General Maintenance & Repairs Leaks | Squeaks | Clunks | Rattles | Grinds
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by: CARiD

squeaky belt?

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Apr 24, 2012 | 06:43 PM
  #1  
nirvana94's Avatar
Thread Starter
Teching In
 
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 38
Likes: 0
Default squeaky belt?

the belt on my 98z is squeaking like a bitch i pulled the idler pulley off and regreased the bearings it seemed fine i turned and tried to wiggle every other pulley but all seemed fine the belt probably has 400 miles on it and looks new and when its running and i put water on it and it stops squeaking for a little while so am i missing something or is the belt just a piece of ****? will belt dressing help and if it does is it just a temporary fix? if i replace the belt whats the best to get besides the gatorback? thanks
Reply
Old Apr 24, 2012 | 07:07 PM
  #2  
98TransAmAngryBird's Avatar
Staging Lane
 
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 51
Likes: 0
From: Costa Mesa, CA
Default

Originally Posted by nirvana94
the belt on my 98z is squeaking like a bitch i pulled the idler pulley off and regreased the bearings it seemed fine i turned and tried to wiggle every other pulley but all seemed fine the belt probably has 400 miles on it and looks new and when its running and i put water on it and it stops squeaking for a little while so am i missing something or is the belt just a piece of ****? will belt dressing help and if it does is it just a temporary fix? if i replace the belt whats the best to get besides the gatorback? thanks
Squeaky belts, pulleys, tensioners have all been a complete joke that Most guys can never seem to figure out. I have replaced my belt, tensioner pulley, both idler pulleys, and my car still squeaks... I don't know what to do... I have heard though that any autozone belt or aftermarket belt will continue to occasionally squeak.. My best advice to you if you think the "belt" is the problem, is to go to your local GM dealer and get a belt. It will be the OEM belt. A/C Delco I believe.
Reply
Old Apr 24, 2012 | 07:09 PM
  #3  
ssteven's Avatar
TECH Enthusiast
iTrader: (6)
 
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 722
Likes: 1
From: The tragic kingdom
Default

Get a gatorback belt. In the meantime. clean the belt and pullies scrub and scuff with a green scotchbrite sponge. Look for cracks in your belt also.
Reply
Old Apr 24, 2012 | 07:55 PM
  #4  
eseibel67's Avatar
TECH Fanatic
15 Year Member
Photogenic
iTrader: (10)
 
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 1,781
Likes: 4
From: Kitchener, ON
Default

I've been through the squeaky belt nightmare. First, 2 new belts. Then, clean and grease all 4 tensioner and idler pullies. Still squeaked when cold.

Last weekend I removed the alternator and greased the bearings as best I could. It's been very cold up here this past week (had snow this morning!), and so far 3 cold starts have been squeak-free.
Reply
Old Apr 25, 2012 | 05:55 AM
  #5  
98TransAmAngryBird's Avatar
Staging Lane
 
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 51
Likes: 0
From: Costa Mesa, CA
Default

Originally Posted by eseibel67
I've been through the squeaky belt nightmare. First, 2 new belts. Then, clean and grease all 4 tensioner and idler pullies. Still squeaked when cold.

Last weekend I removed the alternator and greased the bearings as best I could. It's been very cold up here this past week (had snow this morning!), and so far 3 cold starts have been squeak-free.
How did you go about greasing the bearings?? I guessing you had crack that bad boy open and all??
Reply
Old Apr 25, 2012 | 10:59 AM
  #6  
RPM WS6's Avatar
LS1Tech Administrator
20 Year Member
Shutterbug
Community Builder
Community Influencer
iTrader: (3)
 
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 34,629
Likes: 2,548
From: Schiller Park, ILL Member: #317
Default

Originally Posted by 98TransAmAngryBird
Squeaky belts, pulleys, tensioners have all been a complete joke that Most guys can never seem to figure out. I have replaced my belt, tensioner pulley, both idler pulleys, and my car still squeaks... I don't know what to do... I have heard though that any autozone belt or aftermarket belt will continue to occasionally squeak.. My best advice to you if you think the "belt" is the problem, is to go to your local GM dealer and get a belt. It will be the OEM belt. A/C Delco I believe.
I've found that the issue is sometimes a weak tensioner that seems to allow the belt to slip a bit over time. People tend to replace the pullies, but not the tensioner itself. I was having some belt squeak issues that new pullies and new belts didn't fix, but replacing the entire tensioner did the trick.

