Belt Chirping SOLVED!!!
See if theres is a spot that you can sight across the front edges of the belt as it passes across from side to side. Or, If you can get a straightedge on there contacting it at 3 points. The belt edges should be all flat to each other, IE all in one plane.
Especially try to see how it runs around the water pump, as it not running in a groove there and will find its own path if there is misalignment.
On my setup I could see that the belt was about an 1/8" rearward on the Wpump and that led me to check out the Steering pump. On the F-body belt routing, I would be real suspicious of the alternator position and how the belt runs off it and around the idler to the crank. The squeaks generally happen when the belt is entering the pulley, as opposed to leaving it.
Especially try to see how it runs around the water pump, as it not running in a groove there and will find its own path if there is misalignment.
On my setup I could see that the belt was about an 1/8" rearward on the Wpump and that led me to check out the Steering pump. On the F-body belt routing, I would be real suspicious of the alternator position and how the belt runs off it and around the idler to the crank. The squeaks generally happen when the belt is entering the pulley, as opposed to leaving it.
Thread Starter
TECH Fanatic
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 1,367
Likes: 144
From: Woodstock, GA
Thread Starter
TECH Fanatic
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 1,367
Likes: 144
From: Woodstock, GA
I had left mine off ... but put it back on this morning. I couldn't thread it in until I loosened the other 3 bolts and lifted the rear which tells me that the angular alignment was off slightly on the alternator. Belt still chirps ... so my thinking is that I should be good to go with a new belt now. Seems that once a belt chirps, even after correcting alignment and replacing parts, it won't stop until replacing belt as well. I won't put a new belt on it until I verify alignment with the tool that is coming in tomorrow.
There was a GM bullitin about replacing the alternator bracket with a new bracket because of an alignment issue. I bought the bracket years ago and just a week ago i installed the new braket to the alternator. It was fairly easy to remove bracket from the alternator, you do not need to remove the alternator as it is held on by another bolt that you do not need to remove.
Installed a dayco belt, after putting on a new water pump and alternator bracket, the chirp started again loud after starting the car. Drove the car 15 minutes, squeek went away and been away for a week now, problem solved.
Before this i was replacing the serpintine belt with a GM belt, which did remove the squeek noise, was doing this twice and sometimes once a year. Good luck.
heres the pn# for the alternator bracket that gm said fixes the squeek
photos upload
upload gif from url
Installed a dayco belt, after putting on a new water pump and alternator bracket, the chirp started again loud after starting the car. Drove the car 15 minutes, squeek went away and been away for a week now, problem solved.
Before this i was replacing the serpintine belt with a GM belt, which did remove the squeek noise, was doing this twice and sometimes once a year. Good luck.
heres the pn# for the alternator bracket that gm said fixes the squeek
photos upload
upload gif from url
Thread Starter
TECH Fanatic
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 1,367
Likes: 144
From: Woodstock, GA
The only thing that is questionable is the power steering pump's pulley. It has a fair amount of play in and out; I'm not sure if that's the problem. I wired brushed the grooved side of my gates belt and the noise was completely gone for a day or two and now I have occasional chirps. That's where I'm at.
How is everyone else coming along. Do others have much in/out play on the power steering pump pulley? i can measure it - if that helps.
LS1 Tech Stories
The Best V8 Stories One Small Block at Time
6 Common C5 Corvette Failures and What's Involved In Repairing Them
Pouria Savadkouei
Retro Modern Bandit Pontiac Trans AM Comes With Burt Reynolds' Autograph
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Greatest Cadillac V Series Performance Models Ever, Ranked
Pouria Savadkouei
Top 10 Most Powerful Chevy Trucks Ever Made!
