Serp belt

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Dean Kolar

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Palatine, IL
Something is squeaking idk if it is the pulley or the belt, or exactly what I am just guessing that it is probabably the serpentine belt. How would I be able to know if something is going bad? I.e. What to inspect for, and then if so how difficult is this to do on your own and what would be the cost. The squeak isn't terrible just kind of annoying and I want to do something about it. Was gonna see if some of my high school buds in the auto class could maybe help me but otherwise I'll just leave it alone and not worry about it. It has only started this week because we dropped into the upper teens for highs in N IL.
 
All you need is a 3/8" square drive ratchet or breaker bar to remove the belt. A cheater pipe on the ratchet handle gives added leverage. There is a 3/8" square drive hole on the tensioner, passenger side. Remove the belt and physically turn all the pulleys by hand to check for binding. Many here have used a 1/2" shorter belt with success. Keep us posted.
 
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Serpentine belt issues aren't that hard. Your problem is most likely caused by a worn-out belt, bad idler pulley bearing, or tensioner. I'd say look at your belt first. There are lots of YouTube videos on serp belts like the one I found.
 
You should replace the tensioner every time you change the belt
Click to expand...



That would be an exspensive myth. I have seen many tensoners go more than 100k. I have seen tensoner pully bearing failures around 100k.

Without the proper tools. The average DIY person may not be able to test the tension.



Personaly I know if a tensioner has good tension. I do it by hand, by pulling the tensioner out into the range gauge area. It is stamped on the tenioner. lets you know the belt stretch. If I can hold it there without much force. To me it is bad. If it is a strugle to hold, or even get to the the range gauge, it is good. The spring is very powerful. This might be hokey to some. But it has worked for me and other cars I have worked on.

As far as the high milage on the bearing. It can be good today and bad tommorw. So I will replace the bearing at high milage. Usualy have to buy the pully with bearing in it.



Unless you have a bearing distrubutor local. the bearing can be taped out of the pully on most, including the staionary idlers. I live in an industrial area. closets place is 4 miles.
 
I have 222,500 miles on the original tensioner. I don't know if this is typical, but the failure mode usually provides plenty of warning, so you'll probably not get stuck in a storm and die from exposure.
 
I also have more than 200K on the original belt and tensioner. I DO, however have a new belt and tensioner ready to install at the first sign of need.
 
Uncle Bob, your first sign of need will probably be when you're 50 miles from home and the belt and/or tensioner lets go - and the new parts are in the garage. Good luck to ye.
 
Yeah Vic, I know what you mean. Similar thing have happened before. I am tempted to keep the parts (and needed tools) in the truck for just such an emergency. Of course, Murphy will predict that it will break before I get around to putting it in the truck. lol
 
Uncle Bob, you know what happens now, right? Wherever you go in your Trac you're gonna be wondering about your serp belt and tensioner...
 
Alright so I pulled the car into the garage yesterday night and after listening to it for awhile it sounds like the alternator is making noise, like the bearing/wheel whatever the belt runs on is squeaking, is it maybe just the cold because it happened last year and then went away in the summer, but is now back again. And I just had to go to a NTB the other day sadly because the PCV valve went and I'm sure everything is fine because they usually hunt like hounds for crap like that.
 
Dean, some of the early gen1 tracs. Altenators whined in cold weather. Fords fix was to use the altenator from the explorer......
 
It isn't whining and now that I pulled it into the garage it stopped making the noise. I think it was from heavy fog that we had last week then temps just fell and so it caused it to act all weird. If it gets really bad I'll fix it but it seems to be come and go.
 

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