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Hot Rods Still have a squeeling alt.

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Bruce Fischer, Nov 25, 2018.

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  1. On my Buick station wagon,I sanded down the pulley on the new alt and it was quite for a little while but is now squealing again.Even tried belt dressing. It quites it down for a bit but then start squealing again. This the 3rd new belt I have had on this wagon any other ideas? Thanks Bruce.
     
  2. randydupree
    Joined: May 19, 2005
    Posts: 667

    randydupree
    Member
    from archer fl

    Change the pulley to a machined pulley,not the stamped tin one you have.
    The tin pulley gets hot when the belt slips and spreads,the angles change so the belt does not ride right in the pulley.
     
  3. F&J
    Joined: Apr 5, 2007
    Posts: 13,222

    F&J
    Member

    Are any pulley grooves worn too wide?
    Is it a battery that is going bad that causes the alt to work too hard?
    Are the pulleys all perfectly lined up?

    I'd run a inline Amp gauge to see how many amps are going to the battery. You might not have that tester, it is an Ammeter that has a "shunt" to measure the flow correctly.

    One more thing is that years ago I had a 83 Amp stock 1982 GM car with v-belt that is actually too powerful for a v belt, which caused pulley wear. It was cured of squeal by using a Dayco "top cog" belt

    .


    .
     
  4. missysdad1
    Joined: Dec 9, 2008
    Posts: 3,305

    missysdad1
    Member

    Not all automotive v-belts are the same width. Your belt may be riding too high in the pulley groove. I had this problem and a change to a Dayco "Top Cog" belt cured the problem. They are narrower and fit deeper in the groove and give greater contact area.
     

  5. blowby
    Joined: Dec 27, 2012
    Posts: 8,661

    blowby
    Member
    from Nicasio Ca

    Stock configuration? How much wrap on the alt pulley? Belt tension spec?
     
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  6. BamaMav
    Joined: Jun 19, 2011
    Posts: 6,711

    BamaMav
    Member
    from Berry, AL

    All belts are not the same. I had better luck with an OReilly store brand belt than I did with a Dayco belt. I kept breaking the Dayco ones, the el cheapo lasted a long time and never slipped.
     
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  7. squirrel
    Joined: Sep 23, 2004
    Posts: 55,942

    squirrel
    Member

    Did you ever post pictures on the other thread?
     
  8. trollst
    Joined: Jan 27, 2012
    Posts: 2,108

    trollst
    Member

    I'm with the battery set, how fresh is the battery? Sounds like you gotta put some serious amperage back into the battery, you may want to step up to a bigger battery.
     
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  9. junkman8888
    Joined: Jan 28, 2009
    Posts: 1,035

    junkman8888
    Member

    Sometimes it's engineering: had an OT Buick, 350, auto, because of "packaging", the alternator and power steering belt was a mile long, nothing I did made it stop squealing.
     
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  10. TrailerTrashToo
    Joined: Jun 20, 2018
    Posts: 1,289

    TrailerTrashToo
    Member

    I have a long history of fan belt tension mistakes, my "Calibrated thumb" does not work well. Too tight and I destroyed the bearings in a Delco alternator, too loose and I gotta listen to the squeal...

    Several years ago, a NAPA counter guy sold me a Krikit pocket gauge for V-Belts (had to order it in). This gauge allows me to get it "close-enough-for-Government-work". Sold by both Dayco and Gates.

    Dayco part # 93865
    Gates part # 91107

    NOTE: The Krikit II (Dayco # 93866 / Gates # 1132) is larger for use on ribbed belts

    And a link to the Dayco website - it also has a belt tension chart

    http://www.daycoproducts.com/dayco®-belt-tension-gauges

    And a youtube training video:

     
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  11. sunbeam
    Joined: Oct 22, 2010
    Posts: 6,214

    sunbeam
    Member

    Bruce are you sure it's squealing at the alternator pulley?
     
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  12. squirrel
    Joined: Sep 23, 2004
    Posts: 55,942

    squirrel
    Member

    I use an old Burroughs tension gauge, that I got a swap meet, cheap, years ago. The new OTC version costs a fortune.
     
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  13. TrailerTrashToo
    Joined: Jun 20, 2018
    Posts: 1,289

    TrailerTrashToo
    Member

    P.S. And sometimes nothing works long term, we had an OT 1990's Nissan pickup with an air conditioning belt squeal. We kept a spray can of fan belt dressing in the glove compartment. Every couple of months, another spray was needed.
     
