• Steel Soldiers now has a few new forums, read more about it at: New Munitions Forums!

  • Microsoft MSN, Live, Hotmail, Outlook email users may not be receiving emails. We are working to resolve this issue. Please add support@steelsoldiers.com to your trusted contacts.

Pulley squeak

Maxjeep1

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
1,338
1,916
113
Location
Las Vegas Nevada
I have a pulley squeak and it works like a tachometer. I have been chasing it for about a week. It was fine when I got it and out of nowhere it starts. It’s driving me crazy and I can’t find it. Can’t post video here for some reason
 

Maxjeep1

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
1,338
1,916
113
Location
Las Vegas Nevada
I go get a automotive stethoscope and I about burst my eardrums put it on. I thought I got this now. I touched every pulley and all were about the same noise level. Still can’t find the squeak. I thought I will take the belt off and spin pulleys and see if I can find it. I couldn’t get the belt off because of the fan and distance to the fan. I thought I will get the tool that’s thin enough to fit between. I was told that you can squirt the belt with water and if squeak goes away it’s the belt. I got my squirt bottle and hit it once or twice and it went away instantly. It’s not a pulley it’s a belt! I found the right belt, I hope it’s 112” and my number is above 196???. I ordered the belt and it will be here Friday. I go back out angy and keep squirting the belt with water for several minutes or until I felt better. I drive it to the store squeaking all the way there and halfway back. The squeaking stops and it hasn’t squeaked for 20 miles so far. I don’t know maybe belt had sand in it like everything else. I will probably put new belt on and save old for a spare. I think my truck is a little possessed.
 

Maxjeep1

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
1,338
1,916
113
Location
Las Vegas Nevada
Edit, sorry I was talking about V belts
It’s like a bunch of V’s but all together. I did check alignment and tensioner looked to be in the middle of travel. I was thinking belt was bad from sitting wrapped around the smallest pulley for 20 years. Probably not a bad idea to replace anyways
 

Mogman

Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
Steel Soldiers Supporter
6,932
9,594
113
Location
Papalote, TX
It’s like a bunch of V’s but all together. I did check alignment and tensioner looked to be in the middle of travel. I was thinking belt was bad from sitting wrapped around the smallest pulley for 20 years. Probably not a bad idea to replace anyways
Called a serpentine and it should be replaced since you have no idea how old it is.
 

jkcondrey

Active member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
317
141
43
Location
Rutherfordton, NC
If you put on a new belt and you still have the sound, could be the tensioner is going out. On my "normal" vehicles, every time I change a belt, I change the tensioner. Overkill maybe, but thats just me.
 

blutow

Well-known member
357
501
63
Location
Austin, TX
Old trick for noisy belts - hold a bar of soap against the drive side of the belt while it’s running for a few seconds. It will usually stop the squealing.
 

Maxjeep1

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
1,338
1,916
113
Location
Las Vegas Nevada
Old trick for noisy belts - hold a bar of soap against the drive side of the belt while it’s running for a few seconds. It will usually stop the squealing.
That pulley/belt and fan system scare me to death while running. I had rather change the belt than get that close to it with soap in hand. I will see if I can find the tensioner for a decent price and change it also while I’m in there.
 

Coonass77

Active member
96
179
33
Location
North Carolina
This might go without saying, but make sure you check for any sort wobble in any of the pulleys while it's running. Even the smallest amount of wobble can lead to belt chirping...
 

Coug

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
2,975
4,356
113
Location
Olympia/WA
My serpentine belt only starts squeaking at me when the belt is out of alignment.
For me though the squeak is at startup during the glow plug pulsing, and then whenever I'm adding load to the engine.
The cause of mine is the generator rear mounting bracket sheared the exhaust stud (twice now) and then several of the front mounting bolts.
My serial number is below the 196900 cut off though. (no extra idler pulley between the generator and power steering pump, and no overrun clutch on the generator)

Also, if you have the red dot compressor mounted that will affect which belt to use as well.
 

