Loud Squealing coming from..somewhere

[Unicornasaurus]

So as many of you know my little Red Machine got in an accident recently, but just today it started squealing while I'm driving. It squeals off the line usually until you get it into 4th. If I'm slowing down or accelerating and it starts to squeal, pushing the clutch in or popping it out of gear stops the squealing.

The car doesn't really feel like it's driving any different, other than this really loud squeal. I thought it could be a bearing that's possibly seized or something, but once I found out the squeal goes away when you take it out of gear then I started to think it was something else.

[festivaWES]

Maybe one side of the clutch is wore down more than the other side causing the rivets to squeal on the flywheel or something. Sounds to me that its diffenitely clutch/tranny related

[Unicornasaurus]

Shiza..I just rolled it over to 190,000km's yesterday too. It's just odd because a couple days ago I wasn't having any problems whatsoever.

Alright, I did some troubleshooting and this is what I found out.

If I accelerate and it starts to squeal I can push the clutch in/put it into neutral and it goes away. HOWEVER, if I let go of the clutch, leave it in neutral and rev the engine..the squeal is still there.

BUT. It only squeals when the car is moving or has just been moving. I just parked my car and revved the engine up and got it to squeal immediately after I had put the e-brake on, and thrown it into neutral.
Also, if I gear down into 2nd and don't make a complete stop, I can take off without it squealing.

I'm starting to think this may be some sort of belt problem.

[b3 madness]

It is your alternator belt. Just snug it up a little. Trust me, I am speaking from experience on this one....... :wink:

[Unicornasaurus]

I'm starting to think that's what it is. I took a couple pictures of the belt and what I thought might be the source of the problem.

[b3 madness]

$10 and 5 Minutes.....Problem solved!!!

[Unicornasaurus]

Got a new alternator belt. Problem solved

Thanks b3. Now I just have to figure out how to stop the wheel from rubbing up against that black cover.

[stefan]

those covers like to warp and end up rubbing against things. Best bet is to find one off an newer aspire

[wrestler3025]

Now Unicornasaurus don't forget that you are going to have to tighten the belt back up a little once it starts breaking in.:-)

[WmWatt]

This may be a dumb question, but don't the cutouts in the belt go on the inside? On V-belts aren't they are always on the narrow side? That belt looks to be on inside-out to me.

[ajb999]

^^ that's what i was thinking too.

[packrat427]

^^ That is what they call a " TOP COG " belt , Gates makes them , they are supposed to last longer .

[Unicornasaurus]

^^ That is what they call a " TOP COG " belt , Gates makes them , they are supposed to last longer .

Well considering the old one lasted 190,000k's..yeah..I'd say they last longer lol.

[wrestler3025]

WmWatt and ajb999:
Nope that's how it is supposed to look. It wouldn't work if he had it upside down You would also be able to see the V if it was upside down and it wouldn't sit down in the pulley. Like packrat said..its a top cog belt. It's the same one that I have in both of my festivas.

[Festiva_tunner]

^^ That is what they call a " TOP COG " belt , Gates makes them , they are supposed to last longer .

I swear on em Runs for ever . . . tighten it every time you check your oil and it runs forever . . . Keep a spare in the back though (if you ever had a belt go out on the way to work you may do this to).


As for that cover like it was said the covers warp. . . you can get a new cover every time it warps or carefully trimm the edge with a file or and exacto knife and simply just take enough material to stop the rub . . . dont go over board