Centri Belt Recommendations
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 179
Likes: 0
From: Lanesville IN
Centri Belt Recommendations
Did the search for the infamous belt chirp on S/C kits. I am having the same problem. I found a lot of good posts on belts. Switching to Gates or GY Gatorback solved some problems, but what the posts lacked:
1. Long term results. When the chirp went away, how long until it came back? Did it come back?
2. The more informative posts were from 3 years ago on kits that lacked good tensioners, etc. Are there better belts now?
So I am looking for some longterm feedback on serpentine belts. What ones do you use, how long do you go before replacing, issues, etc.
The Flip Drive is a great add on, but I don't want to perform that kind of surgery right now (too busy) and I think $1k is too much to part with if I am under 550 RWHP when a good belt can solve my problem.
Thanks in advance for your feedback.
BTW, I am running the A&A V3 SI trim
1. Long term results. When the chirp went away, how long until it came back? Did it come back?
2. The more informative posts were from 3 years ago on kits that lacked good tensioners, etc. Are there better belts now?
So I am looking for some longterm feedback on serpentine belts. What ones do you use, how long do you go before replacing, issues, etc.
The Flip Drive is a great add on, but I don't want to perform that kind of surgery right now (too busy) and I think $1k is too much to part with if I am under 550 RWHP when a good belt can solve my problem.
Thanks in advance for your feedback.
BTW, I am running the A&A V3 SI trim
Last edited by Tree1985; May 4, 2011 at 10:06 PM. Reason: added blower specs
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 1,066
Likes: 21
From: D Block
I am curious about this as well, my belt started squeeling after just 1 month, and I have to drive 3 1/2 hours now to NJ to have ECS take care of it because I don't trust a local shop to change the belt with the S/C on the car.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 5,972
Likes: 48
From: NCM Lifetime#2195 Bulverde, Texas 78163
St. Jude Donor '13
I have never had any churping noise from the A&A kits, I have seen several for others. I do not think just a belt change would fix it. Must be a pulley out of align.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 3,290
Likes: 0
From: Willow Springs IL
My A&A belt started chirping when cold all of a sudden. Once it gets warmed up, it goes away. I have over 14,000 miles on the belt though and think it's probably just it's way of saying "change me".
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 1,066
Likes: 21
From: D Block
Mine chirps and has been maybe a month after I got my car back. Probably 200 miles tops on it when it started squeaking, so for my issue it's not a mileage thing. I'm not sure what causes it, but when it heats up it stops, maybe after ~15 minutes of driving.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 179
Likes: 0
From: Lanesville IN
Mine did the cold chirp after about 5k miles. Now at about 12k, it squeals really badly. No cracks or glazing that I can see.
Just to make sure it was truly the belt, I sprayed some belt dressing on and it went away... for about an hour with no boost.
Spray lasts 5 seconds under WOT
I read in one of the posts that a guy changes his religiously every 15k miles. That is why I am looking for recommendations. Haven't seen any yet :-(
Just to make sure it was truly the belt, I sprayed some belt dressing on and it went away... for about an hour with no boost.
Spray lasts 5 seconds under WOT
I read in one of the posts that a guy changes his religiously every 15k miles. That is why I am looking for recommendations. Haven't seen any yet :-(
Racer
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 264
Likes: 0
From: Illinois
Im Having the same problem, I put a new D1 Procharger on my 2007 Z06 and it chirps when cold but as soon as the belt warms up it gos away..So I bought a pulley laser today for $123.00 dollars and this week end we will see if the pulley are the issue. but you can put a little water on the belt and see if its the belt or a bearing on the tensioner going bad, also this is what a guy told me on what it may be, hope this helps us all out with this belt problem...This is driving me nuts.....
Well, you need to replace that belt since you got WD40 on it. You don't want a belt that has had a lubricant sprayed on it. When testing like that just use plain water in a spray bottle.
Sorry to tell you, but the belt is squealing because of mis-alignment...not because the belt is bad. I've had S/C cars coming in with squealing belt and after I used the laser and found the mis-alignment and fixed it the old belt didn't squeal anymore.
When you use the laser you need every pulley to line up with the crank pulley and then you are good to go.
Most common issues I've found:
S/C bracket w/ wrong size spacers.
8 rib power steering pulley not pressed onto shaft far enough.
Crank pulley coming apart and wobbling.
One mis-placed washer on S/C bracket causing it to be crooked to one side.
Good luck and let us know what you figure out.
