it friggin worked....
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 1,227
Likes: 0
From: Atlanta Ga
it friggin worked....
i replaced the engine in my C5 few weeks ago....(another story)
when i put in the new engine i replaced both belts and all the tensioners..(GM parts)
for some odd reason I had this squeaky belt or pulley that drove me crazy and could not get it to stop. It made my whole engine swap sound like crap with all the chriping/rattle sound....was bad.
This morning i remembered seeing a old GM tech use a bar of soap on the belts for the same issue.....I went into the bathroom closet, got a bar of DIAL soap...went outside and while engine was running and belts were squeak...squeak...squeak....i touched the bar of soap to the running belt. within about 10 seconds the sound was gone. I held the bar of soap there til about half of it was burned/ground off....
today i drove the car about 100-125 miles...still no squeal
Wondering how long it will stay gone. Man im so much happier at present.
when i put in the new engine i replaced both belts and all the tensioners..(GM parts)
for some odd reason I had this squeaky belt or pulley that drove me crazy and could not get it to stop. It made my whole engine swap sound like crap with all the chriping/rattle sound....was bad.
This morning i remembered seeing a old GM tech use a bar of soap on the belts for the same issue.....I went into the bathroom closet, got a bar of DIAL soap...went outside and while engine was running and belts were squeak...squeak...squeak....i touched the bar of soap to the running belt. within about 10 seconds the sound was gone. I held the bar of soap there til about half of it was burned/ground off....
today i drove the car about 100-125 miles...still no squeal
Wondering how long it will stay gone. Man im so much happier at present.
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Team Owner
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 37,329
Likes: 12
From: Plano Texas
CI 6-7-8-9 Veteran
CI-VI Car Show Winner
St. Jude Donor '07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13
Very old remedy
I posted it here in a few posts re the squeak issue - got the raspberry from the young ones - maybe they will take heed - doubt it
I posted it here in a few posts re the squeak issue - got the raspberry from the young ones - maybe they will take heed - doubt it
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 1,227
Likes: 0
From: Atlanta Ga
well i can promise it worked....my AC belt was awlful it was squeaking so bad....embarrassing actually. Honestly made whole car sound better.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 2,916
Likes: 1
From: West Palm Beach Florida
Try Irish Spring...It has that clean, freshly showered scent..
.
It works great at keeping the elephants from crossing roads
at night, preventing a crash. Has worked great for me.
Have not had any close calls with elephants.
.
.
It works great at keeping the elephants from crossing roads
at night, preventing a crash. Has worked great for me.
Have not had any close calls with elephants.
.
Last edited by lil vette; Nov 10, 2007 at 10:28 PM.
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 16,477
Likes: 26
From: Gone
CI 6-7-8-9-10 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '03
Two types of problems can cause a squeak on this type of belt system. The most common, a dry or worn bearing on a idler or tensioner pulley. If the bearing itself is making the noise, lubing/soaping the belt probably won't cure this, unless it's for reason two...
If the belt itself is making the squeak, and the noise is cured by lubing it, it is usually attributed to a wobbling or misaligned pulley. The intermittent side load is causing the friction and squeak. A bad pulley bearing (idler/tensioner) can wobble under load and cause the chirp even though it may still spin freely/quietly upon inspection with the belt off. Or, the crank balancer is also well-known to seperate and wobble excessively, often causing belt squeak as the first symptom.
Either way, soap might mask the noise, but it fixes nothing.
Last edited by Y2Kvert4me; Nov 10, 2007 at 11:44 PM.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 19,384
Likes: 87
From: Horncastle Lincolnshire, England
2023 C5 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
Great tip thanks
Mine is a weekend car normally. I just have the start of that annoying squeek when its been idle for the week. if I use it every day no problem. Maybe I'll try the soap trick and see if it buys me some time.
I see new belts on the horizon
Mine is a weekend car normally. I just have the start of that annoying squeek when its been idle for the week. if I use it every day no problem. Maybe I'll try the soap trick and see if it buys me some time.
I see new belts on the horizon
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 1,671
Likes: 10
From: california
take it from an old time mechanic, soap works but it's old skool (50s-60s) in the 70s we just sprayed the belts at idle with a squirt of WD-40, way faster-belts quiet instantly, lasts a long time, no chance of soap/fingers being ripped outa your hand and the belts dont slip. 
