V-Belt Issues

[RadarGrrl]

I've had my '98 Chamonix 2.8L Diesel for just over a year now, and I'm not happy with my v-belts, which squeal like a stuck pig whenever the weather gets cold and damp.

Since I've had the beast, I've had to have the belts retensioned twice already, and, now that the cooler weather has returned, sure enough, they're squealing again. Is all this an indicator that the belts should be replaced?

Supposedly the belts were replaced during the refurbishing given to my Deli before I bought it at CCA, so I'm hoping not. But I do think belts should go longer than a few months before a retension, and definitely over a year between replacement.

Related questions...how difficult is it to retension the belts myself, and how long should a typical set of v-belts last?

This is the only negative thing I've had to say about my Deli in the year and a half I've been driving it.

[patriceboivin]

I have the same issue, I noticed the same thing, cold and damp means more squealing, I am guessing due to condensation.

Slipping polishes the sides of the alternator belt and makes it slip more often.

I used to have Mitsuboshi belts but am ordering different ones from Japan to see if that makes a difference.

If anyone has recommendations I would be happy to hear them.

[Big-Bird]

I have seen this as well but its not the belts that were the problem, at least not directly.....unless your belts are the wrong v-groove width. The flat of the belt should sit flush with the top of the pulley edge. too high and the v-groove may not sit deep enough to engage properly, too low and the belt is just too thin and doesn't have enough contact with the pulley wall to grip properly.


Dust, road grime, oily residues from leaking bearings or that pesky front seal can embed in the belt surface that grabs the pulley v-groove so the belt slips a bit under load. The next time you wash your delica take an extra minute: Start your Delica and pressure wash the belts and pulleys with hot soapy water to get the debris washed out. Try not to spray directly into the alternator or wiring harnesses as the high pressure water could cause a short in the electrical system. Make sure you rinse with water only....not with wax or a rinse agent in the stream.

Yes it will squeak a little after this cleaning but usually only for a minute. Most important step is to check and adjust the belt tension after things are dry. I wash my engine bay with every wash and check/adjust my belts once a year as needed. No sqeaks on my Delica...or any other vehicle I have owned when I used this regime.

If your belts have a glossy or polished look fear not as this can be scuffed out with a scotch brite pad and the belt layed on a flat surface....don't try this with the belts installed and don't use sand paper as the grit will just embed in the rubber belt.

Reinstall and set the tension accordingly...When the tension is right and the belts are clean the belts can't slip even when wet.

Cheers!

[patriceboivin]

Both my alternator and fan belts snapped yesterday, probably I had tightened them too much to stop them from squealing.

When replacing them I noticed that the pulleys don't all line up quite right; maybe it's not a concern but ideally shouldn't all the pulleys be exactly in line with each other? Not being in line would add stress on the belts.

[Firesong]

I had a squeak from my alt belt and it resisted a tightening. (Cont to squeak). Replaced the belt and it's good. Anyone tried belt goop. Not sure of exact name but you spray it onto the belts and mm ales them tacky. Used to use it on a variety of things.

[RadarGrrl]

I sprayed a bunch of belt goop on mine. We'll see what it does on this nice cold wet morning. Meanwhile, the good folks at CCA are going to have a closer look next servicing, if not before.

[Feds]

Make sure it's not your crank pulley. Especially you Patrice.