Hennessey's New Supercharged Silverado ZR2 Has 700 HP
Verdad Gallardo
Coachbuilt N2A Anteros Is an LS2-Powered C6 Corvette In Italian Clothes
Verdad Gallardo
Awesome K5 Blazer Restomod Comes With C7 Corvette Power
Verdad Gallardo
10 Camaros You Should Never Buy
10 LS Engine Myths That Refuse to Die
Verdad Gallardo
that new bracket NEEDS the corresponding pulley...the P/N of the new pulley is in the TSB......did the new alt have the CORRECT pulley on it? my new alt did not have the CORRECT pulley .....good thing i caught it
i ended up replacing the belts and all pulleys to get my squeak gone
got my gatorbacks off rock auto..........i will never use another belt again
i ended up replacing the belts and all pulleys to get my squeak gone
got my gatorbacks off rock auto..........i will never use another belt again
Thread Starter
TECH Fanatic
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 1,367
Likes: 144
From: Woodstock, GA
There was a GM bullitin about replacing the alternator bracket with a new bracket because of an alignment issue. I bought the bracket years ago and just a week ago i installed the new braket to the alternator. It was fairly easy to remove bracket from the alternator, you do not need to remove the alternator as it is held on by another bolt that you do not need to remove.
Installed a dayco belt, after putting on a new water pump and alternator bracket, the chirp started again loud after starting the car. Drove the car 15 minutes, squeek went away and been away for a week now, problem solved.
Before this i was replacing the serpintine belt with a GM belt, which did remove the squeek noise, was doing this twice and sometimes once a year. Good luck.
Installed a dayco belt, after putting on a new water pump and alternator bracket, the chirp started again loud after starting the car. Drove the car 15 minutes, squeek went away and been away for a week now, problem solved.
Before this i was replacing the serpintine belt with a GM belt, which did remove the squeek noise, was doing this twice and sometimes once a year. Good luck.
This has turned into quite the money pit and I'm still throwing money at it. There's a little voice in my head telling me to put just a little bit of belt dressing on it. I WILL NOT! I've done it in the past and it just leaves you will a sticky chirpy mess.
Last edited by TA_Freak; Apr 3, 2014 at 10:15 AM.
Can someone please post the TSB, or a link to it, or at least the TSB document ID? TIA!
that new bracket NEEDS the corresponding pulley...the P/N of the new pulley is in the TSB......did the new alt have the CORRECT pulley on it? my new alt did not have the CORRECT pulley .....good thing i caught it
i ended up replacing the belts and all pulleys to get my squeak gone
got my gatorbacks off rock auto..........i will never use another belt again
i ended up replacing the belts and all pulleys to get my squeak gone
got my gatorbacks off rock auto..........i will never use another belt again
There is a GM bulletin: #08-06-01-008: Diagnosing Accessory Drive Belt/Serpentine Belt Noise and Availability and Use of Kent-Moore EN-49228 Laser Alignment Tool - Drive Belt - (Mar 27, 2008)
Interestingly in that document they say "Observe and mark the serpentine belt orientation.
Remove the serpentine belt from the accessory drive system.
Install the tool onto the power steering pulley. Position the legs of the tool into the outer grooves of the pulley, farthest from the front of the engine.
Install the retaining cord around the pulley and to the legs of the tool. Put on the laser safety glasses provided with the tool.
Depress the switch on the rear of the tool to activate the light beam.
Rotate the power steering pulley as required to project the light beam onto the crankshaft balancer pulley grooves.
Inspect for proper power steering pulley alignment.
• If the laser beam projects onto the second rib or raised area (1), the pulleys are aligned properly.
• If the laser beam projects more than one-quarter rib 0.9 mm (0.035 in) mis-alignment, adjust the position of the power steering pulley as required.
• Refer to SI for Power Steering Pulley Removal and Installation procedures.
Install the serpentine belt to the accessory drive system in the original orientation.
Operate the vehicle and verify that the belt noise concern is no longer present. "
Don't do it, as GM says:
"Notice: Do not use belt dressing on the drive belt. Belt dressing causes the breakdown of the composition of the drive belt. Failure to follow this recommendation will damage the drive belt."
Interestingly in that document they say "Observe and mark the serpentine belt orientation.
Remove the serpentine belt from the accessory drive system.
Install the tool onto the power steering pulley. Position the legs of the tool into the outer grooves of the pulley, farthest from the front of the engine.
Install the retaining cord around the pulley and to the legs of the tool. Put on the laser safety glasses provided with the tool.
Depress the switch on the rear of the tool to activate the light beam.
Rotate the power steering pulley as required to project the light beam onto the crankshaft balancer pulley grooves.
