Serpentine belt squealing- I might have some good advice

[luvit]

imagonna try this. you type'd sumtin i may actually 'njoy, fer once. tanks.

[Frank Lee]

Originally Posted by luvit

imagonna try this. you type'd sumtin i may actually 'njoy, fer once. tanks.

I can't tell you how much that means to me.

[hypermiler01]

Two more solutions to belt squeal.

Even if the tensioner pulley spins well, a worn out hinge in the tensioner itself can cause the tensioner to run crooked, which causes the belt to run off-center and at a slight angle.

Goodyear Gatorback belts are worth the extra money. Caravans are famous for belt squeal. I changed the old belt and all the pulleys and tensioner, and still had squeal. Spent the extra coin for a Gatorback belt and it's totally quiet now.

[Christ]

Originally Posted by hypermiler01

Two more solutions to belt squeal.

Even if the tensioner pulley spins well, a worn out hinge in the tensioner itself can cause the tensioner to run crooked, which causes the belt to run off-center and at a slight angle.

Goodyear Gatorback belts are worth the extra money. Caravans are famous for belt squeal. I changed the old belt and all the pulleys and tensioner, and still had squeal. Spent the extra coin for a Gatorback belt and it's totally quiet now.

Caravan V6 squeal is usually because of mis-alignment of the accessories, which happens over time due to vibrations.

The actual fix is to adjust the alignment of the accessories which are out of alignment by adding shims.

[hypermiler01]

Originally Posted by Christ

Caravan V6 squeal is usually because of mis-alignment of the accessories, which happens over time due to vibrations.

The main problem was misalignment of the tensioner, which was running crooked so the belt was running on the edge of the pulley. Solved with a new tensioner.

Why take everything apart and add shims when spending an extra $10 for the premium belt achieved the same result?

[Christ]

Originally Posted by hypermiler01

The main problem was misalignment of the tensioner, which was running crooked so the belt was running on the edge of the pulley. Solved with a new tensioner.

Why take everything apart and add shims when spending an extra $10 for the premium belt achieved the same result?

Spending an extra $10 doesn't always achieve the same result. You got lucky, while thousands of other Caravan owners got ripped off with no service recall to cover the issues, even after the belts literally will jump right off the accessories, often ending in a stranded vehicle because of loss of power due to very quick battery drain.

[debbott]

Have any of you tried pure silicone spray? It should work as well, if not better than armor-all.
Another thought would be baby oil, there is nothing more pure and it would keep the belt soft and supple. Debbott

[Frank Lee]

My thought is, lube of any sort has no place in a belt that is expected to transfer power.

[JasonG]

Originally Posted by Frank Lee

My thought is, lube of any sort has no place in a belt that is expected to transfer power.

And petroleum byproducts degrade rubber as well.
Roughing the belt works well, I never thought of roughing the pulley, sounds like a plan.

[Frank Lee]

Found more info on serpentine belt noises and cures... if the Gates guys don't know, then nobody knows...

Troubleshooting V-ribbed Belt Noise - Gates Belts

Tensioners too:

http://www.gates.com/brochure.cfm?br...ocation_id=544

P.S. The belts I wrote about are still quiet.