Blk97WS6

iTrader: (19)

Whats up everyone. My car is squeeking bad, im pretty sure it is the tensioner pulley. About two months ago, i started to hear a slight squeek, it then got a little louder so i replaced the belt. all noise was GONE for about 3 weeks, and now it is REALLY loud again. if i drive the car around for 5-10 min and the car warms up, the squeek slowly goes away. Anyway, since i already replaced the belt, and it still squeeks im guessing its the tensioner pulley. Does anyone know a good place to get a new tensioner?? any help or input is appreciated. thanks guys

Mr Incredible

My squeal was caused by the idler pulley. You can get either pulley at any local parts store for less than $20 each.

angel71rs

Yeah, when I bought the serpentine belt at parts store, I saw on the computer screen that they stocked both tensioner pulleys.

MIKE_84

trying putting pressure on your tensioner and see if it goes away, if it doesnt you know its not the tensioner

Blk97WS6

iTrader: (19)

awesome! all good advice! ill try putting pressure on it tomarrow. is it easier to replace the whole tensioner unit by just unbolting it, or just take the pulley off?

1QUIKWS6

iTrader: (61)

Much easier to just replace the pulley = (1) bolt in the center of the pulley. More than likely if the noise is coming from the Idler it is the pulley bearing, not the tensioner unit itself. My idler pulley went out before 30K miles.

I did get my original replacement from the dealer for around $15 - reason being, Advanced Auto listed the pulley - but when I got it home I found that it was actually the 'other' idler pulley that is down by the alternator. They are different and NOT interchangeable.

I took it back, but that was the only P/N they had listed and all the info they had stated the one I got was for the tensioner - they didn't even show a listing for the other.

Finally I bought a billet aluminum version of the idler pulley that has a replaceable bearing. That way, next time it goes out all I have to do is swap out the bearing instead of replacing the entire pulley.

-Jay-

Blk97WS6

iTrader: (19)

awesome thanks man!

Blk97WS6

iTrader: (19)

went to the auto store today to pick up the IDLER pulley, got it home and the little shield type thing that goes infront of the stock pulley didnt fit on the new one. went back to the store and they said to just use a big washer instead of the shield thing. tried doing that, and the squeek got even louder! i then put the stock one back on, and it went back to what it was doing before. Im lost here. do you think the parts store gave me the wrong part? or its not the idler making the noise? i did notice that when i had the belt off, when the pulley for the alternator spun, it made a real quiet squeek. when my car is cold the squeek is LOUD though. do you all think it is the alternator pulley making the noise and the squeek was just quieter with the belt off because there wasnt any pressure? and can the pulley on the alternator be replaced, or do i have to replace the whole thing.

Blk97WS6

iTrader: (19)

also i was reading around LS1tech and it seems that most people who have bad idler pulleys say that the car only squeeks at idle and low RPMS and the goes away if the RPMS climb.
the noise i am hearing gets worse and worse as the rpms rise. just wanted to point that out.

Blk97WS6

iTrader: (19)

anyone?

nikeair042

thats what mine does. at idle, or when it rains, or sitting at a stop light it only squeeks. When i am driving though, I cannot hear it. Or when I rev it. Only at idle.

Blk97WS6

iTrader: (19)

well mine was doing it whether i was idling, normal driving, or getting on it. but i went to the dealer today to get a new idler pulley, went home put the new one from GM on and all the sounds went away, ill keep this thread updated to whether or not the sound comes back.

wamp42

I have the same problem.

Blk97WS6

iTrader: (19)

well just to update you guys, i took my car out tonight and beat the living **** out of and sprayed it a couple times, and so far the squeek still has NOT came back, so it looks like it was the idler pulley causing the trouble. so i would suggest to Nikeair and wamp to go ahead and replace the idler pulley seeing how its a cheap part, takes 10 min to fix, and it worked for me. good luck!

L67toLS1

iTrader: (4)

My car has the same issue, it squeeks on start-up, then slowly goes away as the car warms up, but then the squeek comes back if you raise the rpm from idle and gets louder as rpms climb. You think it's the idler pulley?

Jim

Blackbird Jon

Sorry to bring back this old thread, but it is the only 1 I found via LS1Tech search. Looks like it has been in and out of the spotlight a few times. Anyway...

I have some extreme squeak coming from several pulleys, but in my case the main tensioner doesn't seem to be the culprit. I heard it using the stethiscope looking tool to isolate the sounds coming from the tensioner on the A/C belt, the idler on same belt, and also noise from the idler under the power steering. A trusted mechanic told me I could replace bearings, but what you peoples think?

I replaced the belt recently with same result, noise went away pretty much, then has come back quickly worse. Mine does it all the time, more so when cold, and most when the defrost is on(load on the A/C belt).

pewter99ls1

On my car I have had problems with both AC idler pulleys squeaking/chirping. I have replaced them with new ones and it works great for six months and then the squeak returns. Tensioner has been replaced too. What I do now is just remove pulley, take of the seal and repack some grease along the ball bearings. Works for a few months.

Another way to help diagnose which pulley is sqeaking is swirt a little lubricant on the "vanes" of the pulley itself and see if the chirp goes away. If it does, there's the one that needs addressing.

I think the basic design of the idler pulleys just sucks. Kind of embarrassing when you fire up your beast and you hear a cricket chirping along with your exhaust for the first five minutes until eveything warms up.

Blackbird Jon

Yeah mine, car runs fine but since I'm trying to hit the car show this weekend, I gotta do something to get this noise to subside. I'm gonna go get after it, I'll yet ya'll know...

Thanks!

qwkta98

check a/c belt

Blk97WS6

iTrader: (19)

DAMN this is an old thread....man, have i come a long way since starting this thread. Asking how to swap an idler pully? And now im doing cam and a few head swaps for me and my buddies. Shows you how much you can learn in a year on LS1tech.