Squealing belts
Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 20,166
Likes: 2
From: Spacecoast Florida
Squealing belts
I've tried everything short of replacing the engine. New idler pulley. New tensioner. New water pump. Four new GM belts. (I never could find the Gatorback serpentine belts that other forum members have recommended.) Apparently they quit making them.
MY C5 STILL SQUEELS AND SQUEEKS LIKE HELL UNTIL IT GETS WARMED UP!
Which takes about 20 minutes. Has anybody had a similar problem and fixed it? :cry :cry :cry
MY C5 STILL SQUEELS AND SQUEEKS LIKE HELL UNTIL IT GETS WARMED UP!
Which takes about 20 minutes. Has anybody had a similar problem and fixed it? :cry :cry :cry
Drifting
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 1,747
Likes: 0
From: williamstown nj
Re: Squealing belts (keith5)
what year is your car? the a/c belt in gatorback is the same. for a 2000 coupe like i got, they have to look up either a 97 or 98 for a gatorback. make sure after changing the belts that the a/c tensioner is correct and not crooked.
i got the gm belts and they lasted about 500 miles and the squeak came back. after gatorbacks (from autozone) went on, i havent had a squeak in over 2000 miles so far.
[Modified by builtfspd2, 12:20 PM 2/1/2004]
[Modified by builtfspd2, 12:20 PM 2/1/2004]
i got the gm belts and they lasted about 500 miles and the squeak came back. after gatorbacks (from autozone) went on, i havent had a squeak in over 2000 miles so far.
[Modified by builtfspd2, 12:20 PM 2/1/2004]
[Modified by builtfspd2, 12:20 PM 2/1/2004]
Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 20,166
Likes: 2
From: Spacecoast Florida
Re: Squealing belts (builtfspd2)
Thanks "built". My C5 is a '98. I will check the AC. Good suggestion.
I still believe that it is some weird phenomena with the belt. I can shoot it with WD40 and it quiets down a lot. But that is a PITA.
I still believe that it is some weird phenomena with the belt. I can shoot it with WD40 and it quiets down a lot. But that is a PITA.
Safety Car
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 4,394
Likes: 6
From: Melbourne FL
Re: Squealing belts (keith5)
I had the same problem. The only thing that fixed it was a Gatorback belt. If you can find the belt local see if you can order it online from NAPA or Autozone.
Alos, if you replaced the idler pulley per the TSB did you make sure you torqued it correclty? There was a mention that if the pulley was improperly torqued, the squeak would still be present.
Alos, if you replaced the idler pulley per the TSB did you make sure you torqued it correclty? There was a mention that if the pulley was improperly torqued, the squeak would still be present.
Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 20,166
Likes: 2
From: Spacecoast Florida
Re: Squealing belts (Z06ufgrad2002)
Thanks Z06. I'll start looking for the Gatorback. All of the work has been done by Chevy dealer (a damn good one). He is perplexed by this also.
Drifting
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 1,747
Likes: 0
From: williamstown nj
Re: Squealing belts (keith5)
i used to spray the belt too. good for about a mile, then it would come back, not to mention the mess it made under the hood. gators did the trick. also, someone mentioned if you cant find gators, go with a 10 mm shorter belt. dont hold me to this one. i found the gatorbacks and they were cheaper than the gm delco's.
Safety Car
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 4,394
Likes: 6
From: Melbourne FL
Re: Squealing belts (keith5)
Thanks Z06. I'll start looking for the Gatorback. All of the work has been done by Chevy dealer (a damn good one). He is perplexed by this also.
I am presently running a 10mm shorter Goodyear Gatorback belt.
[Modified by Z06ufgrad2002, 8:21 PM 2/1/2004]
Instructor
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 219
Likes: 0
From: HOUSTON TEXAS
Re: Squealing belts (Z06ufgrad2002)
Thanks Z06. I'll start looking for the Gatorback. All of the work has been done by Chevy dealer (a damn good one). He is perplexed by this also.
I had mine it to the dealer probably 6 times before they finally fixed it using info that I brought them that I acquired from this forum. They were perplexed as well. They replaced the belt twice, the tensioner twice, and both pulleys. In the end, the only fix was the gatorback belt.
I am presently running a 10mm shorter Goodyear Gatorback belt.
[Modified by Z06ufgrad2002, 8:21 PM 2/1/2004]
I had mine it to the dealer probably 6 times before they finally fixed it using info that I brought them that I acquired from this forum. They were perplexed as well. They replaced the belt twice, the tensioner twice, and both pulleys. In the end, the only fix was the gatorback belt.
I am presently running a 10mm shorter Goodyear Gatorback belt.
[Modified by Z06ufgrad2002, 8:21 PM 2/1/2004]
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Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 20,166
Likes: 2
From: Spacecoast Florida
Re: Squealing belts (HOUSTONVETTE1)
Finally found the Gatorbacks at Autozone. :thumbs: They are on the way.
29.00 for Alt belt and 19.95 for the AC belt.
Someone asked what the cost was at the dealer to change belt.
I was charged $24 the first time and no charge the next two times.
I'm hopin' that they'll not charge to put on the Gatorbacks as the last GM set they put on was about 3 mo.'s ago less than 1K miles.
:cheers:
29.00 for Alt belt and 19.95 for the AC belt.
Someone asked what the cost was at the dealer to change belt.
I was charged $24 the first time and no charge the next two times.
I'm hopin' that they'll not charge to put on the Gatorbacks as the last GM set they put on was about 3 mo.'s ago less than 1K miles.
:cheers:
Race Director
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 10,233
Likes: 21
From: Baltimore suburbs Maryland
Re: Squealing belts (keith5)
Hmm Im curious as what happens.... at 63k miles or so, my main belt was squeeking. Replaced it with a GM one. Fixed problem (and hasnt come back). Then 2k miles later, the AC belt started squeekin. Replaced with Gates belt, probbly 100-200 miles on it, but so far so good..... knock wood..
Advanced
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 78
Likes: 0
From: port charlotte fl
Re: Squealing belts (keith5)
until you can get a new gatorback try spraying with "armor all extreme tire shine" i went through the same thing and this is the best to stop squeeks and it will last hundreds of miles, i even gave up on trying to figure out what was causing the squeek because this works so good for so long, just give it a try.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 6,071
Likes: 297
From: Savannah GA
Cruise-In IV Veteran
Re: Squealing belts (Daves C5)
I went through the exact thing as well with 2 brand new GM Factory Dayco belts and all new pulleys. The only thing that fixed it was a Gatorback belt from Autozone. I had to try 3 different Autozones before I found someone smart enough to find it.
