Ok maybe I got a little defensive because I have tried to fix the belt squeeling problem with mine and have not had any luck. I am not doing anything re-gaurding mine until something goes bad, period. I just commented about it because the original poster was having the same problem I have had, and as I have noticed many other people on this board have had. My truck has 70k miles on it. As I have stated before, my tensioner is not bad, none of the bearings on my pullys are bad, there are no ruff surfaces or steel burs protruding from any of my pulleys. My engine does not have any leaks from anywhere, there is no fluids leaking onto my belt. The pulleys are all in alignment with each other. I have replaced my water pump, it did start leaking from the weep hole on the bottom, at the time I thought that would take care of the belt squeel, wrong! Like I said, I am not doing anything other than applying belt dressing every few months when it starts to make any noise, I am not going to just start replacing parts that are not bad in an effort to chase down a squeel. The belt on the truck now is maybe 8 or 9 months old and I have had to apply belt dressing on it three times now, the squeel goes away, problem solved - but I still contened that so many people have a similar problem on their 3.0's on this board that something in that belt/tensioner/pully design is a big, fat, chessy!!!!! If it was not, than we would not all have the similar problem -

 

Ear Plugs ( Ed )
Thanks for the quick responses and ideas.

I purchased some Gunk " Stop Slip Belt Dressing ", sprayed the belt yesterday morning and went for a drive, approx. 150 miles, the chirping and squealing was present the whole drive, parked the truck for a couple of hours, started it up and all the noise was gone, same thing this morning when I drove to my local Ford dealer to pick up a new idler pulley, not a peep. I did notice that the pulley is now a nylon type material, c/w raised edge belt guides, my original is steel, but I am not going to install it, just enjoy the quiet, until the noise returns, which I gather from the responses, seems to be inevitable.

P.S. In response to paw paw, thanks for the welcome !!, the complete tensioner assy was replaed ,its a 3.0L, 112,000 kms, no fluids visible around the belts.
Pulleys, etc seem to run true and smooth.

 

I have a 99 xlt 3.0 2wd regular cab 5 speed and I get belt squeeks ONLY when it rains or is wet out!! After it dries out it doesn't squeak at all! What is with that?

 

Slur79 - you and I have the same truck and same dang problem. Mine is fine until it's very humid or raining, then I get the belt squeek. Mine goes away when it dries out also, it's like it will squeel when water splashes up on it, like when driving through pooled up water...the belt dressing has worked for mine though, it seemed like before once I got it wet a few times the squeek would not go away. Now I just use the belt dressing every few months and all I get is a chirp here and there when it gets wet. Weird man I know..?????

 

I'll have to give that a try, it is real annoying though.....I hate when it rains!

 

I have had 3 98 Ford F150's and they all have the
same problems. My newest F150 is a 98 Lariat 4X4
that every time it rains the belt chirps( I think its belt)
Already replaced altenator, serpantine, and tension pully,
what else could it be? Driving me nuts! Some "mechanic"
at the gas station where I was filling up told me "I"m a mechanic and I think thats your Timing Belt" Please tell me he's just an idiot. >

 

Wow!! This is a old thread....well..my 98' Ranger 2wd 3.0 does the same thing only when its rains or damp out...it does go away though....

 

Same here, worse when it's wet. Gatorback helps, but eventually I'm going to have to replace that tensioner.

 

When I bought my 2000 Ranger 3.0 4 years ago the belt squealed. I replaced it, tried dressing, nothing worked. I took the tensioner pulley off and machined a crown on it, it pulled the belt back into alignment and the squealing went away. It's been good for the last 4 years. I might get a little chirp when it really rains out, but it clears up after a couple minutes.

 

I have a 2000 with 160,000 miles. I bought it new and it chirps when I first start it in the morning after a rain. Has done it since new. Apparently it's what a Ranger does LOL
I've changed the belt twice and the new belts do the same.