1992 Ford F150 XLT, 4x4, Extended Cab, Flareside, 351 Windsor 5.8 EFI

When the weather started to get colder the serpentine belt on my truck started squeak. At first it would only do it until the truck warmed up, but then it started to get more constant.

It came with a Dayco 5060935 belt, so I bought a new one just like it. It's a 3 year warranty belt, which is the best one Autozone had. The noise seemed to stop with the new belt, but I can't really be sure if the weather warmed up a little at the same time.

The noise is back. I removed the belt, washed it, scrubbed all the pulleys with a scotch pad and even used break cleaner on them. I spun all the pulleys and I didn't hear anything unusual, and the tensioner indicates it's within range. I have also tried pushing down hard on the tensioner arm to see if maybe it was weak, but the noise didn't change.

It doesn't seem to be a pulley noise. If I squirt a little water on the belt, the noise goes away until it drys back out.

The noise is worse than ever. At low RPM it's a loud Chirp, Chirp, Chirp and at higher RPM it just consent.

I'm tempted to put some "belt dressing" on it, but I know that's not really fixing the problem.

Has anyone else had chronic belt noise?

 

Belt dressing is for v-belts... so is the bar of soap trick.... neither one'll last long on a serp belt.

I ain't had much in the way of good experiences with Dayco crap anyway. I run 2 of them on my truck right now (one serpentine and one v). The serp belt's been alright so far, but I'm on my second v-belt.

I'd try replacing the belt with another brand if you're absolutely sure that none of your bearings are bad. Did you check the tensioner pivot point?

 

Well, I can spray some water on the belt and the noise stops. If it was a bearing I wouldn't think that would make the noise stop. I it could be that there is play in one of the bearings, which is making the bet rub on the side of a pulley or something. I was just wondering if anyone had this problem before.

The tensioner marker shows okay, but I don't recall checking the pivot, but again I don't think that noise would stop by putting water on the belt. I think the noise is from the belt.

I guess I'll just try a different brand belt and see what happens.

 

Try a Gates belt from the NAPA premium line, mine is quiet as a mouse.

 

are you sure none of your accessories bearings are going? Alternator? water pump, power steering pump? causing excess friction and causes the belt to slip?

 

It's possible, but they all seem to spin freely by hand.