Belt whine... how do I tighten them?

[realm]

PO said he replaced the 2 alternator belts recently (dual alts), so I'm thinking maybe they've just come loose now that they're getting broken in because there's this awful screeching whine

A few questions:

#1 How do you tighten the belt on the alts? Do you just loosen the alternator and pull it over and then tighten down? Because the top bolt on the alternator isn't through a hole but through like a slit so you can rotate it out and it tightens the belt. Is that how you do it?

#2 How tight is it supposed to be?

#3 Is there any kind of grease or anything you put on belts or do you want them dry so they don't slip?

#4 Besides the alternator belts there's one more belt below it which I think my searches of threads said it drives the water pump, power steering, etc. How is this belt tightened because I can't see where a tensioner or anything that's adjustable is there.

Thank you.

 

[nk14zp]

You move the alts to tighten the belts .The other belt you say you move the power steering pump.Not the easyist thing to do

 

[charlietango]

I just did mine last year.. took about an hour. the power steering pump was the hardest one simply because there isn't much room down there to get a good tension on the belt and tighten it at the same time. see if a buddy can come over to help you with that one. one hold it with a bar while the other tightens it.

just tighten them up to the point of them being tight. they might loosen up a bit as you drive it so keep an eye on them for re-tight.

if you need a quick fix try some belt dressing in a spray can. when the belts are warm spray it on to the sides of the belts that contact the pulleys and let it sit 5 mins. should fix it for a good while. I keep a can in my glove box because its apparently very common for the dual belt system to screech sometimes

 

[charlietango]

double post deleted

 

[niferous]

Sorry to revive an old thread but how are you guys moving the power steering bracket? I loosened both tension bolts on both sides and then the center pivot bolt just a little in case it was too tight. I tapped the pulley a little with a rubber mallet to loosen up any rust and tapped the bracket at the tip where it slides on the rear tension bolt. The thing does not want to budge! I'm hoping to replace my belts tomorrow after work so I'm hoping someone can give me a tip on how to make it budge a little so I can put on the new belt.

 

[LanceRobson]

There are a couple of different sizes of bolts on the pump. If I remember right, you'll find one under and behind it. Look up at it and you'll see it better. The challenge, after loosening all the bolts, is to find a way to pry over on the pump without denting it. I used a chunk of cedar shingle to pad the bar. I would advise not raping on the pump pulley or putting any pressure on it.

If you look in the RESOURCES section for the -20 manual it shows where all the bolts are.

On the plus side, it's been a year of moderate use and the belts have not needed tightening again.

Lance

 

[Stihl029]

I did mine about two weeks ago and it has loosened again. The brush truck at our fire department does the same thing. squeals till I am in second gear then like there is no issue at all. I am begining to think that it may be the pump itself.

 

[charlietango]

the belts on the drivers side alternator also run on the power steering pump (on my truck anyways) . I was having a problem with tensioning both the power steering belt and the alternator belt to the same tension. I eventually solved this problem by removing the power steering dedicated belt. I run it all off the alternator belt. not sure if it is the right thing to do but it has been good for over a year now with all components working properly. It also eliminated a weird rattle noise. not sure how or why but I am happy.

I was told the pulleys eventually wear out slightly making the belt not seat properly until centrifugal force just ends up keeping it in place which is probably why it eventually stops. that and it heats up when it slips making it a bit tacky sort of like a drag racer warming the tires.. again I dont know if it is true or not this is just what a person told me... but I am telling you the can of belt dressing was my friend until I took that PS belt off.

 

[Somemedic]

The driver side alt belt and the power steering belt have to be almost the same tension or theres gonna be a squeek. You can get power steering belt tight using a rachet strap fed through the space between the bracket and the side of the power steering pump. Feed it through, make a knot with a loop on the far end for you to stand in and you can tighten the belt all by yourself. Im doing it now so I will try to get a pic when the damn rain stops.

 

[GoHot229]

in a bind away from tools and on the road with screech problems, you can use dish soap on the belts to recover grip and stop the whineing, but its just a temporary thing.

 

[Cucvnut]

my passenger squeels when ever i start up the truck. i need to tighten it today when i get home.

 

[niferous]

I guess I will chime in since I finally got mine to stop squealing. On the alternators I used the longest handled flat head screw driver I could find at Home Depot. It tightened them right up. I then used a 36" pry bar for the power steering pump. What I did was I took the curved end that ha the notch cut in the end and hooked it onto the power steering pump's bracket. Then I just pulled it towards me using the frame as the pivot point. Tightened the one bolt closest to me good and hard and it didn't move when I released the pry bar to tighten the others. I did the alternators first and then the power steering pump.

 

[ida34]

Be careful. An over tightened belt will take out bearings in the alternators, waterpump, and power steering pump.

 

[HardCorps79]

The driver side alt belt and the power steering belt have to be almost the same tension or theres gonna be a squeek. You can get power steering belt tight using a rachet strap fed through the space between the bracket and the side of the power steering pump. Feed it through, make a knot with a loop on the far end for you to stand in and you can tighten the belt all by yourself. Im doing it now so I will try to get a pic when the damn rain stops.

Just noticed you're in Hobart. I spent the first 9 years of my life in Lake Station. I know the area well. A lot of my folks' friends lived in Hobart. Think most have passed on now, though.

Thanks for the post. I plan on changing these belts out probably next month. You know, once it gets good and cold and isn't fun to work on it anymore... (I don't have a garage).

 

[Somemedic]

If you feed the strap thru the top of the bracket from the top I think you get better leverage. Snug the strap up to the bracket. At the far end hanging out the engine bay on the side of the fender, tie a loop that you can step in and just put your foot in and step down. Tighten accordingly.

City of Hobart Fire dept, Band of Brothers firefighterpipes and drums. I live in New Chicago, grew up in Portage but work for Hobart. Small world....

 

[Radioshop]

There's a neat and cheap little tool from Thexton that allows you to easily tighten the power steering belt with a 1/2 breaker bar or ratchet. Prying on the unit itself can easily lead to damage. You're looking for a Thexton 383 tool. It's a flat plate with a hook on one end and a 1/2 square hole in the other end. I ordered mine from NAPA (can't find the number), but here's one too: Thexton 383 Power Steering - Mechanics Tools . It's a whole $9. Also check your belt/pulley alignment.

 

[taylordc15]

Mine started squealing and I went to tighten the power steering pump belt up only to find that the lower bolt is missing, does anyone know what size it is, I looked in the -20P but all it tells me is that it is a Bolt.

 

[T_F_E]

^ I have the same problem and it looks like my pump isnt even all the way bolted to the braket

 

[4bogginchevys]

bolts

Mine started squealing and I went to tighten the power steering pump belt up only to find that the lower bolt is missing, does anyone know what size it is, I looked in the -20P but all it tells me is that it is a Bolt.

should be 3/8...(9/16 socket) but if it's metric get the rough equivalent, and make sure you have enough length for atleast a 1/2 inch of thread bite.

my truck might be something different but I swear that some are sae and some are metric

 

[ragedracer]

The upper bolts are metric- 10x1.5. Not sure if the lower bolt is the same.