Novak Conversions Jeep Wrangler TJ engine mounts

Can’t narrow down squeaking sound

MountaineerTom

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For the life of me I can’t quite narrow down this squeaking sound. I little while back, I thought it was the belt and/or tensioner. Replaced belt with a spare used one I carry and a new tensioner. Also ordered a new Goodyear belt.

Checked water pump, A/C compressor, power steering pump, alternator and idler pulleys for play, no play noticed and spun smoothly with no odd or grinding noises. Power steering pulley did have some noise if you rotated it back and forth quickly in a rotational direction, but didn’t continue if you just spin it in one direction. Also checked all these with a mechanics stethoscope where I safely could while the engine was running and didn’t hear anything unusual.

Ran the engine with no belt at all and no squeaks or any other noises. .

New Goodyear belt came in so I put it on and no squeak for a few days. Then it started up again.

I ran it with the a/c on to see if the compressor kicking on and off made a difference and it seems like it’s slightly different but I don’t know if that means anything or not. Also replaced the idler pulley with a new spare, still squeaking.

Any ideas where to go next without just throwing parts at it?




Power steering pulley from earlier this month.
 
Also, no noise noted from the OPDA area with the bare ear or mechanics stethoscope.
 
Fan clutch, or fan rubbing on the shroud?

No. The closest it comes to the shroud is about a fingers width.

With no belt on at all, it’s as quiet as can be.
 
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Check the crank pulley to see if it's wobbling and rubbing the timing cover. When the rubber gets old, it can start to come apart.

Also, when did GY belts come back? Last I heard they sold out to Continental.
 
Check the crank pulley to see if it's wobbling and rubbing the timing cover. When the rubber gets old, it can start to come apart.

Also, when did GY belts come back? Last I heard they sold out to Continental.

Thanks. I’ll check that out closer. I didn’t notice any before.

I don’t know. I didn’t even know they sold out to Continental. This is the one I got.

https://a.co/d/bLDR03D
 
Start it up. Squirt a couple shots of water on the belt. Don't slobber it, neatly get the belt wet. If squeak goes away, your belt is the culprit.

This works. Works on belts, pulleys and most anything that touches something.

My uncle is a thorough man. At 120k miles he replaced the radiator with a brass one, water pump, fan clutch, idler, tensioner and belt on his 01 Sahara. He said he was amazed at how quiet it ran.
 
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Belt dressing can work too. In my younger days I would just use a bar of soap and carefully hold it up against the belt while the engine was running :oops: Cars in those days had a lot more open space under the hood, probably wouldn't try it today.
 
Start it up. Squirt a couple shots of water on the belt. Don't slobber it, neatly get the belt wet. If squeak goes away, your belt is the culprit.

I tried that with the original and spare belt at the beginning of the month. It did stop it temporarily. Ordered a new belt and put it on 7 December, about 150 miles later the new one started squeaking. Also at the beginning of the month, I put the original Gates (2 year old) belt back on and tried some belt dressing. 10x louder! 😄 Pulled that belt off, and cleaned all the pulleys the best I could.

Crank pulley didn’t appear to be wobbling any with and without the belt installed while running. I could see a big gap between the back of the pulley and timing cover when looking from the bottom. There was some small cracks in the rubber but no missing chunks. About what I would expect for an 18 year old vehicle.

Today I noticed this on the power steering pulley while checking each pulley closely. It had a little bit of an edge on it so I smoothed it off with some needle files. Cleaned all the pulleys again while I had access. Started up and no squeak. We’ll see if it it comes back.

IMG_0747.jpeg
IMG_0747.jpeg
 
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Entire cooling system is relatively new. Heater core replaced 6-1/2 years ago. Everything else 5 years ago. Thorough flush done 5 years ago, block drained. Distilled water and Zerex G-05 used.
 
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Entire cooling system is relatively new. Heater core replaced 6-1/2 years ago. Everything else 5 years ago. Thorough flush done 5 years ago, block drained. Distilled water and Zerex G-05 used.

Order a oil needle. Oil any pulley bearings one at a time.

I went back and listened to your clips and it certainly sounds like a belt, but does sound a bit sharp pitched for a belt. Also sounds like bad bearing.

Can you use a white paint pen to put a mak on each of the pulleys and use a timing light to possibly identify if it happens in the same spot on the rotation? Just a wild guess. I would be focusing on a bearing.

Did you run it with the belt off? Did it squeak?
 
Order a oil needle. Oil any pulley bearings one at a time.

I went back and listened to your clips and it certainly sounds like a belt, but does sound a bit sharp pitched for a belt. Also sounds like bad bearing.

Can you use a white paint pen to put a mak on each of the pulleys and use a timing light to possibly identify if it happens in the same spot on the rotation? Just a wild guess. I would be focusing on a bearing.

Did you run it with the belt off? Did it squeak?

Or just spray a little wd40 on one part at a time, until you isolate the squeak.
 
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Order a oil needle. Oil any pulley bearings one at a time.

I went back and listened to your clips and it certainly sounds like a belt, but does sound a bit sharp pitched for a belt. Also sounds like bad bearing.

Can you use a white paint pen to put a mak on each of the pulleys and use a timing light to possibly identify if it happens in the same spot on the rotation? Just a wild guess. I would be focusing on a bearing.

Did you run it with the belt off? Did it squeak?

I did run it with the belt off; today and 2 or 3 weeks ago. Quiet as can be both times.

I don't feel any movement or hear odd noises when checking pulleys with the belt off, but will look into this if it starts squeaking again. Thank you.
 
Just for future reference, does anyone have a suggestion for a pulley puller that is known to for sure work on the TJ power steering pulley?

I have an old one that I bought decades ago at Advance Auto Parts but it doesn't seem to want to fit on the lip on the nose of the pulley very well. Just thinking ahead since the power steering pulley had that chip in one of the ridges and I change it out. Read lots of things on the internet about some other tools not fitting either, but haven't come across anything that someone says DOES fit.
 
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Just for future reference, does anyone have a suggestion for a pulley puller that is known to for sure work on the TJ power steering pulley?

I have an old one that I bought decades ago at Advance Auto Parts but it doesn't seem to want to fit on the lip on the nose of the pulley very well. Just thinking ahead since the power steering pulley had that chip in one of the ridges and I change it out. Read lots of things on the internet about some other tools not fitting either, but haven't come across anything that someone says DOES fit.

O Riley loaner worked when I did mine. Also, you’re close enough if you cover the shipping welcome to borrow my spare Mopar gently used power steering pump for testing.
 
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O Riley loaner worked when I did mine. Also, you’re close enough if you cover the shipping welcome to borrow my spare Mopar gently used power steering pump for testing.

Thank you and thanks for the offer. I'll keep that in mind.
 
Just for future reference, does anyone have a suggestion for a pulley puller that is known to for sure work on the TJ power steering pulley?

I have an old one that I bought decades ago at Advance Auto Parts but it doesn't seem to want to fit on the lip on the nose of the pulley very well. Just thinking ahead since the power steering pulley had that chip in one of the ridges and I change it out. Read lots of things on the internet about some other tools not fitting either, but haven't come across anything that someone says DOES fit.

If you are able to isolate the squeal to the PS pump, buy one with the pulley already on. It is cheap enough to not hassle with the swap process.

I truly doubt you will ever be able to recreate the sound by rotating pulleys by hand. There is a tremendous amount of pressure on those pulleys with the belt on.

Lube up all of the bearings and see what happens.
 
Novak Conversions Jeep Wrangler TJ engine mounts