Goodyear Gator Back belt squeal

[hillbilly51]

I recently replaced the serpentine belt on my 88 Comanche Chief 4.0L.

I got a really good deal on a Goodyear Gator Back belt, and my old one was looking bad.

Since then, I have had a problem with the belt squealing at all engine speeds.

I have tightened it to what I consider excessive tightness and it still sings like a bird.

 

I determined that the noise is coming from the water pump pulley which is driven by the back of the belt in this application.

 

I replaced my engine thermostat yesterday (from 180 to 195 degrees F) and loosened the belt to have easy access to the bottom thermostat cover bolt.

Since I've re-tightened the belt it's even louder than before.

 

I loosened the belt so that I could spin all of the pulleys by hand and everything feels smooth.

All of the bearings feel snug and rotate freely without any noise.

The water pump turns freely by hand and there is no noise or movement in the shaft.

The alternator is charging fine and the power steering is smooth.

So is the A/C clutch bearing and the belt idler bearing.

 

With the engine running, I sprayed some belt dressing on the belt and it immediately quieted down only to start squealing again in a minute or so.

 

Has anyone else had a problem with this particular belt?

Am I missing a potential bearing failure on the water pump or other component?

 

This truck only has 133K miles and as far as I know, it's the original water pump and idler.

I'm gonna order a new pump and idler so that I'm ready if it does fail.

 

Any response is appreciated.

[cbreiter]

I've used them on my '95 Ford Taurus and never had an issue. One thing to remember is that once a belt slips for a while it tends to get a glaze to it which makes it slip easier. I personally prefer the prestone belts. They seem to be good quality.

[gogmorgo]

I've had good luck with my Gatorback on my '91. It squealed a bit at one point, but the issue was my harmonic balancer was coming apart, and pushed the belt against the timing cover. It cut itself a nice groove in the cover, but the belt was still good.

[buckwheat]

My 87 had the same issue you are describing. I eventually replaced the harmonic balancer (after replacing all the other pulleys) and that fixed it. So I would at least give your HB a visual inspection and look for separation.

[1987Comanche]

I'm having the same issue with Georgia ('92) again right now.  I fought through it about 15K miles ago when I first got her on the road.  I ended up replacing everything that rotates with the serpentine belt and tried 3 different brands of belt:  Dayco, Gates, and the Gatorback.  The Dayco started squealing after a few days, the Gates lasted about 2 weeks, and the Gatorback solved the problem for 14K miles or so.  I actually just ordered another one as she started squealing again this week.  I'm hoping that it will do the trick again this time too.

 

  While it didn't work on the MJ I did solve another chirping/squealing serpentine belt by breaking the glaze on the water pump pulley with 400 grit sandpaper.  It's quick & cheap so it might be worth a try.

[hillbilly51]

 

 

  While it didn't work on the MJ I did solve another chirping/squealing serpentine belt by breaking the glaze on the water pump pulley with 400 grit sandpaper.  It's quick & cheap so it might be worth a try.

 

That's a good idea, I'll give it a try.

I'm also gonna inspect the Harmonic Balancer.

The only problem is that I have to remove the steel belly pan on my 88 Comanche Chief to see it.

[gogmorgo]

Just look down from the top. You should be able to see if the belt's rubbing on anything or if the HB is wobbling from there.

[MJam86]

Next time you pull the belt off, spray it with degreaser and clean it with a rag. I replaced everything on mine including a new belt. It didn't squeak for a couple weeks and then started again. Someone told me to use bulb grease on belt, that worked for 2 days. I pulled belt off, cleaned it with degreaser, and then did same with each pulley