chasboy

Hi Folks, I get a light chirping noise from near the pulleys/belts upon startup and idle speed. I believe there was a thread during the last two weeks discussing the harmonic balancer and other bits that can work loose? I’d appreciate any advice along these lines. Everything seems fine so far.

JR-01

How old are your belts? Check all your pulleys, tensioner and look for a wobble of your harmonic balancer. The HB is the most expensive problem so check other things first.

pjdbm

Take a minute long video of your HB while engine running and post it here.
This could be just a belt, pulley or idle tensioner but if you have a wobble in your stock HB, then that can be the culprit.

SG Lou

Funny that you post this.....I fired up mine yesterday and it chirped like hell.......You remember how humid it was yesterday morning? Took car for a ride later after it cleared up and got sunny, chirp was gone.

chasboy

This forum is really amazing. 3 responses, all on the money. Since SG Lou is only 1/2 hour from me and we’ve both been abused by Ma Nature since the end of February, his response makes sense, especially since the sound appeared after the car (no garage) was started after sitting under a wet cover for almost a week.
Results to follow...

'Shifter

My chirp was the balancer.

chasboy

Having trouble uploading the video...

corvettezman

I uploaded my videos to YouTube and then linked them here with the YT tab.

chasboy

Trying again:

Smoken1

Take your belts off none of the pulleys should spin freely

chasboy

Not sure what you mean. Btw, the belt is a year old, if that.

SG Lou

i guess the chirp didn't go away......
What Smoken1 means is remove the belts and spin the Idler pulleys and the tensioner pulleys ..if they spin freely with no resistance they are probably worn or if they take some force to rotate they could be on their way to being seized

Smoken1

It could be any of these making your noise

knewblewkorvette

Nice but why does the alternator say "auto only"?

Smoken1

Because the automatic trans cars came with a de-cupler pulley

pjdbm

From the vid and from that angle, the HB looks alright
wait and see if she acts up again, I had the chirp when I bought my car, it got annoying especially waiting in line to get into a car show, doesn't sound/look to good.


Anyways, I knew I had a wobble in my HB (but not bad) and wanted to wait until the off season to do the job. I ended up replacing all pulleys, tensioners & used the Gator belt, not a chirp or squeal the whole year.

Vetteman Jack

Moved to C5 Tech.

chasboy

Thanks folks. Took almost an hour ride on a warm day to my Monday nite cruise, listened to it carefully once I parked and no chirp. When a friend of mine who is an excellent mechanic and car builder listened about a half hour later the noise had not returned. So I will be watching it.
Lou, you should a came...about 250 cars, and a ton of vettes!

MikeG37

Put a paint mark across the front of the balancer to make sure it isn't coming apart.

jjc508520

Mine was due to the AC belt tensioner - when I had my compressor done at the dealer he said "it was ready to fall off" - since then the birds have quieted down...