Inspect for proper power steering pulley alignment.
• If the laser beam projects onto the second rib or raised area (1), the pulleys are aligned properly.
• If the laser beam projects more than one-quarter rib 0.9 mm (0.035 in) mis-alignment, adjust the position of the power steering pulley as required.
• Refer to SI for Power Steering Pulley Removal and Installation procedures.
Install the serpentine belt to the accessory drive system in the original orientation.
Operate the vehicle and verify that the belt noise concern is no longer present. "
I got the tool over the weekend and checked all pulleys. It's a nice tool. I used the crank as the reference. That's where the laser transmitter sits. I aimed it at at each pulley and the receiver sits there. Everything was dead on - alignment-wise. I only checked the main drive pulleys.
The only thing that is questionable is the power steering pump's pulley. It has a fair amount of play in and out; I'm not sure if that's the problem. I wired brushed the grooved side of my gates belt and the noise was completely gone for a day or two and now I have occasional chirps. That's where I'm at.
How is everyone else coming along. Do others have much in/out play on the power steering pump pulley? i can measure it - if that helps.
The only thing that is questionable is the power steering pump's pulley. It has a fair amount of play in and out; I'm not sure if that's the problem. I wired brushed the grooved side of my gates belt and the noise was completely gone for a day or two and now I have occasional chirps. That's where I'm at.
How is everyone else coming along. Do others have much in/out play on the power steering pump pulley? i can measure it - if that helps.
Don't do it, as GM says:
"Notice: Do not use belt dressing on the drive belt. Belt dressing causes the breakdown of the composition of the drive belt. Failure to follow this recommendation will damage the drive belt."
Last edited by libertyforall1776; Apr 3, 2014 at 02:00 PM.
Thanks for the info. I saw the part for 45.00 on gmpartsdirect and also for over 100.00 on ebay. I'll gladly pay the 45.00 to shut it up.
This has turned into quite the money pit and I'm still throwing money at it. There's a little voice in my head telling me to put just a little bit of belt dressing on it. I WILL NOT! I've done it in the past and it just leaves you will a sticky chirpy mess.
This has turned into quite the money pit and I'm still throwing money at it. There's a little voice in my head telling me to put just a little bit of belt dressing on it. I WILL NOT! I've done it in the past and it just leaves you will a sticky chirpy mess.
I've been over this before in several threads.
Your noise is not caused by an alignment issue. It is not caused by a pulley bearing, or any accessory.
Typical belt chirp on a serpentine belt drive is caused by dirt. Dirt gets embedded into the belt and the pulley grooves causing the noise. Fluids like coolant and belt dressing (don't get me started on that useless crap) make matters worse.
If you want the noise gone, you need to replace the belt(s) and clean the pulley grooves thoroughly. There are a few methods you can use to clean the belt if it's still in good condition, but your best bet is to replace it with a quality part.
Your noise is not caused by an alignment issue. It is not caused by a pulley bearing, or any accessory.
Typical belt chirp on a serpentine belt drive is caused by dirt. Dirt gets embedded into the belt and the pulley grooves causing the noise. Fluids like coolant and belt dressing (don't get me started on that useless crap) make matters worse.
If you want the noise gone, you need to replace the belt(s) and clean the pulley grooves thoroughly. There are a few methods you can use to clean the belt if it's still in good condition, but your best bet is to replace it with a quality part.
Thread Starter
TECH Fanatic
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 1,367
Likes: 144
From: Woodstock, GA
I've been over this before in several threads.
Your noise is not caused by an alignment issue. It is not caused by a pulley bearing, or any accessory.
Typical belt chirp on a serpentine belt drive is caused by dirt. Dirt gets embedded into the belt and the pulley grooves causing the noise. Fluids like coolant and belt dressing (don't get me started on that useless crap) make matters worse.
If you want the noise gone, you need to replace the belt(s) and clean the pulley grooves thoroughly. There are a few methods you can use to clean the belt if it's still in good condition, but your best bet is to replace it with a quality part.
Your noise is not caused by an alignment issue. It is not caused by a pulley bearing, or any accessory.
