This is pizzin me off to no end...usually when I wash/rinse the engine compartment I leave the car running. Well this time I didn't and now one of the damn pulleys is sqeeking and driving me nuts I am thinking its the idler pulley. I have let the car run and drove it for awhile and the frickin thing will not stop Is there a way to just replace the pulley or do I need the whole damn assembly?? Or can I do something else? It sounds like a flock of fkin birds has taken up residence under the hood.

 

hmmm...appears I can just buy the pulley...from Beans...

serpentine IDLER PULLEY, Corvette 97-04 $48.46 $0.00 $30.38

at this point IDGAF what it costs...just please stop

 

this may sound really silly but if it is just the belt slipping then in the yester years we used to take a bar of soap and VERY VERY carefully rub it against the inside surface of the belt with the vehicle running. This worked great as it gave the belt the necessary grabbing ability it needed. There must be some sort of automotive product out there now to do the same thing, and again this only would apply if it is a slipping situation not a bum pulley. Hope this may help, cheers and VERY VERY carefully.

 

yeah I thought about the belt dressing crap but like I said it occurred AFTER it got wet so I am thinking I managed to get some water in the damn thing...the belt isn't slipping..

 

Dont know what the mystery is... I' ve posted the procedure a hundred times and three or four times in the last week..
People see it then, post they are still having problems, and I ask them which belt system is at fault and they dont know
If they dont do what is suggested then they cant fix it...
I guess they want someone to come out and fix it for them..
they ask for help, and I give it but then because it requires some work, they just blow it off and look for an easier solution
these people who have been here for years have seen it... its clear an concise... on how to isolate, people talk about belt dressing and soap, ????? I should just throw in the towel here.

 

I feel you pain......

 

well the mystery is...why it happened all of a sudden...washed under the hood hundreds of times no issues...the pulley is new the belt is new. Haven't got around to buying a stethoscope yet...I'm not asking for you to fix it. apparently you misinterpreted what I posted...which was basically can I replace just the pulley or the whole damn thing...which BTW I have since done some shopping and discovered that YES I can...please don't mistake me for someone who is afraid to do some work..I think you know better. So if in fact it is the idler pulley I will fix it..if not I will determine which one it is and fix it...please save your ranting for the people who deserve it...

 

You have seen my post in this situation 20 times... you also know that running water under the hood is a no no... my rant is that I post stuff here to help people.. you know that water is an issue with a C5... you/ve been here long enough to know.
Other's post these same issues and the cure is to find the bad part...
the first time your run water on your engine it wont hurt but down the road it will take its toll... for you to plead ignornace to either of these issues upsets me...
I dont mind posting good information to newbies, but a guy who has been here as long as your should know better. THERE ARE FOUR PULLEYS AND TWO BELTS . PLUS six other components with bearings in the two belt systems that can cause this.

Ive posted this over 100 times in the last five years:

You have two belt systems on your car. One is the drive belt system, the other is the air conditioner belt system.
The drive belt system consists of the serpentine belt,the power steering pump, alternator/gen, water pump, harmonic balancer, idler pulley,belt auto tensioner pulley.
The AC belt system consists of the compressor, harmonic balancer,idler pulley, belt auto tensioner pulley.
First thing you need to do is isolate which system is squeaking. this can be done by releasing tension on the drive belt tensioner and removing the serp belt. This is the outboard belt of the two belt systems..if the squeak goes away, then it is the belt or a component of the drive system.
If the squeak is still there, then it is a component of the ac belt system.
to verify this release the belt tension from the tensioner and remove the belt. if the squeak goes away, then it is a component of the ac belt system..
A common problem is the belt tensioner on either system.. but verifying which system is at fault is the proper procedure.
You could replace both belts, but you may still have the squeak. So if you want to find the culprit, isolate the system, then spray the belt of the offending system and see if the squeak goes away. Try to stay away from the idler and tensioner while spaying..
I find that belt dressing may be good to identify a belt problem, but it is a temporary fix at best..
The real problem has been the tensioner and the idler.. both of these components have a sealed bearing which has been know to dry up or redirect the grease away from the bearing, thus causing the squeak.
If you find that a belt change does not correct the problem, then a change of both the idler and tensioner pulley is in order. If you just change the idler or the tensioner alone, it will cause the other component to go bad in a month or so. This has been the case with many members..There was a change made to the dusts seals to help correct this problem in newer C5's.
Lots of tensioner and idler pulleys have been identified as a problem.. and it can effect either system. One is not more prevalent than the other. So find out which system is squeaking first, in the drive belt system, it could also be the bearing of the alternator, power steering pump, or water pump too, but these are less probable.

 

Go ahead and laugh at me know. HAAA HAAA HAAA. This happened to me about a year ago and so I sprayed the pulley with a little WD-40, knowing that this was a band-aid fix at best. Well the squeaking stoped. A day went by.. then 2 days... a week... a month... a year... Still no squeak squeak. Did I get lucky? Is it a miracle? Could a Higher Being be involved here? Enquireing minds want to know

 

the bearings are sealed. in 2000 they made a change to the bearing seals..because the grease was drying out, you may have been very lucky but this is a well documented problem with these cars. BTW you were very lucky considering out of all the bearings and pulleys in both systems you chose the right one to spray... some can not be sprayed, they are internal to the component.

 

Don't get frustrated ET!

I'm sure TONS of people on this forum have benefitted from your knowledge of the car.........I know I have

I take all of the information you give out with gratitude,and heed most all of it

You are a great asset to this forum,and maybe it isn't said enough,but THANK YOU!

I am sure I speak for most of the forum,if not all

BTW, I hope you get this lil' problem worked out pewter 99

Sorry for the "jacking",I just needed to say that

 

Yeah I am frustrated, and I appreciate the vote of confidence... I need to stay in pm where people ask questions, I try my best to help, and they are happy and so am I...

I try to help newbies in open forum because they dont know any better, but seasoned veterans of this forum just frustrate me... I wasn't fishing for compliment.... but again thank you////

open forum is going to push me right out the door,.

 

Robert. maybe ur slow little hampster is dying, time for an upgrade, i hear ferrets are a bit faster.