97 Cobra engine squeak

[97RioRedSnake]

Hello everyone, I recently purchased a 1997 Mustang Cobra with 75,000 miles on it. I am loving everything about it except for one thing... A squeak is audible with the engine running from inside and outside the car.

I've already replaced the tensioner pulley and the upper idler, but the squeak remains. If I push the tensioner down slightly (taking tension off the belt) the noise stops (the belt looks brand new btw). Any ideas?

 

[The Red Monster]

Nope.

Ha maybe the belt is bad even though it "looks" new. Is their anything on the pulleys that can cause it to squeek at all?

 

[RoadZOmbie]

Might have a slightly loose pulley, have u tried torquing things down? You might also want to look into the condition of the water pump pulley & pump it's self. They get noisy when they are going out the door.

 

[red9450]

Tensioner pulley and arm usually goes bad and squeaks like the belt is bad.

 

[97RioRedSnake]

Alright thanks for the info. All the pulleys seem like they are tight and I pinpointed the noise to the tensioner area so I'm thinking that the tensioner needs to be replaced, as i have already replaced the pulley.

 

[98 svt]

Before buying a whole new tensioner, make sure it's not your alternator. mine had an annoying squeak on cold start-ups

 

[mdoan]

Dug this thread up trying to diagnose a nasty squeak.

My belt is practically brand new and the only thing I can think of is either the AC compressor clutch or the tensioner / tensioner pulley.


The only thing that throws me off is that there was no gradual problem growth. I detailed my engine in 2 sessions, and the squeak went mad after the second (nonexistent after the first); this obviously points to some degreaser overspray, but after many days of no changes, I've all but ruled that one out.

The squeak acts like an old belt, mild on and off chirping at idle, and the more I rev it, the more intense the squeak gets. Sounds like a tensioner, but I really can't afford to mis-diagnose this one; I'm a broke college student. Any ideas? Can a tensioner be temp-rigged to shut the squeak up?

How much do tensioners usually run? Can I pick one up at an autoparts store or do I have to go through a dealership?

 

[RickwithCobra]

i put a new belt on about 5 months ago and then two weeks ago put some underdrive pulleys on and got a real bad belt squeak so i changed idler pulley and tensior pulley and still belt squeak so i brougth it over to o rileys and the guy looked at it and showed me how the ribs on all my pulleys were shiney which ment the belt was bad so i switched it out witha new one and that fixed the problem, so idk if it helps but it worked for me.

 

[Toasty]

Hello everyone, I recently purchased a 1997 Mustang Cobra with 75,000 miles on it. I am loving everything about it except for one thing... A squeak is audible with the engine running from inside and outside the car.

I've already replaced the tensioner pulley and the upper idler, but the squeak remains. If I push the tensioner down slightly (taking tension off the belt) the noise stops (the belt looks brand new btw). Any ideas?

Alternator bearings?