Any mechanics for advice? Belt squeal

Lou Cypher
Lou Cypher Members Posts: 52,521 ✭✭✭✭✭
Hey friends. Recently I have purchased a 87 jeep wagoneer, 4.0 liter in line 6 cylinder engine and since I first started it it has had a belt squeal. There was the typical valve cover gasket leak and oil everywhere.

The squeal is coming from the middle of the engine at the front of the vehicle. I had thought it was the water pump, and the car was having a bit of an overheating issue and the guy left 2 jugs of coolant in the car when it was towed. I replaced the water pump and thermostat and the engine temp normalized, but the squeal was louder than ever.

Today I took it to the car wash. Sprayed degrees error over everything on the engine while it was running. Pulleys, all that. Then I used the pressure washer to spray off all of the gunk that was caked on it.

After I did this, the belt stopped squealing while idling, but when it starts up and the vehicle accelerates it starts squealing again until I let up off the gas and use the brake.

I bought a replacement belt, but haven't thrown it on yet. Could that be the issue? The belts in great shape and a lot of the grease that was on it is gone now, but there could always be more especially on the gears and pulleys.

There is also the chance that it could be the harmonic balancer, but when the belt was off I started it up and it made no noise making me thing the harmonic balancer may be fine.

If anyone has any advice please let me know. Not going to use belt dressing as that would just make a mess.

Comments

  • Melanin_Enriched
    Melanin_Enriched Members Posts: 22,868 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited May 2016
    Www.4chan.org/o/
  • Sage Wonder
    Sage Wonder Members Posts: 3,413 ✭✭✭✭✭
    A soaked belt from the oil leak would cause that. Once it gets into the belt material it pretty much soaks in and causes slippage. This would be why it might be quiet at idle but starts squealing when under load.

    Also just want to make clear that we are talking about a squealing noise. A bad bearing IE water pump/ power steering pump/ ac compressor or idler pulley would be more of a whining or groaning noise.

    You might as well just replace the belt if you already bought one, I would've recommended replacing it regardless. If the noise is still there what I do is take a pry bar and press it against the housing of the pump/compressor. Since noise is vibration, that vibration will travel across your metal pry bar. Put your ear to the other end and if that bearing is making unusual noise it will travel through like a stethoscope.


    I suspect the belt is all you need.
  • Lou Cypher
    Lou Cypher Members Posts: 52,521 ✭✭✭✭✭
    A soaked belt from the oil leak would cause that. Once it gets into the belt material it pretty much soaks in and causes slippage. This would be why it might be quiet at idle but starts squealing when under load.

    Also just want to make clear that we are talking about a squealing noise. A bad bearing IE water pump/ power steering pump/ ac compressor or idler pulley would be more of a whining or groaning noise.

    You might as well just replace the belt if you already bought one, I would've recommended replacing it regardless. If the noise is still there what I do is take a pry bar and press it against the housing of the pump/compressor. Since noise is vibration, that vibration will travel across your metal pry bar. Put your ear to the other end and if that bearing is making unusual noise it will travel through like a stethoscope.


    I suspect the belt is all you need.

    Awesome advice, appreciate it. I didnt have enough time yesterday, but i removed the belt and noticed all of the pulleys that the belt went into had grease/oil/dirt/rubber in the tiny grooves. I took some break cleaner and a wire brush to them then got underneath the front end and had my buddy start it up while i sprayed the harmonic balancer at the very bottom and pressed the wire brush against it while it spun for a few seconds then repeated a couple times. Will be busy for a night or so but will go over there tomorrow and hook the belt up and see if there has been any improvement. It definitely sounds like a belt squeal, wouldnt call it a groaning.

