Belt squeal?

[Joe Mama]

2.4TD,12/1991, automatic trans Surf

At idle and in gear my Surf makes a wierd chirping/squeaking from the engine compartment. When I look under the bonnet, all belts seem adjusted to the correct tension.

One concerning thing is at the top of the belt drive is a small smooth idler/tensioner pulley that looks like it should ride on the belts (twin fan belts) and it doesn't seem to hardly touch them. I cannot find any adjustment for that pulley and it doesn't seem springloaded.

Can anyone help with a diagram outlining correct belt routing (I am concerned someone has put the incorrect belts on) or does anyone have any experience with this issue?

Thanks in advance,

[Guest]

2.4TD,12/1991, automatic trans Surf

At idle and in gear my Surf makes a wierd chirping/squeaking from the engine compartment. When I look under the bonnet, all belts seem adjusted to the correct tension.

One concerning thing is at the top of the belt drive is a small smooth idler/tensioner pulley that looks like it should ride on the belts (twin fan belts) and it doesn't seem to hardly touch them. I cannot find any adjustment for that pulley and it doesn't seem springloaded.

Can anyone help with a diagram outlining correct belt routing (I am concerned someone has put the incorrect belts on) or does anyone have any experience with this issue?

Thanks in advance,

That top idler pulley rarely actually runs on the belts and you can't adjust it. The sqeaking noise most likely comes from either the AC compressor pulley or the power steering pump. Also the bottom idler pulley for the AC belt is sometimes squeaky.

A quick test is to spray some water onto pulleys, the noise should go. You can either then spray the offending pulley with WD40 - once done though you need to keep doing it as the WD40 dries out then makes it worse. Or remove the offending article and strip it down and new bearings.

However just because the belts look OK, they may be too tight which would cause the squeak as you are putting the pulleys under too much load, or they may just be worn out. Belts go smooth eventually and no matter how tight they are they will still slip. Also rubber gets transferred to the pulleys and burns on making them lumpy and liable to slip.

Cheers

[Koi]

My lower pulley (adjuster for air con) seized solid last week, prior to this it was squealing/squeaking, then solid, belt run through it heated up smelt lovely melted rubber in the pulley grooves.
Now its hot I ain't got no air con, spare pulley anyone???

[Joe Mama]

Thanks for the input. At least I now know that the top idler pulley doesn't always engage the belts.

I guess the way forward is a strip down this weekend.

[Smurf]

Dont be too hasty with that strip down, i washed the engine bay yeaterday and ran the engine to dry it all. My air con pulley started making strange noises so i dripped a bit of 3in1 oil into the gap between the two halves of the pulley (the belt driven bit and the clutch bit) and it ran nice and quiet again. Give it a try it could save you a whole load of work!!

[Oldone]

Dont be too hasty with that strip down, i washed the engine bay yeaterday and ran the engine to dry it all. My air con pulley started making strange noises so i dripped a bit of 3in1 oil into the gap between the two halves of the pulley (the belt driven bit and the clutch bit) and it ran nice and quiet again. Give it a try it could save you a whole load of work!!

Typical maintenance man, give it a squirt and sod off.
Don

[Smurf]

Typical maintenance man, give it a squirt and sod off.
Don

My wife always complains about that too!!!!! cant think why?????

Oh, you meant the pulley, it's still working fine!!!! havent used the truck since doing it so it must be!!!!