72MachOne99GT

I've had a NASTY ugly squeal coming from what sounds like the bottom passenger side of the engine compartment for about a week now.

I went out and played with how tight the alternator was today and it slowed the squeel down for a bit (2-3 miles) but it picked right back up.

If I try to start the car w/o the belt to make sure it is indeed some sort of pulley squeeling, could something go wrong?

I don't plan on letting the car run 5-10 minutes, more like a minute or two to see if the squeeling subsides for a minute while the other pulleys *aside from the crank shaft* are not spinning.

FDNYBullitt

It won't hurt anything, just don't drive it if it has Hydra-boost brakes.

contentsunderpressur

It would be fine to start it without the belt for a min or two. Try this first though. Idler pulleys are what goes out 99% of the time and makes those noises. Take the belt off and spin the idlers as well as the tensioner pulley with your hand. If one is bad you can find it that way.

72MachOne99GT

I was 99% sure that's what it was, one of those; because I had the tensioner pulley go bad last year and it was squeeling like this.

So I bought a new idler pulley, installed, started the car, and it stayed. So I swapped the old pulley back onto the idler, and put the new one on the tensioner thinking maybe it went bad really fast. Sound stayed.

So it's not either one of those.

I'll have to try starting the car w/o the belt for a minute to go ahead and guarantee it is indeed a pulley.

God it's embarrassing to drive it though.

livefast1

do you have the correct belt abelt thats too short can sometimes cause a squeel as it puts 2 much load on the bearings.

72MachOne99GT

It seems to fit correctly. I bought a new one after snapping the old one with the whole timing chain cover breaking incident,

but it fits, and it looks like the one that I had before.

I just don't know...

contentsunderpressur

Sometimes dirt will get in the grooves of the belt and cause it to squeal as well. We always held a small wire brush lightly to the groved side of the belt while the engine was running to clean the dirt and grim out. Just another possiblilty. I hope it's not an alternator bearing or something doing it.

72MachOne99GT

well, i can get a small squeak out of the alternator when I turn it backwards..

but not when I spin it forward.

and it just seems like the sound is lower than that....

livefast1

if you have an automotive stethoscope you could put it on the head of the bolt of each idler with the belt on and squeaking, or on each component with a pulley to try and pinpoint the squeel if you dont have an automotive stethoscope you could try the screwdriver method, put the screw driver on the component and your ear on the other end.

1vryfststang

Do you have underdrives on there?