are worth the extra cost and waiting on a special order.

    I had an annoying belt chirp on my V6 Dakota that I solved by replacing the thermoplastic tensioner pulley with steel pulley from Gates. Part number 36102. It is 100 mm diameter compared to 76mm plastic so you'll have to compensate with a slightly longer belt but that coupled with a Gatorback belt kept the V6 turd quiet for years. And no, I don't know what part number belt i used My dumb ass only recorded the pulley number in my little black book for some stupid reason.

    Also, a serpentine belt is like a tire. Put it back on spinning the same direction if you have to remove it.
    Sometimes they become noisy bastards if reversed.

    Project Maverick. I feel the need, the need for speed

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    Quote Originally Posted by wh23g3g View Post
    Well I just ordered a Gatorback belt. None of the parts stores sell them around here. They all carry Dayco. I remember the stores use to carry Gatorback belts and they lasted a long time. I was going to get a Mopar one on ebay but didn't want to buy one from an individual without a warranty. They were like $50-$70 with shipping so I decided to get a Gatorback from Rockauto. I hope it fixes the squeal because now I've swapped out the suspected idler and tensioner. It didn't fix it. I had someone try to diagnose it with a mechanic's scope and they told me it was the idler pulley but even with it changed it still squeals. My mechanic told me it could be the alternator bearing and to squirt some oil on the bearing part but it's hard to get at without getting oil all over the alternator. I don't want to get anything in the alternator and cause it to catch on fire. So I will see what happens with the new belt.
    Hello

    I just wanna say Goodyear Gatorback belts are hard to find because Goodyear and Continental are one company now. Continental makes the Gatorback with their own partnumber .

    Best Regards

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    wh23g3g's Avatar
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    Yeah I think it was called Continental instead of Goodyear when I ordered it. I haven't tried spraying water but I sprayed some belt dressing my friend had when I drove it to his house before we noticed the wobbling idler pulley. But even with the belt dressing it still squealed. So when I changed the idler pulley I thought it was solved until I drove it a bit and then it started again. I then rechecked it and saw the tensioner was bouncing back and forth. I had a warranty on it so I swapped it out because I've read Dakota tensioners are prone to noise/failure. I thought for sure that had to do it because it didn't squeal when I started it up and pulled out the driveway. I drove for about a mile and it started again. Then I ordered the Gatorback belt because I did buy a cheap belt that may not be the right size but a size that works. Well I drove it today for like a total of 50 miles back and forth and it squealed for like 10 miles and then went away. So I know it must be the belt stretching and relaxing. It didn't even do it on the trip back. I hope the Gatorback takes care of it.

  11. #11

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    Change out the idler pulley too. I use a Dayco belt with no issues, keep the old one if its still descent as a spare in the truck because ya never know when your gonna need it. Knock on wood I haven't yet.

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    I did change out the idler pulley. I got my oil pan gasket in the mail today from Rock Auto so my Gatorback should be here tomorrow. Unless something pops us I believe fixing this squeal, oil pan gasket, and if I go through with it rear main seal are the last mechanical items I have to do before getting it repainted. All mechanicals of the truck have now been looked through and repaired as needed.

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    DARLOZ's Avatar
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    That belt spray only made things worse for me. Ended up running the motor spraying purple power cleaner at the belt then hosed it with water. All good now.

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    I had a squeal and went through all the suggestions above. Turned out to be power steering pulley was not installed far enough. Pulled it in about 1/16" and squeal gone. Found it by inspecting belt edge and noticed edge metal threads were showing on one edge. Reversed belt and noise went away but returned a couple of days later and other edge was worn.

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    I had recently changed my idler pulley and tensioner under warranty thinking the tensioner was bad. I bought the Gatorback belt and installed it. It seems to have stopped squealing now. The belt I took off was a half inch longer than the Gatorback so it might have stretched causing the squeal.

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    I had a camaro years ago I did a power steering pump on and same as dstoots I needed to just move the pulley on the pump in a smig and the squeal/squeak from the belt went away. Also really surprised no one on here suggested he run a bar of soap on the inside and outside of the belt while its running to see if the noise went away. That's old school and I do that at least 3 times a week at my shop to locate belt noises.

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    wh23g3g's Avatar
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    I put that Gatorback belt on, rechanged the tensioner under warranty, and the idler pulley under warranty. I haven't heard any squeal since. Of course it's been awhile since I've done it but probably only driven 1,000 miles since then.

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