pulley/ belt HELP!!!!!

[fjules]

I just had a KB and 2# lower installed and now the car squeals bad until about 10 minutes of driving. I sent the idler back to BF and they replaced the bearings but still same squeal. Just replaced the 3 90mm stock pulleys with BF 92mm's and still squealling. I have a Gates belt. From reading here it is either the Gates or a mis-aligned lower?

 

[fjules]

Update: Today I replaced the Gates with a Gatorback and the squeal is gone. At least for now. The Gatorback and Gates have different treads on the belts. The gates is straight lines while the gatorbacks are kind of cross-hatched. I could see the gates squeal if a pulley with groves was out of alignment. The groves in the Gates would not line up with the grooves in the pulley, this might lead to squeal. Where the tread in the gatorback really would never have to align to the pulley groves resulting in no squeal. This is just idle speculation from what I see. Alos, the gator back is not as beefy as the gates so I think I will keep the gates in the trunk in case the gatorback ever snaps.:shrug:

 

[jm@ReischePerf]

Ok I waited a couple of hundred miles to report back on my situation with the belts. I put on a Gates and the Gates belt is very quiet at startup (unlike Delco) but gets a LITTLE noisy once the car warms up and only at idle. Once you get above 1200rpms no more sound. It's pretty similar to what I had before so I'm thinking something is probably a little bit out of alignment and that Metco was wrong. It's minimal though so I think I'm just gonna leave it.

I'm also confident that a Gatorback belt would be quieter but info from numerous sources would indicate that this belt does not have the durability and strength of the Gates so that's what I'm sticking with.

 

[jm@ReischePerf]

Update

Ok shortly after my last post my belt noise got louder (more than I can handle) so now it's time to do something else. After a great deal of observation I noticed where the belt is being pulled onto the lower looking slightly off center of the ribs. This would seem to support my earlier observation of the lower being too far back in relation to the tensioner. I took a piece of curtain rod and pushed the belt back more toward the lower while the car was running and the noise immediately quieted down. Ah ha!

So today I shimmed the lower out 1/16" with some fender washers that I clearanced for the radius of the hub with a dremel tool. FINALLY NO MORE BELT NOISE! Thanks 1fastred.

 

[MustangMikeKy]

Good info. . . I'm going to install a Gatorback belt I just ordered when it comes in and see if it gets rid of my squeek . . . I can also report back on this situation . . . i hope its just as simple as replacing the belt . . . i've also heard the bearings in the belt tensioner pulley starts making noise as well, we shall see . . .

 

[boosted_truck]

I'm having the same issue. I get a little squeaking during startup, but then goes away after a few minutes of driving. I just ordered replacement bearing from Billetflow. They said they should be replaced every 10K or so. I'll post up what I find out also.

 

[MustangMikeKy]

GATORBACK BELTS MAKE MUSIC TO MY EARS!!!!!!!! THANKS GUYS FOR ALL OF YOUR INPUT!!!!!:lol: :lol: epper: :bowdown: :bowdown:

AIN'T that the damn truth . . . I put mine on just now and BAM . . . no more squeek . . .

KB04Cobra . . . GOOD CALL BRO :beer:



I'm so happy now!!! :banana: