Squealing Noise Until Operating Temp

[screwhead]

1993 F250 7.3 IDI 4x4 zf5 non turbo

Merry Christmas and Happy late Thanksgiving to you all.

I have had a problem with a squealing noise from this pick up since very recently after replacing the transmission and main seal for the last time. It happens only while driving and I don’t think it’s ever happened in first gear, it will start at higher rpm’s in third and second, will happen with clutch out and continue to happen after pushing clutch in for some time while coasting then kind of simmer down.

It kind of sounded like a vacuum pump or belt noise to me but I had just replaced the pump so I got a new belt, cleaned all my pulleys really well, and tried again but it made no effect on the noise. I tried replacing the idler pulley and the tensioner but again no effect. Last night I replaced the vacuum pump just in case it was that and still no change.

When I was messing with the rear main seal my belt slipped off on one of the test drives (part of why I replaced tensioner, had happened to me multiple times) when the belt came off it got wrapped around the crankshaft pulley and I had to pull/cut it out of where the pulley is connected to the engine. Maybe squeal has something to do with that? But the noise did not start until after the last time I did the rear main and after driving the pick up 8 hours or so across Colorado.

It sounds to me like the noise is coming from the front driver side, hard to be any more specific than that as I have to be driving to hear it. Also to be clear it usually goes away once I hit operating temperature but is very loud and obnoxious till then. Feeling bad for the whole neighborhood starting it up and driving it around at sunup.

I got tired of messing with the whole thing and figured I tried to find a good mechanic up here, I took it to one and he gave it back to me yesterday with no idea what the squeal is. He said to just keep driving it till a problem develops. Great use of money. It does start/drive/ride nice. The mechanic said he thought it might be coming from my driveline, specifically a u joint in the driveshafts. But that doesn’t make sense to me, I have just replaced the u joints and had driveshafts balanced while doing transmission and how would it stop when it gets close to operating temp?

My next idea was to take my front hubs off again to make sure nothing is wrong with bearings, etc. I replaced those maybe 9 months ago or so. Still don’t see how operating temp would effect that.

If anybody has any advice or ideas please let me know, would really like to get this fixed and can’t drive my other vehicle in the snow up here.

I will try and get a video of the noise today and post it here, just loves to stop or get too quiet whenever I try.

Sorry for the length.

 

[screwhead]

I also do not have an ac, pick up did have one but has a bypass pulley now.

 

[screwhead]

Also the 904-807 Dorman vacuum pump has been discontinued and is very hard to find now. I have one on the way but it’s not going to get to me till Christmas. The one I had on there was a Amazon one and I have no idea if it’s quality or not.

 

[Lumberjackchuck]

Sounds like a belt noise like you said. Why don’t you try taking the belt off completely and take it for a test drive and see if you still have the noise?

 

[screwhead]

@Lumberjackchuck I have not but I will try that. Thanks

 

[rvitko]

My truck does this, from studying it, the cause is my gen 3 alternator is 150Amp, when the glow plugs are running and the batteries exhausted from start up, the belt has a lot of work to do from the alternator. I have not found any belt or dressing that solves it so my practice is to start it, let it run for a few minutes, then start driving, if I don't it goes away after maybe 3-4 blocks of driving but you get looks from people, you know, the "hey idiot, your belt is loose" look. I have tried tensioning the belt more but even at an unreasonably high tension it still squeals and that is worse for the bearings and belts than just letting it be. If you have a completely stock gen 1 alternator, it could be something else but my hunch is it is just the load strain on the alternator. I will say on most vehicles, I eventually find a brand of belt that solves these problems and a lot of times it isn't the best belt. I had a 2011 Subaru Outback that would squeal with Continental belts but never made a peep with house brand O reilly belts.

 

[screwhead]

@rvitko Thank you for the reply.

Does your squealing also stop whenever you get near operating temp? Is cold up here so mine never warms up to that point idling, have to drive it and it lasts for miles but it would at closer to sea level warmer places.

 

[IDIBRONCO]

my hunch is it is just the load strain on the alternator.

I actually had an alternator that sounded like a squealing belt before it quit working. It was on a gas engine, but that doesn't mean much. I checked the belt tension a few times and then gave up.

 

[rvitko]

For my truck it is pretty cut and dry that once the batteries have recovered from the drain down of starting and the glow plug cycle the squeal stops. If I just let it idle long enough it does not squeal, I can feather the gas pedal while it sits and it will squeal until it recovers from the drain down. I think in all honesty an oversized alternator may not be the best candidate for a v belt and eventually want to update to a later idi serpentine set up.

 

[Old Goat]

Why are your Batteries exhausted just starting your engine?
Are they tired old Batteries? Ready for retirement?
Tired old Starter that takes a while to pick up speed?
Why do you need a 150 amp Alternator? Running lots of lights,
Boom Box`s etc...?

I swapped out my old G1 Alternator for a Power Master 130Amp
one wire. Still using one old V belt, and doesn`t squeal.
Installed a Stewart Warner Volt Meter, and charges at 14V.
Installed it where "If I had a Tach" would live.

Just run one 6G to the Positive Post and one 6G to the negative
Battery Post. Forget exactly what I did with the wires that went to the old ALT and Regulator. But you do give the Regulator the deep 6.


Goat

 

[rvitko]

Basically I went through 3 gen 1 alts before I gave up. The one it came with, a motorcraft rebuild and then one I rebuilt myself. I finally reasoned that if you rebuild old worn out articles with cheap Chinese parts it’s never gonna work right. The 150 amp was simply it was what was available in a more modern gen 3 upgrade kit. The batteries are 4 years old and the truck sits for a couple weeks usually between uses. It’s my lumber yard, junkyard truck. The main cables are all new, so is the engine harness. Starter seems pretty good. It may well be fresh batteries are in order.

 

[Old Goat]

Harbor Freight has the Solar Battery Chargers that could trickle charge the batteries while the truck set between uses.
That could help.

I usually change my Batteries every 4 years just before winter hits. Get pretty cold here in Northern Nevada.
If I lived along the Calif. coast, I would run them longer.


Goat

 

[The_Josh_Bear]

Basically I went through 3 gen 1 alts before I gave up. The one it came with, a motorcraft rebuild and then one I rebuilt myself. I finally reasoned that if you rebuild old worn out articles with cheap Chinese parts it’s never gonna work right. The 150 amp was simply it was what was available in a more modern gen 3 upgrade kit. The batteries are 4 years old and the truck sits for a couple weeks usually between uses. It’s my lumber yard, junkyard truck. The main cables are all new, so is the engine harness. Starter seems pretty good. It may well be fresh batteries are in order.

NAPA sells a wax stick for v-belts, like a piece of sidewalk chalk in size. I've been very impressed with how much "stick" they give the belt, without it hurting anything else. You might give that a try and see how it goes.

There's also usually a second groove on the alt, supposedly they were actually run by two belts optionally? If you could figure a way to tighten both appropriately that could do the trick also. I don't have any ideas, though.

 

[franklin2]

It's a well known fact that one single v-belt will not support a 130 amp alternator at full output. Some people get away with it, some don't. But like was said, the most amp draw would be after start up when the batteries have been used.

You will never find a 130 amp 3G alternator in the factory configuration without having a serpentine belt or two v-belts. They do make special regulators that you can retro fit on these alternators to bring the alternator in more slowly right after start up.

 

[IDIBRONCO]

There's also usually a second groove on the alt, supposedly they were actually run by two belts optionally?

We have a vacuum pump that needs the other groove in the alternator pulley to power it.