    While im here and have gotten a little feedback figured I would just ask to kind of confirm my thinking, but when the vehicle is idling, it will be sitting at 500RPM (halfway between 0 and 1 on the tacometer, maybe a little higher than halfway) then it will drop a little bit and it sounds like the car is about to turn off but then it picks right back up and it will do this maybe every 30 seconds. I dont notice this at all while the car is driving, but do you think this would be a spark plug issue? or could it be something more?
  • Sage Wonder
    Sage Wonder Members Posts: 3,413 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Hard to say with your description I would have to see it for myself. Is it constantly bogging down or is it just random hiccups that happen once in a while? If it's the latter I wouldn't worry about it unless it becomes a more obvious problem. If it's constantly bogging down I'm thinking vacuum leak. Ignition/spark problems tend to be more apparent when under load.
  • Lou Cypher
    Lou Cypher Members Posts: 52,521 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited May 2016
    Just updating for anyone who may have been interested.

    I was worried it was the harmonic balancer but it ended up just being the belt. The belt was soaked in grease and oil and coolant. I sprayed it with brake cleaner but that wasnt helpful. Since i had a replacement belt anyway I removed the original. On the pullies was grease and dirt so i spent a couple hours with some brake cleaner and a wire brush removing all of the dirt and stuff from the grooves. Put on the new belt and it was a tiny bit looser than the original belt. Started the engine up and when it turned over it let out a loud screech that had me worried. After 4 or 5 seconds it went away and hasnt returned. Only time i hear the belt squeal is when i turn corners sharply. Besides the coolant leak somewhere in the radiator and it possibly needing a tune up, jeep runs great.

    With the long weekend I may replace the valve cover gasket and just might have a friend help me replace the radiator. He works and sells jeeps for a living and has a jeep sitting at his lot without an engine and said i can just grab the radiator off of that if we can fit it, he will have to look at my jeep before he knows for sure.

    Besides that, went to the DMV yesterday got a VIN inspection, registered and got the title. Tags are good until november of this year so the ? only cost me 20 bucks when i was planning to be spending 200+. Street legal now and dependable to drive. Once i fix up that radiator and get the engine running a little better I should be able to take it through some mud sometime this summer. Thanks again for the advice @Sage Wonder, i damn near spent money to replace the harmonic balancer before even putting the new belt on, after reading your post i sat there and thought for an hour and eventually decided to just replace the belt haha.
  • Melanin_Enriched
    Melanin_Enriched Members Posts: 22,868 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Post some pics
  • Sage Wonder
    Sage Wonder Members Posts: 3,413 ✭✭✭✭✭
    87 jeep, wouldn't that have a manual belt adjustment? If it does you can adjust the tension on the belt. I'm sure you can find how if you google it.
  • Lou Cypher
    Lou Cypher Members Posts: 52,521 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Post some pics

    Have it parked at a friends house at the moment but when i go pick it up I will.
    87 jeep, wouldn't that have a manual belt adjustment? If it does you can adjust the tension on the belt. I'm sure you can find how if you google it.

    Kind of. The powersteering pump is bolted in a way that it has a pivot you can adjust its angle with. Belt can be tightened or loosened that way. It may be a bit too loose at the moment, looks like there is a bit of slack under the water pump pulley.
  • Sage Wonder
    Sage Wonder Members Posts: 3,413 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Did you hold the pump in position with a pry bar or something to keep it from moving under tension when tightening? Idk maybe it's fine the way it is.
  • Lou Cypher
    Lou Cypher Members Posts: 52,521 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Nah just loosened a couple bolts and moved it towards the engine to slip on the belt then pulled it back to tighten. It can be turned a little less than an inch more. Hard to explain and i dont know the appropriate terminology for a lot of this stuff haha.
  • Lou Cypher
    Lou Cypher Members Posts: 52,521 ✭✭✭✭✭
  • Lou Cypher
    Lou Cypher Members Posts: 52,521 ✭✭✭✭✭
    gh16vyiisjch.jpg

    ^only big damage to the body.

    I still have to vacuum and get it detailed, but here is the interior

    b00gqbmvaeif.jpg

    Hate that steering wheel cover. Will replace that soon haha.

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