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Old 06-15-2009, 12:47 PM   #2 (permalink)
DifferentPointofView
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Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: The Dale, IL (or A-Dale)
Posts: 1,120

The Jeep! - '95 Jeep Grand Cherokee ZJ Laredo
90 day: 23.75 mpg (US)

The Caliber - '07 Dodge Caliber R/T
90 day: 30.6 mpg (US)

The 'Scort - '98 Ford Escort LX
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Did you set belt tension? or does it have an automatic tensioner?

I've put my belt on my Jeep, and getting it over the pully is hard by hand, but once it's over, you've got to remember that the lip is not what the belt is tensioned on now. You will loose tension, and the belt will be loose. You have to tighten the belt tension down to specs in order to get it to not squeal.

Also remember that a new belt will "break-in" and become looser after about 400-500 miles of driving, and will have to be re tightened back to specs.

My brother has a 98' escort. It's not a DOHC like yours is, but the engine is basically the same. I got the car for free because it was dead and brought the engine back to life, with a new timing belt, resetting timing, serpentine belt, unsticking lifters, and many other things. It has an automatic belt tensioner. The problem is even automatic tensioners can get out of adjustment. I'd check and see if it's your tensioner first. Its tensioned by a spring, and springs wear out, so you might want to check that out. Also, when I replaced the serp belt, rust was on the parts of the pully's that were exposed when the car sat for a year and a half, and the belt squeeled first couple times until rust was gone.

Also, you could have a bearing going out in a pully.

I've taken the belt off of his escort many times (you have to take off the main crank pully to get the timing belt off). You shouldn't have had to crank the engine to get the belt on, you just take a 3/8ths socket or breaker bar and put it in the tensioner socket hole, and pull towards the front of the car, and it loosens tension. Then you put the belt on the tesioner and let off of the belt tensioner. I've got a whole repair manual with pictures for your engine, so if you need any help, Feel free to ask
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