ok here is my long process in a nut shell for my 99 ss camaro.

i was having serious power steering problems so i ended up replacing every single hose, clamp, pump, and everything else that was part of the power steering. that fixed the steering for the time being but there is still a really loud squeak coming from the belt.

i bought a gatorback belt and it still squeaks.

i replaced the tensioners on both belts and it still squeaks.

the power steering fluid leaked all over my alternator and caused it to burn up so i replaced that as well.. still squeaks.

i am pretty sure there are two separate squeaks going on because when i run the car with just the ac belt, it squeaks and then with just the accessory belt, it squeaks.

when i poor water on the belt it stop squeaking for a couple seconds and then starts up again. usually that means it's the belt right? but i have bought multiple belts and tried them and nothing changes the squeak.

and this isn't some pansy squeak. it is LOUD and super annoying/embarrassing.

i have read all over multiple forums and haven't been able to find an answer. what else could it be??

any help would be greatly appreciated. thank you in advance. =]

 

Get a wrench on your idler tensioner, pivot it up and down, and listen for it to squeak. Sometimes the tensioner develops a squeak between where the two pieces pivot. When the engine runs, the tensioner does bounce up and down slightly, so that's a possibility.

 

what is the common part with the two belts. if its only the crank pully then i would suspect it. the point of failure should be really shinny so check the crank pully to see if it is. then pull both belts and look over all the pullies to see if any are polished. also once oil is on rubber its really hard to get off, it soaks in. did the noise quit for a short time with the new belts before getting lubed up with steering fluid?

 

after putting on new belts, it did stop for just a short while.



here are two pictures of what is "polished"

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n...2/IMG_6998.jpg

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n...2/IMG_7000.jpg

could one of these be the problem? do you just replace the parts to fix it?




THANK YOU so much for your help.

 

Run the engine momentarily without any belts and give a listen. Then, wash the pulleys (all of them by now) and both sides of the belts with brake cleaner. Water isn't going to remove any embedded oil/fluid, if that's the cause.

 

while running my car with no belts there isn't a squeak.. just the sound of my beautiful engine that i have been missing so much.

i got a different brad new ac tensioner and so far no squeak with that belt. (yay) so now it is just my main belt.

could this being so polished be the problem? or is this normal?
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n...2/IMG_7000.jpg

and i will give it all another wash down with break cleaner just in case.

thank you so much everyone for you help.

 

Looking at the pic, I see what appears to be a rust/hash mark at 12:00, in addition to rust pitting all around. It certainly wouldn't hurt to sand down the pulley till it's smooth. 150~200 grit would do fine, and sand around the pulley, not across.

 

^^^ aggree. to find noises i have used empty paper towel centers and put it to my ear and moved it around to hear were its loudest. worked to find my exhaust gasket leak on the rear header pipe. neither of the pulleys look overly polished. the one does appear to have a shinny spot but i cant tell if its just the angle making it look that way. is the noise constant now or a squeak squeak.

 

A thought on the pulley rust....has this car been sitting for a while, or maybe it was a self-inflicted rust wound? That mark on top looks like it would have been from trapped moisture between the pulley and belt. The rest of the pulley doesn't look like one that's driven regularly. I said self-inflicted because you doused the belt with water looking for squeaker. If you didn't do so, you should have run the engine hot until the belts and pulleys dried off.

 

it is a constant high pitched squeal. i just scrubbed every pulley down with break cleaner and it didn't help in the slightest. there was a lot of build up by the alternator but i don't know if that was just from all my power steering leakage from before. i cleaned it really really well though. but when i take the belt off and spin the pulley on the alternator it has a light squeak. but it is a brand new alternator though that i replaced like 3 months ago.

and i tried the paper towel thing but it is all really loud. i think it is coming from the alternator/power steering side though.

i brought it to napa to pick up some break cleaner cause i was out and the guy wanted to come and take a look at it but he couldn't figure it out either.


blahh.