Typical belt chirp on a serpentine belt drive is caused by dirt. Dirt gets embedded into the belt and the pulley grooves causing the noise. Fluids like coolant and belt dressing (don't get me started on that useless crap) make matters worse.
If you want the noise gone, you need to replace the belt(s) and clean the pulley grooves thoroughly. There are a few methods you can use to clean the belt if it's still in good condition, but your best bet is to replace it with a quality part.
A good way to clean some of the upper ones is to take a bar of soap and lightly drag it across the belt and pulleys while the engine is idling. Usually the belt stops chirping or squeaking almost immediately.
GM issued a TSB about belt noise. Seems that some p/s pulleys were not pressed to the correct depth.
I had this same issue w/ my LQ4. I found that the pulley had to be flush w/ the shaft. Mine had been off, and wasn't back to flush. [MAYBE, a 1/16- 3/32"]. Pulled it on to flush... no more noise.
BTW, this was after 3 belts, shims on the KWIK brkt, sanded pulleys, Aftrmkt tensioner.
I had this same issue w/ my LQ4. I found that the pulley had to be flush w/ the shaft. Mine had been off, and wasn't back to flush. [MAYBE, a 1/16- 3/32"]. Pulled it on to flush... no more noise.
BTW, this was after 3 belts, shims on the KWIK brkt, sanded pulleys, Aftrmkt tensioner.
same deal for me. PS pulley was proud by tiny bit. broke down and got the installer/remover and it went on one-half turn further. quiet as any other serpentine set up. after a coupla belts, tensioners etc…now i have some spares lol
Thread Starter
TECH Fanatic
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 1,367
Likes: 144
From: Woodstock, GA
I've been over this before in several threads.
Your noise is not caused by an alignment issue. It is not caused by a pulley bearing, or any accessory.
Typical belt chirp on a serpentine belt drive is caused by dirt. Dirt gets embedded into the belt and the pulley grooves causing the noise. Fluids like coolant and belt dressing (don't get me started on that useless crap) make matters worse.
If you want the noise gone, you need to replace the belt(s) and clean the pulley grooves thoroughly. There are a few methods you can use to clean the belt if it's still in good condition, but your best bet is to replace it with a quality part.
Your noise is not caused by an alignment issue. It is not caused by a pulley bearing, or any accessory.
Typical belt chirp on a serpentine belt drive is caused by dirt. Dirt gets embedded into the belt and the pulley grooves causing the noise. Fluids like coolant and belt dressing (don't get me started on that useless crap) make matters worse.
If you want the noise gone, you need to replace the belt(s) and clean the pulley grooves thoroughly. There are a few methods you can use to clean the belt if it's still in good condition, but your best bet is to replace it with a quality part.
In my case I had an alignment and belt issue. I was able to get the alignment correct on my alternator AND clean the water pump pulley. That took care of the alignment. I knew it was an alignment problem due to the fact that I could lightly spray water on ONLY the grooved side of the belt and the noise would disappear.
I also know that merely replacing the belt won't fix it if the alignment is off. I have a brand new Gatorback belt that was never quiet. It was installed when my alignment was still off.
The key is to verify that there are no dry bearings, get/verifiy the alignment/correct it AND replace the belt.
Last edited by TA_Freak; Apr 8, 2014 at 06:03 PM.
Thread Starter
TECH Fanatic
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 1,367
Likes: 144
From: Woodstock, GA
GM issued a TSB about belt noise. Seems that some p/s pulleys were not pressed to the correct depth.
I had this same issue w/ my LQ4. I found that the pulley had to be flush w/ the shaft. Mine had been off, and wasn't back to flush. [MAYBE, a 1/16- 3/32"]. Pulled it on to flush... no more noise.
BTW, this was after 3 belts, shims on the KWIK brkt, sanded pulleys, Aftrmkt tensioner.
I had this same issue w/ my LQ4. I found that the pulley had to be flush w/ the shaft. Mine had been off, and wasn't back to flush. [MAYBE, a 1/16- 3/32"]. Pulled it on to flush... no more noise.
BTW, this was after 3 belts, shims on the KWIK brkt, sanded pulleys, Aftrmkt tensioner.