Belt tension is set with a spring-loaded tensioner pulley as shown below. Sometimes those become corroded on the pivot bolt, then they stick and fail to pull the belt tight enough. To check for that, tug on the belt, (engine not running), as much as possible to cause that pulley to move against its spring tension, then slowly release the belt and watch if the pulley moves back freely to tighten the belt. If it sticks or if it can't be moved, the pivot is rusted tight and the tensioner must be replaced.
If the belt tension seems to be okay, one of the pulleys could be turned or tipped. That will cause the belt to slide across it as it goes around it. The common suspects are tensioner and idler pulleys that have a bearing in their centers that could be worn. This is less likely to be caused by a power steering pump or alternator pulley.
There's a couple of ways to identify a tipped pulley. The hardest way is to sight down from on top so all the pulleys are lined up, then look for one where the side of the belt is moved out a little and is peeking out to the side. It only has to be running off-center less than 1/16" to set up a squeal.
Also look for shiny areas on a pulley where paint has been worn off over time from the belt running on it, but now the belt is off-center to that shiny area. When you see that shiny area showing beside the belt, that pulley or the one just before it is turned or tipped.
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Friday, October 18th, 2019 AT 5:36 PM
