serpentine belt squeeking

[93_444idi]

I've gone through 2 gates serpentine belts in the past year now. Nothing appears to be wrong with them but all the sudden they start squeaking. A week ago it was working great, no squeek except when I turn it off. Yesterday it started to do so at idle and then got worse as I increased rpms. I tried soap, heard it works. It worked yesterday... Today it's terrible, it's embarassing to drive my truck. I decided to try engine degreaser and it would stop for a couple seconds and start up again, then I tried belt conditioner. All that did was make the belt sticky, though like the degreaser it worked for a couple seconds. The squeaking stopping for a couple seconds tells me it is the belt, not a pulley with a bad bearing.

I replaced the tensioner about a year ago with a ford one (the good ones with the thicker springs) so I dont think its relavant. Anyone have any ideas what would cause this? I bought another belt today, after all the crap I've wiped on this belt I'm assuming it's junk. I tried cleaning the sticky belt conditioner off with brake clean and it wiped it off but the squeeking remained.

I have a spare idi with accessories, I think I'm gonna clean the pullies on them and put them on with the new belt and see what happens. I'll replace the idler pulley, vacumm pump, and power steering pump. I just don't know what else to do.

The belt I'm using is a K061110. 111" belt

 

['94IDITurbo7.3]

The belt I'm using is a K061110. 111" belt

How does the belt go on? is it hard to get on with the tensioner all the way released?

I think my belt is a 113" belt.

 

[93_444idi]

its not too difficult to get on but it pulls tight. i took the belt off, brake cleaned the pulleys, and put the new one on.. doesnt squeek at all, not even when I turn it off. i dont get it, i just hope this one lasts until I swap motors

 

[icanfixall]

Get a mirror and look at the area on the front of it. There is a mark that tells you if its in the correct tension.

 

[sassyrel]

also,,ive run into the same problem..the cure?? replace it..what was wrong??? i called gates,,they said,,sometimes!! the cure on the rubber of the belt,,goes a bit past when done!!!! so the rubber gets tooooo hard..guess what that means??? yup,,not a lot of bite,,and slight slippage,,no matter what tension!!!!!! been there,done that!!!! and can happen with any brand!! softness of the rubber,,is what makes the bite of the belt.....

 

[Electromag]

I have been having the same issues on my F350. I finally figured it all out. After replacing the belt tensioner 2 times, the belts many times. It was just chewing up my belts as they wouldnt track on the pulleys correctly. I made a big discovery by using a hack saw blade as a straight edge and checking to see if the pulleys were all co-planer to each other. Turns out that the old belt tensioner assembly was not compatable with the other pulleys, or it was just bent. After I replaced that with a new assembly the belt didnt eat it self up as it was now co-planer with the other pulleys.. but then this big issue of the screaming!! I tried every thing for that!, belt conditioner, I even pulled the belt off and cleaned it with brake cleaner and a sharp stick and tooth brush between the grooves. it still screamed. I even tried the old pulley with the new belt tensioner assy. Still a screaming *****. I put on my thinking cap and came to the conclusion that it still must be offset **** eyed some what. But still co-planer. That would explain how the belt is slipping across that dam pully. SO! I got a pry bar behind the assembly arm with the truck running and screaming and pushed the arm out away from the engine, the screaming got worse.. A HA! My solution! It needed to be shimmed to push the arm towards the engine. I loosened up the assembly bolt and stuck a small strip of .040 or .060 sheet metal on the left side of the assembly and tightened it back down. Screaming now is only slightly noticeable with a cold belt. After it warms up, I cant hear it. Its that dam shiminy shim belt tensioner assembly arm isnt straight, thats the problem. BTW I bought it from auto zone.

 

[Danielle]

Both mine are constantly squeaking as well. One truck has new Ford tensioner and belt, the new truck has a cracked belt and probably original tensioner. I will look into softer belts. I agree, it is definitely embarrassing!

 

[Electromag]

Sheet metal shim on left side of belt tensioner

Note the Sheet metal shim on left side of belt tensioner. The screaming went away with this rig...

 

[Danielle]

Nice! Had to do same thing on the power steering pulley on my **** minivan.

 

[snaponprofile]

Only ambulances had the 113 inch belts, normal trucks are 110 inch.

I ran a 113 inch belt for 400 miles, long story......

 

['94IDITurbo7.3]

then i have 110"

 

[icanfixall]

Note the Sheet metal shim on left side of belt tensioner. The screaming went away with this rig...

WTH... I see a distributer in that pic... You can't sneak anything past us on this forum... Spark plugs in a diesel forum... The shame of it... Not really. I will say thats an easy tensioner to get to....

 

[Danielle]

Our trucks have distributors... they distribute our cash here... and there... and here... and there....

 

['94IDITurbo7.3]

Our trucks have distributors... they distribute our cash here... and there... and here... and there....

that is the truth.

 

[93turbo_animal]

I had the same problem on my stroke and belt dressing made it worse so I went with wd 40. That would make it stop but it only lasted a little while then it was back again so then I tried armorall and that would last a couple weeks before it started again so I thought if slipery was quiet then why not grease it so I did and a couple of times of that and it was quiet except when cold at idle and then it was barely noticable. It stayed like that for a year and then my tensioner went out and took the belt with it so new tensioner and belt and now all quiet