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Accessory Belt Slip

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Damojo2003

New member
OK, I was hearing was chattering from my accessory belt tensioner, but the belt was still fairly tight. I was starting to hear a sqealing sound when the engine was cold and sometimes when I would turn after it was warmed up. I changed the belt and this made no change. I then changed the noisy tensioner. The chattering is now gone, but the belt slips. The belt slips bad enough that I can read the size of the belt while the engine is on. SO, I hit it with some degreaser and warm water. I figured the coolant left a film on the pulley. I did this and the belt was moving the way it should. A few hours later I started the car and nothing but squealing. I decided to take out an old spray can of belt dressing and hit each pulley. It seemed to help when I hit the crank. I double checked that the belt was positioned correctly and then hit the pulleys with degreaser again and rinsed with warm water like last time. Everything was good again. Get up this morning, ran good for 15-20 seconds and then started to squeal.

So I read a few things about running chaulk on the belt while it is running to clean the belt. I am going to try that. If that does not work, I am going to check to see if the pulleys spin freely, clean each pulley with brake cleaner and wash the belts with soap and water. Any one else have anyother suggestions?

Mods that matter
electric water pump, gates k060874 alternator overdrive and triple checked the belt position.
 


I don't have much experience with the electric water pump. I can't imagine the acc belt slipping much. And gates are the best you can buy.

I would just make sure the belt is tight to put on when you are installing it. I know on my car, the acc belt almost bottoms out the tensioner. So if the belt is very easy to put on, it may be too big.
 


yh, i am pretty much stumped here. I bought a good belt and it is the same size I have been running for years. A little coolant on the pulleys should not be causing this. One thing that is crossing my mind is the power steering pump failing, but when the belt turns correctly, everything is fine. I just don't understand why it runs fine after the degresser and warm water and not when cold and dry.
 
Well, took the belts off last night and they look good. Each pulley spins freely and got hit with brake cleaner. I could not hit the crank pulley enough from up top, I am going to hit it tonight when I remove the wheel. The belts smelled almost like gas but not. I washed them in soap and water with a brush. Tonight I will try again, I just can't beleive that a simple belt is doing this to me.
 
The crank pulley is about the least likely thing to cause slip, due to the amount of wrap, and being on the ribbed face.

Are you running an oversized pulley on the tensioner? It seems that if you leave the 3.0" stock one, the belt can run into itself when passing back down past the P/S pump.

Here's a pic I took trying a 4.0" pulley I found at a yard just to mess with (3.5" is what many Meziere folks run):
0715081140.jpg


You can see how close it is, even though it's not snugged up. Also remember, it's a full inch bigger than the stock pulley, which brings the P/S side and W/P side closer to each other on a 3.0". Going larger also helps tighten the belt & bring the tensioner pulley down to a better position that moves the belt further away from the P/S pump, too.

Couple that with the fact that this is the driven side of the crank pulley... meaning the crank is "pushing" the belt outward as it comes up that side, which will bring it closer to the P/S pulley as well.

- Dave
 
so basically Zef is right, the belt is too long and you are suggesting that I get a 3.5" idler as opposed to the stock 3.0 pulley. it still bothers me that this is happening now after I have been running this setup for a while. SO I assume the belt will not touch the water pump with the 3.5" idler. Looks like the 4.0 that is in that pic the belt is touching the WP
 
The Meziere head isn't as big as the pulley, I was just mocking this up a few months ago with that big pulley in different arrangements.

As far as the belt, it being possibly too long is only about 1/4 of the reasoning I used above. If that was my only point, my reply would've been alot shorter. :cool:

- Dave
 


Thank you for the good advice. If the weather cooperates tonight, I will take a look and possible change the 3.5 idler to that tensioner
 
Well, It seems after I cleaned the pulleys it still squealed. I swapped the idler pulleys so teh 3.5 was on the accessory belt and started her up. Everything was good again. It seems that there is a bolt right by the crank the the belt was riding on due to the non gm idler assembly. Using the 3.5 idler increased the wrap on the crank enough to avoid the bolt. Either way, all is good now. Thank you guys for the input. I would have never thought of using the 3.5" idler
 
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