Squealing belt
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 2,387
Likes: 123
From: CA.
Squealing belt
i have a belt squealing really bad when I rev up my 454. Any tricks on how to eliminate or figure out which one is noisy? They seem tight enough. Car has AC PS also. Thanks Nutsy
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 19,220
Likes: 1,671
From: Long Island
If a belt slips enough it can get polished. Sometimes you can clean the belt and clean the pully with solvent (damp rag) , 120 sandpaper. Do not get sand from the paper into the bearings.
If the belt has a good amount of oil or antifreeze on it it's usually done.
If the belt has a good amount of oil or antifreeze on it it's usually done.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2017
Posts: 8,336
Likes: 2,810
From: Cool Northern Michigan
Usually flipping the belt 180* (opposite rotation) will take the "set" out of the rubber and you will be good for another few yrs. Those pulleys seldom spin perfectly parallel and have just enough tilt to glaze one side of the belt more than the other edge. Flipping it puts the glaze on the other edge of the pulley.
Last edited by HeadsU.P.; Dec 31, 2018 at 07:15 PM.
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 4,226
Likes: 643
From: Orange County Ca
Good advise above. I've used acetone to get the glaze off.
Make sure you have the correct width belt. Some are thinner than others and don't ride the pulleys right.
I had a brand new belt squeal right off the bat. Got a different brand and it worked well. The second one was noticeably softer than the first.
Over tightening is tough on the bearings.
Make sure you have the correct width belt. Some are thinner than others and don't ride the pulleys right.
I had a brand new belt squeal right off the bat. Got a different brand and it worked well. The second one was noticeably softer than the first.
Over tightening is tough on the bearings.
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 65,492
Likes: 230
From: Orange Park Florida
I noticed over the years that these old cars have the pulleys at a full 1/2 inch belt width , newer belts are metric and more narrow, also the pitch of the V is different, the new belts tend to ride on the upper portion of the V on those old pulleys, so the belts slip, look close at your belts, they set lo down in the old pulleys, and look at the friction surfaces, bet you will find the upper sections of the V are taking the wear.....and the backside of the belt is fraying on the edges and somewhat of a divot/U shape across the backside.....
Witch is why I switched to a serp drive many years ago..... although IF you spec an old American size belt, you could still find them, 20 years ago, NO bets on today.....
Witch is why I switched to a serp drive many years ago..... although IF you spec an old American size belt, you could still find them, 20 years ago, NO bets on today.....
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Safety Car
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 3,663
Likes: 361
From: Smyrna/Vinings, Georgia
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 2,387
Likes: 123
From: CA.
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 19,220
Likes: 1,671
From: Long Island
Originally sold by JC Whitney / Sears ..etc - still on E Bay, It goes between the pulleys and as you turn the nut by hand it expands, pushing the accessary to the correct position - then tighten the bolts, They came with different length inserts.
No more pry bars and trying to tighten the bolts while holding the bar.
No more pry bars and trying to tighten the bolts while holding the bar.
Last edited by BLUE1972; Jan 4, 2019 at 08:17 PM.
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 19,220
Likes: 1,671
From: Long Island
- Called a belt tensioner jack. Amazon has them. $38.00 MSC = $22.00
the length is not as long as I would like but you could make an extension , the compressor is the one to worry about. The rest it should fit with no issues.
Last edited by BLUE1972; Jan 4, 2019 at 08:34 PM.