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  14. X-cpe
    Joined: Mar 9, 2018
    Posts: 1,959

    X-cpe

    Here's a maybe. A couple of questions. Does the alt. belt run across any other accessories that have a two grove pulley with another belt on it? Did the new alt. come with its own pulley or did you have to transfer your old pulley. Many years ago I had a case where we put a miss matched diameter pulley in a system where some pulleys had multiple belts on them and the pulley just wouldn't turn at two different speeds so one belt slipped.

    If it was a battery deal, normally the belt would squeal loudest right after start up when the alt. was working the hardest to recharge the amp draw from starting, then the squeal would go away as the battery was charged.

    If the new alt. came with its own pulley, is it too wide? 'V' belts drive off their sides. If the belt is too deep in the pulley it may try to drive off the bottom instead. It sounds like you have a belt that is slipping just enough not to make noise at first but then as it slips it creates heat that stretches the belt to the point of noise.
     
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  15. I have a simple fix , try to turn the pulley by hand , push on the blades behind the pulley . If you can turn it belt is to loose . Tighten till you can't turn pulley.
     
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  16. Try rubbing a bar of soap (carefully....) against the running belt.
     
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  17. How about the bearing in the new alt. being the culprit?
     
  18. Ebbsspeed
    Joined: Nov 11, 2005
    Posts: 6,250

    Ebbsspeed
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    I thought you said in the other thread that it was the P/S belt squealing? If you put a new belt on the PS pump you may need to tighten it a bit now that it's run for a while. If the squealing goes away when you remove the big red wires from the back of the alternator then it is likely still an alternator related issue. Pulley worn, which worked for a while after you scuffed it up in the previous post so may just need a new one. OR an excessive load from trying to charge a bad battery or some other electrical load.

    My O/T El Camino alternator belt squawks for a few seconds when I turn the heater motor on high.
     
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  19. trollst
    Joined: Jan 27, 2012
    Posts: 2,108

    trollst
    Member

    battery issues are like this.......the battery is sized for the cars needs by the car designers, big car, big loads, big battery. Almost any battery will start a car, but the battery also runs the car electrically. It is the engine for the electrical system, too small a battery will draw down too far and work the alternators ass off trying to keep the battery healthy. A bigger amperage battery will have more reserve and not work so hard to run the car, generally, I'll run the biggest battery that will fit in the battery tray, for example, I bought a new travel trailer a few months ago, had the dealer take out the sad looking stock battery that came with it and installed two seriously huge batteries to power the unit while we are at the lake. They'll last longer and not draw down as deep when they are being used.
     
  20. saltflats
    Joined: Aug 14, 2007
    Posts: 12,594

    saltflats
    Member
    from Missouri

    Fan clutch?
     
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  21. 34Larry
    Joined: Apr 25, 2011
    Posts: 1,701

    34Larry
    Member

    First motor home I bought had a Mopar 440. Bought it from a person who thought it was the water pump squealing. Even had a receipt from their mechanic to get it replaced at her expense for the buyer. I knew it was the belt. Long story short. I fought it for a year. Had all the front sheet metal off it and radiator once for the better part of a month, only to find out it wasn't the alternator, or the water pump belt it was the power steering pump. Changed the belt, still squealing like a stuck pig. Changed the belt again with different brand, still pig like. Went to Mopar dealer, got their belt, sanded the pully. That worked...………… for one trip out. That's it. It became history in our family.
     
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  22. If you have 3 pulleys not perfectly aligned to each other you will get belt squeal.


    Sent from my iPad using H.A.M.B.
     
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  23. dan griffin
    Joined: Dec 25, 2009
    Posts: 505

    dan griffin
    Member

    It still sounds like belt wrap. The alt.shaft size and old generators are the same. Generator pulleys are bigger in diameter = more belt wrap.
     
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  24. To add onto this, how many degrees of wrap around the alt pulley? More wrap degrees around will also help slipping since it will provide more surface area. Not always an easy change though since determined by the brackets for the most part.
     
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  25. sunbeam
    Joined: Oct 22, 2010
    Posts: 6,214

    sunbeam
    Member

    More questions Does it squeal only after startup or high electoral loads. or any time ?
     
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  26. Ebbsspeed, its a new alt.I did tighten up the power steering also just in case it was that.Thanks Bruce.
     
  27. Wraymen, I had it tested at a different store then where I bought and he said it was charging and quite.Thanks.Bruce.
     
  28. Trollst the battery is brand new.Thanks Bruce.
     
  29. Squirrel, I will get some pictures when it warms up here Wed.Thanks Bruce.
     
  30. Saltflats would that make it squeal?Thanks Bruce.
     
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