Belt/Idler Pulley Squeak

[vinny89gt]

On the way home from a cruise Sunday, I noticed a squeaking/squealing coming from the front of the car.

This level of noise matched my RPMs. As the car is sitting still, the noise is there, but is far less noticeable.

The sound appears to be coming from the idler pulley, and after much searching it sounds like many have had similar problems.

However, when I spray some belt conditioner on directly to the belt, the sound goes away for a split second before coming back.

This has to be a bad belt, right?

2003 Cobra Belt/Pulley Noise - YouTube

 

[vinny89gt]

Anybody?

 

[murked99cobra]

How many miles on your car?
Does the noise go away when you take the front belt off?
Your idler bearing could be going bad.
You could swap the belt for a goodyear gatorback belt since people have had good luck with those not squeaking.

 

[jrichber]

if you put water or the conditioner like you did and it goes away, it wouldnt be the bearing. Go for a belt swap. Try to splash a good bit of water on it while its squealing to double check.

 

[vinny89gt]

How many miles on your car?
Does the noise go away when you take the front belt off?
Your idler bearing could be going bad.
You could swap the belt for a goodyear gatorback belt since people have had good luck with those not squeaking.

39k miles. All stock pullies.
I haven't taken the belt off.
I've ordered a Gatorback since I might as well change it if it turns out to be the idler.

if you put water or the conditioner like you did and it goes away, it wouldnt be the bearing. Go for a belt swap. Try to splash a good bit of water on it while its squealing to double check.

I sprayed a good amount of belt conditioner on there and it would go away momentarily.

I guess we'll just have to see what happens after a new belt. Hopefully, the belt isn't too hard to get off by myself. The tensioner pulley being on "backwards" looks like a pain in the ass.

 

[matt87]

change the belt. end thread.

 

[vinny89gt]

Belt changed to a Gatorback.

Idler just to the right of the blower now has a brand new bearing.

Got it all put back together and the ****ing thing is still squealing.

Very annoying.

Sent from my DROID RAZR

 

[SickBlackMach]

Take a brillow pad, or something that isn't too rough, and clean off the surface of the pullies. Sometimes crap gets on them and just builds up over time.

 

[everick]

mine has 39k miles too on All stock pullies and do the same thing.

 

[agent-orange]

I have the same problem and I looks like that, the 2 belt tensioner are the cause of the squeak. Just replaced the inner belt tensioner and some pullies there. But can someone tell me, where I can buy just the 8 ribbed pulley of the supercharger belt tensioner? Dont want to buy the whole tensioner.

 

[jblood37]

Use a stethoscope on the pulleys. And/or spray some lithium grease or something like that on pulleys one at a time. If noise stops, then change that pulley.

 

[agent-orange]

My problem was, the inner belt was too short. Instead of a stock 96* belt I use now a 98" belt. I think cause of my meziere WP, I need a bigger one.

But there is still some squeak coming from the SC Belt. When I remove the belt, there is no squeak and when I press a bit on the gas pedal, it's getting louder. When I put some water on the ribber side of the belt, the noise goes away. So it looks like, that my SC belt is the problem, cause I have new billetflow pullies & idlers and the pulley of the tensioner is also new. The only thing, what it could be, would be the alternator, but its a quite new one. What you guys think?

 

[Cobra03SC]

Agent, you can get just the pulley from most auto stores, but its almost the same price as the entire arm and pulley. I think u save like 5 bucks...

 

[agent-orange]

But I think, the noise doenst come from the pullies. I mean they are new and the bearings are good in my opinion. I could be the alternator pulley, but the ALT is almost new.

But when I put some water on the inside of the belt the noise goes away for some min. I think I will order a new belt.

 

[Bdubbs]

Like some stated stethoscope is your best friends, everyone should have one! Look into the belt tensioner! The inside springs can break causing a rattle sound. I just replaced mine on my 98 f150, it got louder when I turned the a/c on, more load on it cause a louder noise.

 

[Hak]

vinny, any luck on locating the squeal?

Suggest removing 8 rib front belt. Then at least you can narrow it down between the 2 belt systems.

Feel for play in all pulleys; should be tight. Clean the out side diameter of idlers.

As stated above, check tensioner arm for stiffness. Rev engine, see if sounds correlate with movement of arm.

Examine accessories such as the water pump.

Sounds meticulous, but sometimes every piece needs to be examined in turn; especially under a noisy engine bay.

Does the car sit outside? Rain water may go through hood heat vents and leak onto pulley systems.

 

[agent-orange]

but when the noise goes away, when I put some water on the belt, then its the belt or? When it would be the tensioner spring, then the noise would still be there.

 

[vinny89gt]

vinny, any luck on locating the squeal?

Suggest removing 8 rib front belt. Then at least you can narrow it down between the 2 belt systems.

Feel for play in all pulleys; should be tight. Clean the out side diameter of idlers.

As stated above, check tensioner arm for stiffness. Rev engine, see if sounds correlate with movement of arm.

Examine accessories such as the water pump.

Sounds meticulous, but sometimes every piece needs to be examined in turn; especially under a noisy engine bay.

Does the car sit outside? Rain water may go through hood heat vents and leak onto pulley systems.

Wow forgot all about this thread.

2 broken breaker bars and a new inner belt and the squeak was gone.

That inner belt was a royal pain in the ass.

Sent from my DROID RAZR

 

[jasongilmore]

I have been researching the site about this issue on my '03 Cobra all weekend, and off- and-on throughout the years. I didn't want to start a new thread for something that had been covered countless times before, so I decided to resurrect and old one. This time, I have read some new remedies, and have tried them all to no avail... My setup is a 4# lower with a 2.76 upper.
The one question I can't seem to answer myself is why a brand new belt will stop the squeak momentarily for anywhere to 2 weeks, to as little as 2 days. I've narrowed it down to either the alternator or my upper idler pulley. I have replaced the tensioner, and all of my pullies. At one point in time I had an aftermarket pulley on the alternator to compensate for the overspinning, I went to a bigger belt, and it seemed to be fine. I recently had to go back to the old alternator and the squeak returned. So I figured it's the alternator no question, but it stopped when I bought a new belt... for 2 days... When the squeak first returned, it would go away after about a minute of driving. That was tolerable. Now it's constant. I have ran it without my upper idler on, and the squeak stops. It's the same thing when I remove one of the lower pullies... No Squeak.. So that makes me wonder if the belt is too tight and after minimal use, it stretches and starts to squeak. I will be trying some things tonight when I get home, I have been concentrating on all the smooth pullies, I have yet to see if the grooved ones have dirt or anything else that might be preventing 100% contact with the belt. I might try a bigger size belt, currently I am running a GATES, the last 3 digits are 765.. When I was using the alternator with the bigger pulley I was using a Gates 774. The belts are 50.00, a new alternator is over 200.
I'm at a loss, and can't seem to solve this problem.

 

[Bigggy]

Try using a Gatorback. I had squeaking problem and i'ts all gone after the Gatorback installation. With a 74.5" belt I was at the middle of the bender gauge and it felt to me that it was to loose. I've just installed a 74" and it's now very tight, still no squeak after 400 miles or so.

My previous belt was a NAPA without the notches and it was squealing like a pig (the garage changed the belt without asking me first..they put on a shitty belt for these cars).