PLEASE HELP!!!
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New User
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PLEASE HELP!!!
Hey guys new member here👋 I have a 1992 F-150 with the 4.9 straight six motor efi. Anyways my truck started making this horrendous squealing noise. It’s a very high pitched squeal and gets louder/quicker when I rev the engine. Idk what it is but I’m scared to drive it. Don’t know if this helps but it rained terribly here and the roads were flooded pretty bad and I went through some huge puddles and it started during that drive sometime. Also I busted my radiator and coolant went all over the belt idk if that means anything but please help me!! Thanks in advance. Ps. Tried to attach a video of it but idk if it worked.
Lead Driver
Joined: Oct 2016
Posts: 6,185
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From: Houston/Sugar Land
My best guess is that the antifreeze is causing your belt to slip. Especially since it happened at that particular time. You need to clean the belt (with motor off) and as much of the pulley as you can get to. Bump start the truck and repeat until the noise goes away. Make sure the radiator is fixed or full first. You will ruin the motor if you let it get hot by not having antifreeze fluid. Sandy
Cargo Master
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 3,338
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From: Laramie, WY
Sounds like a contaminated belt. You could pop it off, run the engine briefly (a minute) to make sure the squeal stops without a belt on. Then wash the belt in the sink with hot soapy water, rinse thoroughly, dry thoroughly, spray each pulley with brake clean, dry. Then reinstall the belt, bet it'll be quiet again. Sand embedded in the belt will make chirps sometimes too, with it off you could pick them out. Or, if the belt is cracked and showing its age, replace it.
New User
Joined: Mar 2008
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From: Downingtown, PA
Hi Lucas, That sounds like you have issues with your air pump. Either the bearings are going bad on it or its seized up completely. Remove your serpentine belt and try to turn the pump by hand. If that's not it you will be able to spin all of the other pulleys by hand to see which one is the noise maker. I had an air pump completely seize up on a 95 F-150 with the 4.9. The truck would start right and run fine but the screeching was awful. I ended up bypassing the pump by installing a smaller serpentine belt. Let us know how you make out with it, George
Lead Driver
Joined: Oct 2016
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From: Houston/Sugar Land
If you are confident you can remove the belt as Going boarding said, is your best bet. Put a socket on the tension pulley and remove the belt IF you have the sticker on the radiator area that shows you how to reroute it. If you don't have the sticker look it up and make sure you follow the diagram. Or you can do it like I suggested which will be harder to do correctly but easier if you are uncomfortable doing it. Sandy
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Hey guys thanks for all the input and advice! Two things.. 1. Have been doing some research lately and it says that my belt may have hydroplaned from powerful water coming up into i.e. driving through big puddles like I did. Is this factual or bs? 2. Saw a trick to spray water into the ribside of the belt while it’s moving and if it stops the squeak then it’s probably pulley misalignment. Sprayed the water and it stopped and my crankshaft pulley seems to moving quite a bit while the belt is going through it. Just need advice on next steps. Not to sure where the tensioner is.
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P.s. the squeal started before I busted my radiator which I know for certain. It started sometime after driving through huge puddles. THANKS
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Lead Driver
Joined: Oct 2003
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From: Madison, WI
Either the puddle water or the coolant can cause the belt to slip/squeal.
Do you have the belt diagram sticker on your radiator support?
Do you have the belt diagram sticker on your radiator support?
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Elder User
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From: Kansas City, KS
I would also say it's a wet serpentine belt. Mine was squealing pretty fiercely when it got old. You might be able to clean it as others have said. Check the pulleys as others have said, too.
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Pulleys aren't something one 'aligns' as a normal course of events.
Most of them are set in position by virtue of being firmly attached to an accessory that is bolted in place.
You will need to look closely and see which pulley isn't in line with the others.
Since you mentioned the crank pulley (harmonic dampener) is wobbling my guess would be the rubber layer in it has deteriorated and come loose allowing the outside belt pulley section to move around.
When this happens it can make horrible noises and cause the belt to be out of alignment.
Its possible (though unlikely) that another component has become so damaged as make its pulley move, but most likely its the dampener.
If this is the case you don't want to drive the truck as it can cause additional damage. Take it to a shop and have it fixed is my suggestion.
Most of them are set in position by virtue of being firmly attached to an accessory that is bolted in place.
You will need to look closely and see which pulley isn't in line with the others.
Since you mentioned the crank pulley (harmonic dampener) is wobbling my guess would be the rubber layer in it has deteriorated and come loose allowing the outside belt pulley section to move around.
When this happens it can make horrible noises and cause the belt to be out of alignment.
Its possible (though unlikely) that another component has become so damaged as make its pulley move, but most likely its the dampener.
If this is the case you don't want to drive the truck as it can cause additional damage. Take it to a shop and have it fixed is my suggestion.