Hi guys.I finally got 4 new tires for the Buick wagon. It is all set for the road but, alt. still screeches off and on.I am on the 4 th belt and I have tighten the tensioner so tight is has bent a little. I didn't have this problem before I replaced the water pump, and fuel pump, then I thought I had a bad alt. so I replace that.It will run quite when I start it but them starts screeches.{ I took the new alt to Advance to see if it was working and they tested it and it was}I wonder if it is happening when it pulls a load.Yesterday it was running quite and I even pulled the head light on and there was no screeching, I turned them off and a minute later it was howling again. Any ideas what to look for? Thanks. Bruce.
Pull the belt off and grab sum 120 grit sandpaper and sand inside the pulleys (all of em) it'll knock the glaze off. Re install belt and yer good 2 go.
Another option for eliminating belt squeal is taking a wax candle or paraffin wax and with the belt rotating hold the wax on each side of the belt. I have had good results doing this. Good luck.
Bruce, are all the pulleys in good alignment? The belt is wearing evenly? I agree breaking the glaze on on the pulley V channels is a good idea too.
Da34guy, that's what I was thing of doing because the pulley on the new alt. is shiney, I thought that might be the problem.I will try it and let you know.Thanks Bruce.
Yes Truck64 every thing lines up nice, I think I need to knock the glaze off as some people said on here. Thanks. Bruce.
4 belts and two alternators, and it started when you changed the water pump? Are you sure the pump is not the culprit?
I love it when somebody looks at a problem from a different angle. And yeah, I'm a bit jealous that I didn't think of it first. Is there any way you can get a different belt and drive just the water pump but not the alternator? [OK... MAYBE DON'T DO THIS! How about running it the way it is and when the noise starts, unplug the alternator and see if the noise goes away or changes from removing the load on it?] Is the belt maybe too narrow and bottoming out in a pulley anywhere in its routing?
Do NOT unplug the alternator while it is running. When I did this, it blew out the internal regulator and the alternator was putting out out maximum voltage. And, I was about 120 miles from home.
Right. So far, we know nothing about it. Stock set-up? Non-stock? Sometimes non -factory set-ups just don't have enough belt contact with the cir***ference of a certain pulley. I'm still looking for Vern Tardel's book for a post from yesterday...It's here somewhere, if I even have it.
I'll throw this in the ring, water pump pully v groove warn enough to not be tight enough on the belt sides. Sent from my SM-G900V using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Hmmm. OK. How about unplugging the alternator first and then starting the engine for a spell and see if it ever makes noises?
How old is the belt? If the belt is old and rubber is hardened, it can squeal due to slipping. New v-belt is cheap, and then keep the spare old one in the car in case you need it on the road.
chrome pulleys will squeal if you don't rough 'um up...agree with the issue with Gates belts...they stretch.
If you have a mechanics stethoscope (cheap at Harbor Freight) or a short section of broom stick handle, you can put the end on the alt, then the water pump (other end to you ear) and hear exactly where the noise is coming from. Be VERY careful around the moving parts. Obviously do not use against the belts or pulleys
Ebbsspeed, yes I am sure. The water pump is run with another belt. When I losen the tension on the alt. the squealing stops.Thanks Bruce.
Been thinking of you. Missed a smokin deal on an ot wagon, grandpa car, lots of new stuff, 100k miles, 1200 bucks, slick as a gut. Oh well, have fun and happy Thanksgiving, Bruce.
O.K. Guys, I scuffed the alt. pulley and fan pulley and the squealing has seem to stopped. I will find out when she makes her 1st road trip to work Monday. Thanks for all of the help. Bruce.
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