Squealing alternators

[JcT]

OK folks, my ride is a 98 tracker, rag top, with a 1.6l 16v.,

When first started the alternator belt squeals badly, not a chirp or a warble, but a continues, finger nails on the blackboard, high pitched, blood curdling, squeal.

While the squealing is taking place the voltage gauge (added after market) reads 11-12V.

These next steps happen simultaneously, the gauge jumps to 14V and the squealing stops or vice versa.

The belt has been changed 3 times with a new belt each time and I’ve tried the tighten/loosen deal numerous times, all to no avail.

I’m thinking maybe the alternator bearings are binding a little on start-up causing the belts to slip/squeal. Once it runs for a while the bearings free up, spin freer, squeal stops, and the output goes up to normal.

Can anyone confirm this speculative synopsis? I’m probably going to tear the alt. off this weekend to see what I can see, but it would be good to have some positive direction prior to.

Thanks
J

[lord_galathon]

I think there's another pulley on that belt, check that as well.

[tracka96]

Seems to me that it would have to bind up pretty tight to slip the belt like that. I'd probably try removing the belt before the car has been run that day, and see how free the alternator feels by hand. Then put the belt on and drive it till it's good, remove the belt and see if the alt feels the same or not. I had a dodge van that always had belt squeal like that, even with a new belt, till I put on another new one that was the most expensive belt I could find. Never a squeal after that, Tracka

[JcT]

Tnx for the replies,
LG, do you think it could be the fan pulley??

96, I've spun it by hand and can't really feel a difference, the 2nd belt I put on was a $30 piece, doesn’t seem, to matter if its cheap or not same symptoms.
I'm kind of grasping at straws

J

[Shconer]

It could be the water pump. When my water pump was on it's way out it made a very high piched sqeuling noise until it warmed up as the impeller cut its way into the block. If the hole on the water pump housing on top of were the shaft sits has water coming out of it it's screwed. If it is the water pump you'll want to replace it right away or the shaft can break and the fan will grind into the rad and it will over heat before youll know what has happened.

[tracka96]

Have you tried any of the spray on belt treatments to see what happens? My Tracker was doing a squeal when it first started up, just a quick one, and after I shot the belt with the stuff, the noise quit. That's been over a month ago now. Tracka

[jtgh]

remove all accessory belts and feel the bearings.
eg: spin everything and listen. ( spin the pulley's)
if tight they are bad
if noisy they are bad.
if siezed they are bad. they must be smooth and silent and not have play.

buy a mech. stethoscope (HF are cheap) and listen to all bearing bosses while running.
good = quiet purr
bad = buzz, rattle,grind, sing, screem.

oldest tool in the world.
some use a long screwdriver to ear.
plastic to ear, metal tip to bearing boss.

Your Alternator or water pump is bad.
one or the other.
if your water pump is over 60k old (miles not KM) then it needs to be swapped out anyway.
the alternator is good for 100k.

many smart people swap them before they fail.
they have a very perdictable life pattern.
In the aircraft business this is a religion !

your problems is very strange.

new alternator and it squeals ,still.

are you sure it' not your girl friend in the front seat squealing at the trill of a powerfull 100 hp engine and the mainiac at the wheel?
all seriousness aside ,
lets see, one of those objects (driven) is squealing.

I do not know what you have or how many belts you have.
PS, A/C?
on most cars , we'd first remove all belts not needed, PS and AC.
then test. Then the feel test, then the replace test.
starting the cheapest parts. WP then Alt.

Consider that bearings can go bad and stick when cold then when warmed up they can unfreeze. What ever it is , it will die soon and die Hard.

BTW: the water pump.
take off the pully , now look for holes near the bearings.
look for any green crystals in the holes (top and bottom)
if green , it is bad !

maybe (rare) there is a chuck of crud foating around in your water jacket. Like an old piece of head gasket ,etc. Jamming the impeller.

[Shconer]

My last water pump went at 280000 KM.

[zmansmustang]

check to make sure all of your pulleys are aligned. if one came out of alignment youll get a squeel and more. if your alt is bad all of your lights will dim and your car will act like it wants to die b/c its basically running off the battery. like said before above prob water pump. nothing has a guarantee on how long it lasts. some may go out at 60k miles and others at 200k.

[JcT]

OK, bit the bullet and replaced the alternator with a nice new one, checked the water-pump, spins fine no noise, or binding, checked the battery, seemed a little low so I top it off with distilled water and charged it up, and when I start the thing- same squeal as before with the same symptoms i.e. voltage reads 11-12 then comes up to 14 once at 14 no more noise, but it seems to take longer then before. Any ideas at all?????
J