Well, you need to replace that belt since you got WD40 on it. You don't want a belt that has had a lubricant sprayed on it. When testing like that just use plain water in a spray bottle.
Sorry to tell you, but the belt is squealing because of mis-alignment...not because the belt is bad. I've had S/C cars coming in with squealing belt and after I used the laser and found the mis-alignment and fixed it the old belt didn't squeal anymore.
When you use the laser you need every pulley to line up with the crank pulley and then you are good to go.
Most common issues I've found:
S/C bracket w/ wrong size spacers.
8 rib power steering pulley not pressed onto shaft far enough.
Crank pulley coming apart and wobbling.
One mis-placed washer on S/C bracket causing it to be crooked to one side.
Good luck and let us know what you figure out.
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Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 179
Likes: 0
From: Lanesville IN
I do have to say, do not ever use dressing. All it does is make a huge mess. I ended up replacing the belt with the Gates one recommended by A&A.
That was a PIA. Needed to take the blower out. Took most of the day. Once I finally got it in, no more squeak, no more chirp, no nothing. Purrs like a kitten. Will monitor. If it starts chirping soon Iwill try the laser to check alignment.
That was a PIA. Needed to take the blower out. Took most of the day. Once I finally got it in, no more squeak, no more chirp, no nothing. Purrs like a kitten. Will monitor. If it starts chirping soon Iwill try the laser to check alignment.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 2,240
Likes: 51
From: South Carolina
I swapped on a new Gates belt and the problem went away. The old belt had also appeared to have stretched almost two inches during its life.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 804
Likes: 5
From: Fresno CA
Im Having the same problem, I put a new D1 Procharger on my 2007 Z06 and it chirps when cold but as soon as the belt warms up it gos away..So I bought a pulley laser today for $123.00 dollars and this week end we will see if the pulley are the issue. but you can put a little water on the belt and see if its the belt or a bearing on the tensioner going bad, also this is what a guy told me on what it may be, hope this helps us all out with this belt problem...This is driving me nuts.....
Well, you need to replace that belt since you got WD40 on it. You don't want a belt that has had a lubricant sprayed on it. When testing like that just use plain water in a spray bottle.
Sorry to tell you, but the belt is squealing because of mis-alignment...not because the belt is bad. I've had S/C cars coming in with squealing belt and after I used the laser and found the mis-alignment and fixed it the old belt didn't squeal anymore.
When you use the laser you need every pulley to line up with the crank pulley and then you are good to go.
Most common issues I've found:
S/C bracket w/ wrong size spacers.
8 rib power steering pulley not pressed onto shaft far enough.
Crank pulley coming apart and wobbling.
One mis-placed washer on S/C bracket causing it to be crooked to one side.
Good luck and let us know what you figure out.
Well, you need to replace that belt since you got WD40 on it. You don't want a belt that has had a lubricant sprayed on it. When testing like that just use plain water in a spray bottle.
Sorry to tell you, but the belt is squealing because of mis-alignment...not because the belt is bad. I've had S/C cars coming in with squealing belt and after I used the laser and found the mis-alignment and fixed it the old belt didn't squeal anymore.
When you use the laser you need every pulley to line up with the crank pulley and then you are good to go.
Most common issues I've found:
S/C bracket w/ wrong size spacers.
8 rib power steering pulley not pressed onto shaft far enough.
Crank pulley coming apart and wobbling.
One mis-placed washer on S/C bracket causing it to be crooked to one side.
Good luck and let us know what you figure out.
Racer
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 264
Likes: 0
From: Illinois
Safety Car
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 3,712
Likes: 3
From: TEXOMA
St. Jude Donor '08-'09
if you have a new belt and it squeaks something else is wrong. maybe the tensioner is going bad.
im running a 3.4 pulley on my Si trim and i can see some belt shavings but according to my logged runs my boost isn't falling off.
after the engine gets nice and hot, try to retighten it.
-carl
im running a 3.4 pulley on my Si trim and i can see some belt shavings but according to my logged runs my boost isn't falling off.
after the engine gets nice and hot, try to retighten it.
-carl
Racer
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 353
Likes: 16
From: Twister Country
Some places will let you rent that tool with a deposit. (if they have it)
Most of the time the ones I found to be out of whack were the alternator pulleys. Because of the weird spacer bushings in the mounting tabs.
Racer
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 264
Likes: 0
From: Illinois
Were did you get your Gatorback belt from I looked every were for it ..Auto zone doesnt sell it here in chicago
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 3,502
Likes: 82