squeal on start-up

[grumpyvette]

I get a constant churp/squeal only on cold startup, its very loud and disappears after warmup. I poured some water over the belt while its running and the sound instantly disappears (for a while)

Is it safe for me to just go ahead and replace the belt? Is there anything else I should check/bear in mind while doing it? The belt doesn't look particularly warn but its prob the factory belt and I didn't have a thorough look

Cheers

YOUR ACCESSORY DRIVE FAN BELT MAY BE WORN OR LOOSE or THE ALTERNATOR , EMISSIONS AIR PUMP< POWER STEERING PUMP,BELT TENSION,IDLER PULLEY,,OR WATER PUMP BEARINGS COULD BE WELL WORN, the source should be located with a bit of testing, ( be sure its not a vacuum leak your hearing btw,) as that can at times sound similar, I had a very similar situation, with my 1996 corvette having a high pitch squeak on cold starts, it was obviously from the area in the engine front, and because I had wanted a 200 amp alternator anyway to boost the ignition and cooling fans , I replaced the factory alternator, the result was that both the ignition and cooling fans worked noticeably better but the squeak on start up did not go away as expected, so checking further lead me to replace the water pump which cured that issue. Id suggest removing the belt and spinning each individual accessory wheel by hand, feel for bad bearings, the belt tension may have caused un-even wear. idler pulleys and alternators are always suspect, and power steering pumps and emission air pumps are not far behind in failing

approaching the problem logically with an isolate and test mentality would be the fastest way to cure the issue.
Id suggest he pull the belt and spin the accessories by hand to feel for bad bearings and listen for roughness, binding or squeaks, etc. in the search for the cause of that squealing on start-up,once youve eliminated the obvious accessory bearings, and replaced any accessory or idler you found defective or worn, Id certainly check for power steering pump leaks , loose or mis-aligned pulleys, and check the air conditioning compressor and alternator along with the water pump and idler pulley bearing,a worn serpentine belt is easily checked with a good spray down with belt traction spray,
and / or replacing the belt ( especially if it shows any sign of wear or cracks)and check for loose vacuum hoses or belt mis-alignment while your at the check and isolate process

http://www.supercheapauto.com.au/Product/CRC-Belt-Grip-400g/1444

http://www.dbelectrical.com/p-9527-alte ... 7AodKlUASg

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/tff-8173nep/applications/year/1996

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