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| Drive Belt Replacement: Won't Stop Squeaking!; Can't get new drive belt to shut up. | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Nov 30 2011, 04:38 PM (2,695 Views) | |
| Alniter | Nov 30 2011, 04:38 PM Post #1 |
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New Member
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Greetings from Florida, I have a 2000 Metro 1.0L 3-cylinder hatchback. My main drive belt disintegrated mid-drive one night and was chewed up and spit out. I got a new one and replaced it per Hayes book instructions, pretty easy. The problem is that it won't stop squealing! Maybe it's too tight, I think, so I loosen it. Sounds great in the driveway, but 1 mile away on my next trip it starts squealing, badly. Too loose, I think? So I tighten it. Sounds great in the driveway, but 1 mile away....you get the picture. I have no idea what the problem is. Maybe the belt expands a little after heating up, so I need it to be looser still? It takes longer to jack it up, remove the tire, and remove the splash shield than it does to adjust the alternator back or forth, then I have to put it all back together. I know the bolts are very tight before I close it up, so the alternator isn't coming a little loose and moving forward. I even thought about the possibility that when the old belt got chewed it bent the alternator pulley a little, but if that were the case it would squeal before I got to the end of the driveway, correct? Any ideas? I'd love to go out at night without waking the neighbors (and my anger buttons). Thanks, Steve in Orlando |
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| mjspiess | Nov 30 2011, 04:47 PM Post #2 |
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Make sure you wipe down both alternator & water pump pulleys since both are prob. covered in loose chewed up rubber material. You can tighten the alternator by putting a pry bar between the alternator & water pump. If you're not pushing the alternator back toward the firewall with something other than your hand, you'll never get the belt tight enough. |
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| TheKid | Nov 30 2011, 04:54 PM Post #3 |
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Welcome Alniter I'm not sure, but aren't belt dressing suppose to keep belts from squealing? |
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| nerys | Nov 30 2011, 05:35 PM Post #4 |
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Grr
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belt dressings makes a MESS avoid it !! use BRAKE CLEANER instead. it attacks the rubber but does not make a rubbery mess. just tighten it. They need to be REALLY tight not to squeal. as mentioned big pry bar. Push it back and tighten it while your holding it back. you have to push pretty hard. make sure the grooves in your pulleys are clean. take a WIRE BRUSH and shove it against the pulley while it spinning (PLEASE be careful this could potentially be VERY VERY dangerous) do all 3. |
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| wayn | Nov 30 2011, 05:53 PM Post #5 |
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Really fresh fish
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you need to tighten it, wait 4 days, then tighten again. |
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| clarkdw | Nov 30 2011, 05:55 PM Post #6 |
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Welcome Alniter. The belt is really marginal for the job it is asked to do. Keep a spare in the car because as mjspiess said the belt has to be super tight to prevent squealing. +1 on the wire brushing and brake cleaner, not belt dressing. Belt will likely need to be retensioned after a short break-in period as well. They do stretch because they are so tight. |
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| nerys | Nov 30 2011, 05:59 PM Post #7 |
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Grr
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I have never had to "retighten" any of my belts. make sure to buy GOOD belts not crap ones. I like the gatorback belts. they seems to work really well. No squeals :-) |
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| Alniter | Nov 30 2011, 07:50 PM Post #8 |
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New Member
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Wire brush, brake cleaner, push bar...and it all worked. Thanks for a great first forum experience. Next post on the way.
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| 1.0smallblock | Nov 30 2011, 09:56 PM Post #9 |
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DirtBag
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a few pictures here... damn belts...<----CLICK. |
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| Woodie | Dec 1 2011, 07:44 AM Post #10 |
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Never seen one that didn't need to be re-tightened a week later. New, high quality (Gatorback) belt, clean pulleys, WAY tighter than you think is right, re-tighten 100 miles on. |
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| clarkdw | Dec 1 2011, 11:09 AM Post #11 |
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| nerys | Dec 1 2011, 11:14 AM Post #12 |
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Grr
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not mine. tightened it once when I replaced it on the side of the road in the rain (old one gave out) have not tightened it again in over 1 year before taking it off and putting it back on to do timing belt. |
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