pulley squealing badly
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Senior User
Joined: May 2004
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From: Cheswick, Pa.
pulley squealing badly
Can't tell if it's the idler or tensioner pulley just by listening. If I take a guess, which one should I buy? Really don't want to replace the one that isn't bad.
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Joined: Jan 2004
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From: SW Va
Carefully, use a piece of hose, or tubing as a stethoscope, close to or on the pully mounting bolt, the other end to your ear, to determine which is noisy. To confirm, you could try a drop or two of engine oil into its bearing & see if the noise improves, if so, you've likely found the culprit. Check the water pump too.
You could also use the hose to check the cam sensor for noise, but its noise would be on the top passenger side rear of the engine, close to the fire wall, not up front, close to the belt driven accessories.
Let us know what you find.
You could also use the hose to check the cam sensor for noise, but its noise would be on the top passenger side rear of the engine, close to the fire wall, not up front, close to the belt driven accessories.
Let us know what you find.
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Joined: Feb 2011
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From: Smithfield N.C.
Look down at your tensioner and see if you can see a shiny spot where the belt rides on, if so look and see if the tensioner is sitting crooked or at an angle. If so the tensioner is bad. I've replaced alot of them on our company trucks. Most common problem. If you can't tell Pawpaw's trick is the next best thing. Also a valueable diagnostic tool.
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Senior User
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From: Cheswick, Pa.
Thanks for three suggestions. Won't get to it till Sat. or Sun. Snow coming here to western Pa. Looks like wife's car will sit outside while we work on son's Taurus. I just happen to own a stethoscope. If I can get it in close, OK. Hose might be safer. Spinning the pulleys with the belt off sound like a good one. Will there be wobble too?
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From: SW Va
A pulley should Not wobble, but should be smooth, quiet & snug when spun. It should Not spin freely, make noise, feel rough when rotated, or have Any side to side play/wobble.
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From: Indianapolis
Just had this happen on the wife's 2002 Taurus. I've got pretty good hearing, but I'll be darned if I could figure out which pulley it was. Tried the screwdriver to the ear, piece of garden hose to the ear, and vacuum cleaner solid plastic hose extender to the ear, and couldn't figure out didly. Started putting WD-40 on the pulleys, and when I put it on the alternator pulley, the noise would stop (which is nonsense, cause the alternator pulley has no bearings, they're internal). Took off the belt, then took off the idler pulley, then the tensioner pulley. Idler pully moved a little too freely, and the tensioner pulley was a little too tight. Replaced them both, and noise was gone. Still wondering which one it was.
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From: SW Va
My 94 3.8L developed a "cricket chirp" sound, that turned out to be the OEM idler pully bearing that had ever so slight, barely felt, side to side play/wobble in it. It also spun too freely/easily, it should have been snug like the replacement, which cured the chirp!!!!
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