When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
I must have something wrong here. I've tried various belt widths, going around the PS, etc. At first it looks like you could use two belts, but you really can't because the spacing at the water pump pulley is different than at the compressor... regardless when I tried it made no difference with the squeal. I even tried a different compressor, same story.
Pressures and everything are good and it blows nice and cold, but under load/acceleration it squeals like crazy.
Well, I do think it is slightly off in the current configuration. However, I can't see a way to adjust the compressor forward any further than I have it. I could try putting it only on the same route as the PS pump, which I think lines up a little better, but then only about 1/4 of the compressor pulley is making contact with the belt (I think I tried this before too).
Here is setup #2, around the PS without the front. It does look more in line this way, but if I were to shim it further to make the front come in line, I think this would be way out.
I think I see the problem. The belt looks straight and parallel pulley to pulley, but when you look from a lower position on the other side it looks like the top of the compressor is tilted up and back (towards cab) about 15 to 20 degrees.
Odd.
I guess I'd have to shim the back half of the bracket upward to tilt it in line with everything else.
Well you are not taking into account belt contact area. With the belt over the ac then to the PS you have very little pulley contact area and it will make noise. What you are lacking is 50% contact area of the ac. This is why oems use idler pulleys. You need to change the belt geometry, first option is to drive the ac from the out water pump sheave ( Does require fan removal for belt install or drop down to a two sheave water pump pulley and drive the ac from the crank.
Well, that's why I was running off the front, without the ps in the mix; more contact. Didn't seem to make a difference, though that was probably only around 40% contact.
The tilt back has to be an issue. Looking at it from the driver side low, the belt is entering the ac pulley a good 1/4 off. When it gets to the top, it is centered. That's why it looked centered to me. I have to tilt the top forward and down. This bracket is a real pain to get on and off, so it may have to wait a few weeks while I make some time.
I did think about running it off the water pump only, but it seems to me the belt might then rub the crank pulley. They are real close to each other.
I had thought of the idler. I have one here, but I think I'll have to modify the bracket of the compressor to get a spot to attach it. It might come to that.
I'm not sure if this is what you meant or not, but what about running two belts on both the A/C and the P/S? Are the pulleys the same diameter at both sheaves/grooves? Yours look like they are, but mine are not which is why I asked.
If they are the same diameter for both outers, just line up the A/C properly with both grooves and use two belts. That way the lack of actual coverage is probably more than made up for with traction from two belts.
This is how we get rid of belt squeal with the more powerful alternators on some simple older Windsor setups. Two belts around everything. The alternator benefits, and the power steering loses some belt coverage, but that never turns out to be an issue.
Adding A/C to the mix changes that dynamic if you were trying to deal with the alternator, but since you're actually trying to add grip to the A/C pulley, it might just work.
And speaking of alternators, which model are you using? Standard small case 1G, or a large case 1G? Or something newer?
I had the same thought and tried running two belts, one on the same with the ps and one by itself. The grooves are the same, but what I realized was that the water pump pulleies are spaced farther apart than those on the compressor by about a quarter inch.
I think it is the small case 1g, but I haven't messed with the alternator.
Here, I made a little drawing of what I'm seeing. It is a little exaggerated, but the ac pulley is lined up at the top as far as being in the correct position forward, but because it is tilted, the bottom is further out. This is making the belt coming up from a ps pump to be a little out of line until it reaches the top of the compressor.
I messed around with this a few more hours today. I drilled a few new holes to get the alignment perfect and to allow me to use the belt around the crank, water pump, and compressor only (ps is now on its own belt).
Got pretty excited that this was going to work and it did for a moment, then the squeal returned.
Now I think (maybe) what is happening is that no matter how tight I'm making the bolts holding the compressor in place, the first time I take off it's pulling the on the compressor so much that it moves loosening the belt and causing the squeal there after.
Now I was looking at the cvf ac bracket... I don't want to get it because it looks like the bracket slides behind the ps mount which would throw my ps alignment off, but their bar for tension might be something that could work for me to keep the belt tight. What are these called and do you think that might work?
