I can't seem to get the right belt for my vette. It is an 80 with stock pulleys, adn when the motor winds up the belts squeal like stuck pigs. The alternator belt has thrown itself off a time ot two as well. The pulleys are lined up even, there is no wobble or anything. I was told vettes came with deeper groove pulleys, and these do appear nice and deep, the problem is the belt does not seem to sit tight in the groove. I have tried Kelly and Gates, and some off brands and can't seem to get one that sits down low and contacts the bottom of the pullry. It's like they grip the sides.

Does anyone have a brand or any ideas. I would hate to spring for new March or some other brand aftermarket pulleys if I don't have to.
:banghead:

 

I had a problem throwing belts too. I replaced my water pump because with all the other belts off, I'd get a metallic squeal if I revved it. Also, at idle Icould hear some weird noises coming from it. Once I got it all together, I threw the P/S pump belt. I noticed run out in the P/S pulley, so I replaced the pump and pulley. One thing I found out: the previous owner had the wrong pulley on it, about 2 inches in diameter bigger than the stock one I got from ZIP plus the wrong one was 2 groove instead of one. Getting a belt between it and the crossmember was torture.
After I installed the P/S pump and pulley, my a/c belt rolled over. I got a Dayco Top Cog (had been using an Autozone belt, still am on the P/S and Alt without problems) and it has been fine for a month. Last week I went to the Ecklers Corvette Challenge, 100 miles away, ran 3700-4000 rpm up I75. I made 5 passes, hammering it as hard as I could (still not very impressive nubmers, but first time out) and then drove home with the A/C on max at 3500 rpm in 90+degree heat. The Dayco Topcog is doing fine, I recommend it! :smash:

 

Does your car have PN 460755 Guide, Gen Belt. (Group 2.274) This is a small bracket that was used on 77-81 cars (PN 14053829 on 1982) to help hold the alternator belt in place. It bolts to the tensioning arm.

(For what it is worth, my car does not have the guide bracket.)

 

I believe fan belts are supposed to grip the sides...if the belt is hitting the bottom then the belt is too thin, or you are tightening it too much. I think belts should sit down completely in the groove to have the most surface area in contact with the sides, but about 1/8" or so above the bottom. Another problem you may have is the surface of the pulleys may have some grease or oil on them...be sure to clean them off good.

I've heard that Oates belts are good quality...there's no need to poke around looking for other brands. I'm not sure what the problem is that is creating the squeek, but there are some products that come in a spray can that is supposed to condition fan belts and stop belt squeek...have never had new belts squeek before so can't say what could stop it. Uhm...let's see...have you figured out which belt is squeeking? The only times I've had belts squeek is when a part was giving out...for example a water pump where the bearings didn't have any more lube in them, or a locked up A/C compressor, and once there was an alternator which had such bad bearings and so hard to turn that it was causing the belts to slip and squeal. Check to make sure you can spin all the devices by hand...water pump, alternator, power steering and smog pump if you have them. If they are hard to spin by hand then it's a good chance that the belts will have a hard time too.


[Modified by Rockn-Roll, 12:41 AM 6/6/2003]

 

thanks for the replys. I will check the pulleys for grease etc. My components are new, so I hope nothing is worn. And I do not have that belt tensioner.

Hopefully then I can fine tune what I have and get ti to stop.

 

My Z28 was throwing it's alternator belt due to small amounts of surface rust. Although it sounds like your pulleys are new, but if you inspect all of them and find any rust anywhere that couls be the problem.

The rust acts like a latter for the belt to climb off track.

 

Also, take some sandpaper or a file and rough up the parts of the pulley where the belt rides.

Brett :thumbs:

 

:withstupid: That's where they grip, bro!

Throw all your belts away in case they've been contaminated somehow, clean your pulleys until they sparkle, put new belts on but don't over or under tighten them. Give all the belts about 1/2 to 3/4 inches deflection. Methinks you might have been getting them way too tight if you were trying to get them to touch the bottom of the pulley groove.

 

I dont have that tensioner myself either, and this is a problem I've had for a while.. when I hit 85mph or 3500rpms the belt sings. Could someone please post a pic of the installed tensioner, or diagram?
It does alert me when I'm a leadfoot, but its annoying, and I like my lead feet ;)

 

Guys, somehow I have a suspicion the change over to metric or some other reason has made all new belts these days seem to ride lower in the groove, and that's not a problem....except my observations are the back side of the belts looks as if it's gripped up top of the V and not so much if any on the lower edge of the V, making the backside of the belt seem to be a U shape from side to side....

at any rate, that's MY opservation on most belts today...on older cars....
the pitch of the V is differant...so I think we need find belts to fit our old cars...

good luck....

GENE