Need a little help with the beater.

Hey so the 95 gallant with 137k miles started to have a very loud almoust shrieking sound at start-up and when the car is pretty cold... sounds like the belt is grinding (slipping) against (on) a pulley or something along those lines. The sound goes away when the car is at above 2000rpms or so but from 750 to 2000rpms it gets pretty darn loud. Checked the belts they seem ok, no additional wear anywhere to be found. Popped the hood to try and located the sound.. seems to be coming from the crank pulley or around that area. Any idea on what could be on its way out?

RE: Need a little help with the beater.

Pull the belt off and check for play on all the pullies. You might try replacing the belt too.

RE: Need a little help with the beater.

Will do. That was my next step. I just hope its not that damn timing belt... $250 worth of it ::wtf::

RE: Need a little help with the beater.

Max...typical. Honda's do the same thing... din-din-din.SHREEEEIIIIKKKK!!!

(thats the sound of cranking, then shreiking belt)

your pulley's most likely have a glaze on them, and now with the cooler weather, the pitting traps moisture. The belt then slips on the pulley. it just sounds different than a typical belt squeel.

if you have the gonads, get a piece of emery-cloth, and a pair of vice-grips to hold the emerycloth. Then, as the pulleys turn, lightly drag the emery cloth on the pulley to sand the surface clean.

If you are in doubt, simply spray some wd-40 on the plley as the engine is running. if the shrill sound changes pitch, or goes away, BINGO. Just dont "lube" the pulley with the wd-40...just enough to hit it, and test it.

If it was the timing belt slipping, you'd have valves kissing pistons by now. Timing belts are cog-belts, that ride on interlocking pulley's. if the timing belt slips even one "tooth"..your engine can be toast. So, basically, if it was the timing belt, you wouldnt hear it. The motor would be dead.

RE: Need a little help with the beater.

Thanks Craig. That car has 3 seperate belts. I pretty much narrowed it down... one of the belts has it's "teeth" chipped from underneith. It looks fine from up top so that is why I assumed that belts looked good.