Maxjeep1

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
1,338
1,916
113
Location
Las Vegas Nevada
My serpentine belt only starts squeaking at me when the belt is out of alignment.
For me though the squeak is at startup during the glow plug pulsing, and then whenever I'm adding load to the engine.
The cause of mine is the generator rear mounting bracket sheared the exhaust stud (twice now) and then several of the front mounting bolts.
My serial number is below the 196900 cut off though. (no extra idler pulley between the generator and power steering pump, and no overrun clutch on the generator)

Also, if you have the red dot compressor mounted that will affect which belt to use as well.
I eyeballed the pulleys and I will give them a wiggle and roll when I change the belt. I found it the TM and I am above 196,??? I don’t have ac but I have the bracket and a pulley where I believe it goes. Said I needed the 112” belt. I couldn’t find a number on my belt anywhere and now I can’t seem to find the right belt tensioner in the TM. I believe this is the part number for the tensioner I need
12469484 hard to find and Kascar wants 398.00 for it and that’s a no go.
This is the belt I ordered

12469149-3 / 01-488-5606
BELT, SERPENTINE (HMMWV 196901 AND ABOVE) [112 IN
 
Last edited:

Maxjeep1

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
1,338
1,916
113
Location
Las Vegas Nevada
Got the new belt on today. What a pain it was. I had to take the fender liner out and the air cleaner off to get the tool in to release the tensioner. Probably could’ve done it without all that if I had a little help. Squeak is gone and that’s all that matters. Next is gasket on top of the tank but I will wait until it gets down to 1/4 tank.
 

Coug

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
2,975
4,356
113
Location
Olympia/WA
I've never had difficulty with installing the serp belt.
The idler on top on the driver's side that the belt runs underneath, I just push down/lean down with my hands on both sides of it, and that's enough to get it off that idler. After that it's just finding the next pulley it can slip off of, and going until it's loose enough to come off everything.
Never once had to put a wrench or breaker bar or anything on the tensioner itself.
This is for both the old and new style serpentine belts.
 

Maxjeep1

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
1,338
1,916
113
Location
Las Vegas Nevada
I've never had difficulty with installing the serp belt.
The idler on top on the driver's side that the belt runs underneath, I just push down/lean down with my hands on both sides of it, and that's enough to get it off that idler. After that it's just finding the next pulley it can slip off of, and going until it's loose enough to come off everything.
Never once had to put a wrench or breaker bar or anything on the tensioner itself.
This is for both the old and new style serpentine belts.
I’m willing to learn. It was a total shitshow! I have never ever had any problems with a simple belt change but I couldn’t get it off any other way. It’s embarrassing to admit. I did want to remove air cleaner anyways because during the de mil process they moved my coolant tank to where I only had 1 hose clamp making contact and it was rotated to a position that was hard to get at.
 

Action

Well-known member
3,576
1,558
113
Location
East Tennessee
On newer setups where all pulleys have lips on edges, i have found using a long breaker bar on the ratchet in the tensioner....i can stand on driver side, pull the bar towards me, then remove the top bolt of 200 amp alternator. Then push top of alternator towards engine to give enough slack to get over first pulley.
i guess it all depends on if you have a good tensioner or stretched belt to how easy /hard it will be.
 

Maxjeep1

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
1,338
1,916
113
Location
Las Vegas Nevada
Belt is starting to chirp after 75 miles or so. I think my tensioner is the problem and I will replace it and double check all my pulleys and alignment. I can’t find the tensioner. I need the one for 196000 and above. I found the part number in the TM 600637 and also a different number that I believe to be correct. 12469484
I found it in stock at Kascar for 398.00 and that’s probably 3x more than it’s worth. I wish I could get one from auto parts store but I don’t know what to ask for
 

86humv

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
1,700
501
113
Location
Texas
The late one has a lip on wheel...early one seems more heavy duty, but without lip....Both should work fine...I may have one or both.
 

Maxjeep1

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
1,338
1,916
113
Location
Las Vegas Nevada
The late one has a lip on wheel...early one seems more heavy duty, but without lip....Both should work fine...I may have one or both.
I have the one with the lip.
I checked my pulley alignment and everything looks good and belt runs true when I idle it up. Tensioner looks like it has lots of room to go Before it’s wore out. I loosened up the pulleys one at a time to see if I could get the sound to change but it didn’t make a difference. I had it idled up for 5 to 7 minutes and sound is gone for now. I hate parts that don’t fail quickly. Lol
I don’t want to start throwing parts at it but I might take all the idler pulleys off and have new bearings installed if that’s possible. We have a really good rebuilder here in Las Vegas and they are reasonably priced. I will keep an eye on it for now. I think my truck is a little Possessed at times and I might need a small exorcism!
 
Top