Squeelin' Like A Pig
Junior User
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 90
Likes: 0
Shoot that pig in the heart...
I had the same problem as well, just like every Ford owner I believe......and here is what I have found that finaaly put a bullet in that ol squealin pig! Head over to your local Home Depot ( or equivalent ) and look for a product called RD-50 Dry Film Lubricant, which is manufactured by EZ-Glide. Check their website as well...
http://www.rd-50.com/
After years of trying many different products ( company has a few old Ford trucks ), this is the ONLY one that fixed the problem for me! "Belt dressing" always made it worse.....WD-40, silicone, etc, etc evaporate and leave an oily residue which only makes things worse.....try the RD-50 and you will be good to go!
By the way, if you have already used other products, simply remove the belt and clean all the surfaces it touches and also the belt itself with a rag and LACQUER thinner thoroughly getting in all the nooks and crannies( You will see how much crap the other lubricants attract ). Apply a thin layer to your belt, re-install it and it will be better than new......gotta love the peace and quiet!
Hope that helps...
http://www.rd-50.com/
After years of trying many different products ( company has a few old Ford trucks ), this is the ONLY one that fixed the problem for me! "Belt dressing" always made it worse.....WD-40, silicone, etc, etc evaporate and leave an oily residue which only makes things worse.....try the RD-50 and you will be good to go!
By the way, if you have already used other products, simply remove the belt and clean all the surfaces it touches and also the belt itself with a rag and LACQUER thinner thoroughly getting in all the nooks and crannies( You will see how much crap the other lubricants attract ). Apply a thin layer to your belt, re-install it and it will be better than new......gotta love the peace and quiet!
Hope that helps...
Senior User
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 184
Likes: 0
I'll give you my experience with the belt squealing issue. I found the air pump for the emission system like everything else tends to wear out and seems to be an overlooked problem. As the air pump wears over time it gets harder to turn at the pulley. I'm assuming you use your Bronco pretty often. I let on of my Bronco's sit for a few weeks and started it to find it squealing for a few minutes and then the squealing went away. I let the Bronco sit a few more weeks and the air pump locked up tight (constant squeal). Changed out the air pump and no more problems even on the wet days. You can buy kits that replace the pump with a pulley if you play with your Bronco off road, but a rebuilt pump is around $60. Just giving you another possiblity and would explain during wet weather why the belt is squealing. If you have changed the tensioner and it is supplying the proper amount of tension, then you have a component with to much friction causing you the problem. A good test is to put your finger over the air pump exhaust while the engine is running. The exhaust is located on the passenger side inner fender. When you put your finger over the exhaust it puts more pressure on the pump and would cause your belt to squeal. Give it a try and see what happens especially during wet weather. Good luck!!
Senior User
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 184
Likes: 0
Another possiblity is if you have changed the alternator out in the past. I've noticed that many of the after market alternators seem to have a pulley just a tad smaller then the original. I noticed the belt squealed during wet weather and gave me fits from time to time on another Bronco. It was quickly fixed with an original pulley installed.
Elder User
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 984
Likes: 0
From: Winnipeg, Manitoba
Hate to admit this, but GM makes a silicon emulsion paste(comes in a tube) and it's been the best anti-squeal agent I've ever found. The only other one that works really well is the Harley Davidson drive belt dressing. If you want to skip additives, and dressings. Dress the mating surface of your belts with a fine grade emory cloth, and give them a slightly rough surface that will actually grip the pulley...do the same to the pulley. I'm talking roughly 200 grit emory or sand paper here, nothing more course(numerically lower is more course for those not familiar) Both pulleys and belts get shiny over time, and shiney = slippage. The other major contributor to belt slip is the lack of power steering fluid change...most people neglect that over time. Belts also need to be tightened once in a while, and to tight is no good either.
Senior User
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 108
Likes: 0
squealing belt?
I used to work in a shop, and sometimes you have to let the cars run while you do certain jobs, and the squealing belt would drive me nuts, If you get some chalk, like the kind little kids write on the sidewalk with, and hold it to the ribbed side of the belt while its running (sCaRy) it will go away within a second or 2. Not sure how long it lasts though.
Postmaster
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 2,809
Likes: 3
From: Loveland, CO.
The chalk works, and so does a bar of soap. Neither lasts very long though. And I almost lost a few fingers holding a bar of soap to a moving belt once.
Belt dressing works, but within a week the squeak comes back and it's worse and harder to get rid of. Once you apply the belt dressing, you'll be buying a new belt soon.
I too have found that these belts start to squeak after about six months. It is definitely the belt and not any of my driven parts. I decided that the easiest thing to do is just to replace the belt when it starts to squeak. It is not expensive and very easy to remove and replace. It certainly can't hurt anything, and I never have to worry about an old belt breaking on me in the middle of nowhere. I even stuck one of the used belts that made noise, but otherwise was in fine condition, back into the cardboard sleeve and I keep it in the truck for emergencies.
Belt dressing works, but within a week the squeak comes back and it's worse and harder to get rid of. Once you apply the belt dressing, you'll be buying a new belt soon.
I too have found that these belts start to squeak after about six months. It is definitely the belt and not any of my driven parts. I decided that the easiest thing to do is just to replace the belt when it starts to squeak. It is not expensive and very easy to remove and replace. It certainly can't hurt anything, and I never have to worry about an old belt breaking on me in the middle of nowhere. I even stuck one of the used belts that made noise, but otherwise was in fine condition, back into the cardboard sleeve and I keep it in the truck for emergencies.
Freshman User
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 30
Likes: 0
This drove me nuts. I stoped it, finally, by replaceing the harmonic balancer This is a 2 piece part. The outer part is seated in a rubber packing (like a boat propeller) and it apparently silpped out of line enough to cause a squeal. Unbelieveable, but true.
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Junior User
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 90
Likes: 0
Definately watch your fingers if you attempt to put anything on the belt/pulley while it is running!
Using that RD-50 lubricant, once I apply it it has lasted well over 6 months on a single application, many times I just do it once a year as preventative maintanance. Now, instead of having to buy a new belt ( sure, easy to change and fairly cheap ) every 4 months, they last a couple of years granted nothing else goes wrong. Try the RD-50, its only about $5 bucks and it works wonders....
Using that RD-50 lubricant, once I apply it it has lasted well over 6 months on a single application, many times I just do it once a year as preventative maintanance. Now, instead of having to buy a new belt ( sure, easy to change and fairly cheap ) every 4 months, they last a couple of years granted nothing else goes wrong. Try the RD-50, its only about $5 bucks and it works wonders....
Cargo Master
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 2,899
Likes: 2
From: Lynnwood, WA
I looked up the website and RD-50 is just teflon (Slick 50!! 
), and so now I'm almost certain that the squeling happens because the belt sticks to some pulley (probably the tensioner), and when they are separated a little later, that's when it squels. Since I just sprayed the belt with silicone mine is quiet now, but if it happens again, I will rough up the pulley's surface a bit to see if that helps, and to test my theory about the sticking.
), and so now I'm almost certain that the squeling happens because the belt sticks to some pulley (probably the tensioner), and when they are separated a little later, that's when it squels. Since I just sprayed the belt with silicone mine is quiet now, but if it happens again, I will rough up the pulley's surface a bit to see if that helps, and to test my theory about the sticking.
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