As for the belts, I've noticed that the stock GM belt is 2001mm, while some of the aftermarket belts sold for these engines are listed as 2005mm. 4mm should certainly be within the range that can be absorbed by the stock tensioner when it's working properly, but if the tensioner is getting weak then any extra slack isn't going to help matters.
Reply
Old Apr 25, 2012 | 02:58 PM
  #7  
nirvana94's Avatar
Thread Starter
Teching In
 
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 38
Likes: 0
Default

went today to store and had them pull all the belts they had and for some reason they were all different lengths? anyway bought the dayco polrib which was the shortest and a good bit shorter than the one that was o my car put it on and now everything is perfectly quiet so maybe a word to the wise you might wanna make sure the belt ya get isnt to long. thanx for the advice
Reply




All times are GMT -5. The time now is 08:45 PM.

story-0
Amazing '71 Camaro Restomod Is Modern Muscle Car Under the Skin

Slideshow: This heavily modified 1971 Camaro mixes classic muscle car styling with a fifth-generation Camaro interior and modern LS3 power.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-12 18:06:42


VIEW MORE
story-1
6 Common C5 Corvette Failures and What's Involved In Repairing Them

Slideshow: From wobbling harmonic balancers to failed EBCMs, these are the issues that define long-term C5 ownership and what repairs typically involve.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-05-07 18:44:57


VIEW MORE
story-2
Retro Modern Bandit Pontiac Trans AM Comes With Burt Reynolds' Autograph

Slideshow: A modern Camaro transformed into a retro icon, this limited-run "Bandit" build blends nostalgia with brute force in a way few revivals manage.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-21 13:57:02


VIEW MORE
story-3
Top 10 Greatest Cadillac V Series Performance Models Ever, Ranked

Slideshow: Cadillac didn't just crash the high-performance luxury vehicle party, it showed up loud, supercharged, and occasionally a little unhinged...

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-04-16 10:05:15


VIEW MORE
story-4
Top 10 Most Powerful Chevy Trucks Ever Made!

Slideshow: Top ten most powerful Chevy trucks ever made

By | 2026-03-25 09:22:26


VIEW MORE
story-5
Hennessey's New Supercharged Silverado ZR2 Has 700 HP

Slideshow: Hennessey has turned the Silverado ZR2 into a 700-hp off-road monster with supercharged V8 power and a limited production run.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-24 18:57:52


VIEW MORE
story-6
Coachbuilt N2A Anteros Is an LS2-Powered C6 Corvette In Italian Clothes

Slideshow: A one-off sports car that looks like a vintage Italian exotic-but hides a C6 Corvette underneath-just sold for the price of a new mid-engine Corvette.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-23 18:53:41


VIEW MORE
story-7
Awesome K5 Blazer Restomod Comes With C7 Corvette Power

Slideshow: A heavily reworked 1972 K5 Blazer swaps its off-road roots for a low-slung street-focused build with modern V8 power.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-09 18:08:45


VIEW MORE
story-8
10 Camaros You Should Never Buy

Slideshow: There are thousands of used Camaros on the market but we think you should avoid these 10

By | 2026-02-17 17:09:30


VIEW MORE
story-9
10 LS Engine Myths That Refuse to Die

Slideshows: Which one of these myths do you believe?

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-01-28 18:10:11


VIEW MORE