I have used belt dressing on V belts with "OK" results, but it is a disaster on serpentine belts.

I used it on my chebby and the squeel was worse. So I cleaned the belt with alcohol and then I cleaned all the pulleys(I think with brake cleaner) and then I roughed up the surfaces a bit with some sand paper. This seemed to work OK. You really have to get the belt and pulleys clean. The belt is difficult to clean once you have that goop on it.

I would not use an oil based spray since 1) it is a lubricant and will make the belts slip more which causes more glazing, but at least it temporarily makes the squeel go away. 2) Oil based lubes may cause the rubber in the belt deteriorate over time(might be a long time, but I don't want to risk it).

Best fix of course is a new belt and clean pulleys. Keep the old belt as a spare in your tool box.

Just my opinion,

Jim Henderson

 

Back in the 70s at the filling station we used to spray squeaky belts with CRC 5-56 (now known as Power Lube).

But CRC has belt dressing products: http://www.crcindustries.com/crcweb/
Search on "belt dressing." Select the second item:
05350 -- Belt Dressing/Belt Conditioner, 7.5 Fl Oz
"Eliminates squeaks and prolongs belt life. For use on all types of belts, such as serpentine, flat and v-type belts. Prevents slippage and glazing. Removes oil, grease and glaze. Use every 4000 miles to prevent drying out and slippage."

Note is specifically states that it prevents slippage.

 

Dang, and I thought I was cleaning the belt and pullies. I only ever did that on a V-belt.

Tightening the alternator tensioner on both V-belt and serpentine has actually worked in all cases of slipping/squeeling belts on any of my vehicles... Didn't say I used the soap on my vehicles.

 

....I was actually about to ask this samequestion. My serpentine belt was squeelin, so I blasted it with some belt dressing and it's worse. Thanks Torque1st...I couldn't figure out why something that is supposedly helpful made it worse. Looks like I'm in the market for a new belt as well.

 

How do you check the tensioner pulley to see if it needs replacement? I thought there was some kind of indicator on it, but I can't see it.

My serpentine belt squeals - usually in the morning when the engine is cold, at idle, & sometimes if it is a little humid, also only @ idle. I once rubbed a crayon on the ribbed side, & the squeal went away (I read that in a post here somewhere). I think that is supposed to mean the belt needs replacement, not the tensioner. I'm going to replace it in the next week or 2.

 

the only reason I was looking for a cure was the belt doesn't look like it needs replacing,it looks visually in nice shape, and the tensioner still has a ways to go before the belts stretched to much, which side of the belt is making all the noise do you think? so have we agreed on a cure soap,-WD-40,crayon,silicone lube. or just change the belt?

 

Since you've already tried the belt dressing etc, replacing the belt and cleaning the pulleys thoroughly is probably the only thing that will cure it.

 

thanks for all the input guys, it was a good lesson learned, and better yet I just might post my next brain storm before I dive in cause if I had of I won't be in this mess, it seems others have tried this before, and could of prevented problem

 

WD40 is a solvent that is why it cleans the pullies and belt.

 

Torque1st & FURBALL69 are 101% correct!! Thanks to both of you for explaining this dilemma of squeeking belts, perfectly... Good job.
PS Remember back in the early to mid 1970s? At match races between Pro Stock Mopars, Fords, Chevys, AMC's. "Dick Landy's Dodge" - Sox & Martin 'Cuda - Bill "Grumpy" Jenkins Camaro (later in a small block Vega. The NHRA butchered the Chrysler HEMI's in the rule books, because the HEMI's were kickin' Chevy Rat Motors all during 1970 and 1971. Even the Ford boys got the shaft "Dyno Don Nicholson" from the NHRA in Pro Stock). But do you guys remember how they would sweep the rosin onto the tracks, about 10' out of the hole? The traction was something else! Those HEMI Mopars would rev, as the tree ticked down, and those fat slicks would bite on that rosin dust, with 6" of daylight under the front tires as those "'Cudas, Challengers, Mustang's etc". would launch. That American built V8 race motors, there was not a sight or sound anything like it. I was a young kid at the time, and remember it like yesterday. Those were the days, my friends. Pro Stock race cars, that still ran factory bumpers, including headlights, brake lights, and running lights all still working! Oh yeah, they we're far from being streetable. But here's my point. Maybe some rosin on those serpentine belts, would work?? How about it? :>)

 

Most likely the problem is caused by the fact the older model cars, and trucks have the old V-belt system, this system is known to squeal at old age.
I have an old 1978 Ford Explorer Pickup the belt has been squealing for the longest time I have tried everything including candle wax, and belt dressing, and it is squealing to this day.

 

That is my opinion also Jim. I have had the exact same results as you. Once a serpentine belts starts squealing I believe it is time to change it.
Craig

 

Well lets think some more about this 4.5 year old thread.

Our rides don't come from the factory with noisey belts!!!!

Don't think I've ever read anywhere in Fords scheduled maintenance manuals, repair manuals, repair CD's, or any other vehicle repair publication, that we should spray our drive belts with anything!!!!

They don't come from the factory with a can of Belt Dressing, Silicone, or WD-40, or with instructions to spray the drive belt/s (that depend on Friction, to do their thing) with any anti-friction products, which defeat the belts intended purpose, of being able to apply enough friction to properly drive the intended accessory, Without slipping!!!!

So why in the world would we want to to apply a friction reducing lubricant to a drive belt & pully, then have to clean everything up before installing a new belt, so it won't be contaminated!!!!????

If the belt is noisey, there is an under lying problem & the belt noise is just a symptom.

Belt dressings & lubricant sprays are just a bandaid at best, to hush up the noise & do nothing to fx the root cause of the problem & in most cases only exacerbate the problem in the long run.

The chemicals in these products can cause further belt deterioration & lubricants cause other driven components to slip under load, like the water pump, alternator, P/S & A/C pumps & thus cause all sorts of other serious mischief, just to hush up a danged squeek!!!!

So don't spray anything on your noisey belt, Especially a lubricant!!!!

Seek out the root cause of the belt noise & fix that.

More squeeky belt noise thoughts for pondering!!!!

 

If your belt begins to squeek, spraying anything on it may or may not delay the inevitable. May as well just change the belt and get it over with.

 

That may not be particularly easy because it may not be obvious if it's a bearing noise, belt slipping, or belt sticking.

For what it worth, I recently replaced the idler pulley, tensioner, and serpentine belt (all at once) and there's no more squealing now.

Interestingly, it was OK until a major overheat, but was non-stop squeak afterwards until the above mentioned fix.