I've got a weird one that just started up. First off I've got a brand new fan belt. I've check all pulleys and bearings. No loose bearing and all pulleys spin freely and grooves are clean. The noise is coming from only the A/C pulley. Turning on the A/C has no impact in the noise level. Now in all my messing around, I managed to get the belt to ride on top of the high points of the grooves for the A/C pulley and the noise was gone. So I took the time released the belt and made sure it was back down in the grooves again. Now the squeak returns. I've tried some of my older belts I kept for spares with no change. I've power washed all the pulleys with degreaser and solvent. No change. I've inspected the grooves for debris and clean all the pulleys. At least now with all the cleaning it reduced the volume of it a bit. Any ideas? 

I fixed my issue with a gates belt and new tensioner, only to have it come back with in the month except rather than squealing all the time it only does it after it's raining, I use the a/c for over an hour or it's been sitting awhile...  so yesterday morning during the storm and fired it up only to watch the tensioner arm bouncing up and down with a minor shimmy side to side from the pully.  I take the tensioner off and back to the store and a close friend was working and he instructed me not to waste my time with that tensioner you need to get an oem one from Cummins...  I trust him only because he has 3 Cummins trucks two 2nd gen and a 3rd gen, and one of the 2nd gens is a 12 valve race truck. 

Have you guys seen or heard this with the aftermarket tensioner?  

Here is the new tensioner I plan to run since the one I'm holding in my hand was made in china....

https://www.klmperformance.com/93-02-dodge-cummins-5333499-belt-tensioner-assembly.html

Edited May 29, 20177 yr by WiscoRedkneck

I imagine it's possible being the chain store tensioners could have plastic bushings and other soft metals that may fail rapidly. As for the tensioner I got from NAPA it pretty beefy design and I've checked it for movement. Now as for the tensioner movement look towards a deformed belt. Like my belt has a small spot where the arm wiggles as it passes by every revolution.

Flipped the belt around and seemed to quiet it down. I do notice though my new AC compressor makes some sqqeaking noise when it cuts in.  May have to return that

Mine squeak at shut down also, it used to do it all the time and I got a gates from car quest and been good for 4 years now. Only on shut down makes noise. 

My case it was only if the engine was running it would make noise. Now it does squeak a bit at first start up but once the belt warms up its dead quiet the rest of the day. Doesn't even squeak when shutting down. 

I just had the same problem.  My belt was squeaking and found the tensioner going out so I replaced it.  That made the belt sound even worse.  The belt (gates) is about 5 years old and looks fine but I put my old cracked one I keep for emergencies on and its perfectly quiet.

If I'm not mistaken, isn't there a belt called a 'Gator'? Possibly made by Gates, don't know for sure...  anyhow it was another long discussion on this problem and all the guys  were saying the Gator is the solution.

Goodyear Gatorback.

1 hour ago, jlbayes said:

Goodyear Gatorback.

That's it. I put in one on my 02 and its never been a problem. The talk was it stopped the shut down chirp as well.

 

 Thanks Jack Stand President

Edited August 2, 20177 yr by JAG1

Sigh.......

 

You're welcome lol

Thanks for the info.  I'll see if I can find one locally

Cummins oem brand tensioner and a gates belt is running quiet and eliminated the shut down squeak.   I was so used to the shut down squeak it took a friend who owns a Cummins that heard it shut down to tell me it didn't squeak and he wanted to know how I did it.... He runs the gator back as well and swears by it he says it's the only and last belt you should have to put on.

his 93 GMC still has the same gator back 20 some years later granted he's only put about 150k on that belt but that is more than expected for a belts lifespan

On 6/4/2017 at 0:25 PM, Mopar1973Man said:

My case it was only if the engine was running it would make noise. Now it does squeak a bit at first start up but once the belt warms up its dead quiet the rest of the day. Doesn't even squeak when shutting down. 

Mine does the same now after I clean the oil breather & pressure washed under the hood. Go figure

 

L8tr

D

The gator back is now continental. It seems like it will be good and quite.

About $25 from Amazon 

On 8/3/2017 at 6:43 PM, SilverMoose said:

Mine does the same now after I clean the oil breather & pressure washed under the hood. Go figure

 

L8tr

D

 

I still get that now and then... Now since I flipped that belt over 180* now its stay pretty quiet. 

It's becoming intermittent for me now too.  Sometimes a little noise on start up and sometimes on shut down. I think I will deal with it until it really pisses me off.  Could be a day could be a year.

 

L8tr

D