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Squeaky Belt?

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Old Jan 9, 2006 | 01:31 PM
  #1  
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Default Squeaky Belt?

Well, I week or so ago I posted about having a squeak/chirp under the hood of my vette somewhere in the belt area, so I replaced the idler pulley and tensioner pulley and now it is worse. It is speeds up when you hit the gas and it is loud. After things have warmed up it goes away!

I did replace the belt(s) and noticed that the main belt has fraid a bit on the edge, the belt was replaced prior to the other components, so I am going to get another belt today and hope that things work out.

I am getting ready to replace everything!
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Old Jan 9, 2006 | 01:39 PM
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I am willing to bet your balancer is wobbling. Open up the hood and look at balancer on the end of the crank and see if it has noticable run-out.

My car did this and shortly thereafter my balancer completely failed and caused significant engine damage.

It will probably need to be replaced. I would recommend a good after market pulley from either ASP or ATI. You can go either stock diameter or underdriven. Since this is most of the work in a cam swap. I would look into that as well. That is what I did.

I feel your pain.
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Old Jan 9, 2006 | 02:07 PM
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Originally Posted by gonbad
I am willing to bet your balancer is wobbling. Open up the hood and look at balancer on the end of the crank and see if it has noticable run-out.

My car did this and shortly thereafter my balancer completely failed and caused significant engine damage.

It will probably need to be replaced. I would recommend a good after market pulley from either ASP or ATI. You can go either stock diameter or underdriven. Since this is most of the work in a cam swap. I would look into that as well. That is what I did.

I feel your pain.
Well, I guess it is a good thing that I have just bought a underdrive pulley for my heads and cam swap. I am just going to keep he car parked until I can get things swapped out, hopefully in the next couple of weeks.

Micah
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Old Jan 9, 2006 | 10:39 PM
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Originally Posted by gonbad
I am willing to bet your balancer is wobbling. Open up the hood and look at balancer on the end of the crank and see if it has noticable run-out.

My car did this and shortly thereafter my balancer completely failed and caused significant engine damage.

It will probably need to be replaced. I would recommend a good after market pulley from either ASP or ATI. You can go either stock diameter or underdriven. Since this is most of the work in a cam swap. I would look into that as well. That is what I did.

I feel your pain.
I have the same symptoms...which go away after about 10 minutes of driving. If the squeek is from a bad balancer, would it go away after driving a short distance? I think the wobble would be constant...but I'm no mechanic. I looked very carefully and did not notice the balancer wobbling...is the wobble so slight as not to be discernable with the naked eye?
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Old Jan 10, 2006 | 06:00 AM
  #5  
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Originally Posted by coast7
I have the same symptoms...which go away after about 10 minutes of driving. If the squeek is from a bad balancer, would it go away after driving a short distance? I think the wobble would be constant...but I'm no mechanic. I looked very carefully and did not notice the balancer wobbling...is the wobble so slight as not to be discernable with the naked eye?
The balancer wobble is noticeable by the eye.
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Old Jan 10, 2006 | 08:00 AM
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From: Olive Branch MS
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Originally Posted by gonbad
I am willing to bet your balancer is wobbling. Open up the hood and look at balancer on the end of the crank and see if it has noticable run-out.

My car did this and shortly thereafter my balancer completely failed and caused significant engine damage.

It will probably need to be replaced. I would recommend a good after market pulley from either ASP or ATI. You can go either stock diameter or underdriven. Since this is most of the work in a cam swap. I would look into that as well. That is what I did.

I feel your pain.

What kind of "significant engine damage"? I ask as I have noticed a chirpping kind of sound. (After insatalling headers) And looking, I noticed, what looked like wooble to me, at the crank location..
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Old Jan 10, 2006 | 08:52 AM
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Originally Posted by DocAcumen
What kind of "significant engine damage"? I ask as I have noticed a chirpping kind of sound. (After insatalling headers) And looking, I noticed, what looked like wooble to me, at the crank location..
Balancer seperated from hub. The rubber gave up and the outer inertia ring slid back in to the front engine cover. It cut through the cover, cut the front of the oil pan, ruined the front seal and damaged the oil pump. I repaired it myself and added a cam and UD pulley since I was in there anyways.

It can also slide forward and cut through the steering rack.
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Old Jan 10, 2006 | 05:38 PM
  #8  
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From: Newberry FL
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Well, things have seemed to turn for the better!

I took some advice from some of you (I finally did what I was told ) and took my 15mm and loosened the tensioner pulley and as I slowly did so, the squeak seem to disappear...SO, replaced the belt right after I tested the old (knowing the old belt was squeaking as the car idled) and when I got the new belt on, no squeak.

So, I then called out another set of eyes and had them look at my harmonic balancer crank pulley (thanks EVIL TWIN for the education last night ) and due to coloration on the pulley it gave it the appearance that it may have had a slight wobble, not the case, straight.

SO, I think I worked out my problem. Yes, I feel pretty stupid, but I did learn some great things over the last day!

Thanks everyone, esspecially EVIL-TWIN!

Micah
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