Hello;

93 F-250 7.3 IDI, no ambulance package.

Truck is about 1-1/2 years new to me, and runs great. Made a few tweaks at the suggestion of this board and I just really enjoy this truck.

During the spring, my serpentine belt shredded and I replaced it -- no issues, found the right belt at NAPA and was running again.

Then started to get a serious squeak that increased in pitch and volume with RPM. Troubleshot down to the tensioner, and after quite a search, found the right one with the indexing pin on the back. It matched the one I took off.

Everything was good for a month or so then I started to notice a squeak at start up. Now, and seemingly connected to the brr-cold weather, I have no squeak at start-up, but after about 3 minutes of warm-up, or sometimes after I've driven a bit, I have a loud squeak back that increases volume and pitch with RPM. After about 10 minutes of driving, it goes away.

Now, regardless if it's in "squeak-mode", I do notice that if the vehicle had been idling for a bit, I have a very hard pedal (almost like the brake booster isn't being driven), and the steering is wicked hard (ie: no power steering).

Example: I have to do a 3-4 point turn manuever to get it out of the parking spot in the driveway, it's really really hard to turn at the begining of the movements, until I give it throttle, and then it's ok. Similarly, if I'm coasting down a hill, by the time I get to the stop sign at the bottom, the pedal is stiff.

I'm thinking this has to be a serpentine belt issue, but the belt has plety of tension, I've tried belt dressing, and it doesn't seem to help. It's also hard for me to apply dressing when it's squeaking because it hardly squeaks until I give it some throttle and then it gets louder.

Thanks for any ideas, I appreciate it.

 

did u check fluid or if ur hose is lose or slipped belt

 

Hi Joe; THanks for the reply.

Fluid is good, hose looks good and no leaks. I should have mentioned that.

What do you mean "slipped belt"? Near as I can tell, it's just one serpentine belt. It's routed according the diagram and appears properly tensioned.

Thanks again,

 

i mean the bearings in the pump may be going out making it hard or them to move the belt migh just not have the froce to move them or the belt might not have any grip left

 

If I pull the belt, and spin the pump drive, should that spin freely? I'll do that -- not sure what my frame of reference should be for "normal".

But, thanks for that advice. I'm almost ashamed to ask, but is the booster pump one and the same for the power steering and the brake booster?

Thanks Joe!

 

my booster is under my allternater the pumps shouls spin freely but listen for grinding nose if u have no power brake be carefullthat mean u have no front brakes

 

right. It's only when it's been idling, but I have "limited" braking if I let it idle. I've pretty much come to keeping in the throttle a bit coming up to stops.

At any rate, I'll check it out and re-post.

Thanks, joe.

 

dose ur belt speed up when u drive or stay at the same speed that could mean ur engine need to work hard to turn the pumps and booster due to worn out barrings how many miles on the truck

 

I was getting ready to say you need to check the vacuum system to see how much it is making.
But then you posted the steering is hard as well, so now it sounds like your belt is slipping.

I would take the belt off, then check the water pump shaft for movement sideways or in and out, hard to turn.
If it turns OK, then move on to the alternator and again check for play and hard to turn.

The vacuum pump will turn a little hard, sort of pulsing as you turn it.
The power steering will turn easier than the vacuum pump but not as easy as the alternator.
Belt tensioner should spin freely.

Now inspect the pulley's on the crank, power steering pump and vacuum pump.

I personally hate belt dressing, if a belt is squeaking the is a problem somewhere.

 

iam glad i have and old school belt system

 

Sounds to me like either one of your accessaries (alt, or pumps) or the tensioner (even NAPA stuff ts defective sometimes) is locking up, causing the belt to slip.
You might be able to see it if you watch while you rev it up with the linkage or get someone to hold the accelerator down.

 

OK, today the belt broke. It was stretched, mangled and wore all to hell.

I really think that it was too small, but I made it fit and I didn't know any better. Is it possible that is what was making it squeak / squeal?

So, I went down to the parts store, told them my story and got another belt. This one was too small, couldn't even get it on.

That place closed for the day (saturday hours), so I hit Napa, and we decided to try to ambulance package belt, which is supposdely ~1-3/4" longer.

Well, be dammned if that belt isn't too big. It's 115-1/4" per the package. The other belt from the other store doesn't list the length. But when I put them on a stretcher I rigged up, the 115-1/4" inch belt is almost 5" longer.

I measured the remains of the one I had on before and it seemed to be about 110 inches, so that seems to hold out (close to the same size as the new small belt).

OK, I'm heading down to NAPA tomorrow morning, gonna be looking for a 112 or 113" belt.

Any guidance? One thing they were asking is if I have some french-sounding alternator. I looked at mine, it has motorcraft cast in the back of it. Think that has anything to do with it?

Thanks in advance.

Dave --- everything you said was very helpful. And the "lumpiness" in the vacuum pump rotation had me worried until I read your post. Everything else seems to spin pretty freely, 'cept of course---the crank.

 

Leece Neville was the alternator used on the ambulance package.

 

OK, that makes some sense. I'm off to napa at 0900.

 

Well, what a charlie foxtrot. ...

Napa didn't have the 113" inch belt in stock. Neither did Autozone or Advance Auto in any of the 4 closest stores. I struck out at two Pep Boys, but then found a Pep Boys that had one that was about 35 minutes away.

Got home, had it on quickly, no fight. No squeak at all. Power steering perfect. I think that the other belt I had on there was just too small, and I didn't realize it isn't supposed to be *that* hard to get a serp. belt on. I measured the belt that was on (and broke yesterday), and it was less than 110" and it looks like a pretty direct tear.

So, the Dayco 5061130 worked for me and my 93 7.3 IDI that says on the door jamb that it is not an ambulance. However, by the listings in the computers, at least one "ambulance package" was set up for the 113.00" belt. The alternator is a Motorcraft.

Hopefully someone will search and this post can save someone some time.

Thanks to those with tips