ok well i have 04 5.4 f150...and i would get a slight squeal from what sounded like the belt at high rpm shift points once and awhile...so i decided to spray some white lithium grease on it to quiet it and now it goes away or comes back full force and is louder and constant as opposed to how it was before just at high rpm shifts....its really annoying...is their anything i can do to stop this now? or what?...bc the constal squealing as im driving and at idol now is driving me nuts when i was trying to get rid of a seldom one

 

you need a new belt and some brake cleaner to get the grease off the pullys. really, you lubricated a slipping belt?

 

I gotta agree....a squealing belt indicates slippage; applying grease makes it worse.

Change the belt. Clean the pulleys.

 

use some chalk if you have some

 

DAMN...well ill be going to get a new belt tomorrow now...ugh...so no chance of just hitting it with break clean and cleaning the belt off to salvage it?

also what is the chalk going to do?

 

yea, chalk will absorb the grease/lubricant.... I would stay away from brakekleen. it will surely take the grease off, but unless you let ALL of it dry before you start the motor, the belt will fling brakekleen into places you prob'ly don't want it.

go to the home center and get a small bottle of powdered chalk made for chalk lines. It comes in a few colors, but unless you want to redecorate your engine compartment, get white. put some on the belt and pullies and go around the block a few times. then do it again. the powdered chalk will absorb the grease.

after a few times, hose off the mess and let it dry. then get a can of belt spray at an auto parts store and follow the directions.

_ or _

get a new belt and wipe off the pullies before you install the new one.

In any case, be really careful around fan belts with the motor running..... my nephew got a little too close and got his finger wound up in an alternator pully. he only lost a fingernail, but it coulda been lots worse.

 

given the problem, I guess I should have explained that too. I thought that "buy a new belt" would assume it was going to be put on the cleaned pullies rather than under the front seat as a spare. So here goes, remove old belt clean pullies with brake clean and a rag, install new belt.

 

Thanks alot guys...i appreciate all the input...im going to try and salvage this old belt now with the chalk and all...if no good then i will just go buy a new one and clean everything all up...was a dumb mistake that i knew not to do but oh well...live and learn...thanks again guys... you helped ease the pain of making the mistake a little..lol

 

the recomended "fixes" are usually temporary. but it may get you another few more weeks/months.....

If you want to fix this long term, you may want to change the idler/tentioner pulley ( about $35 )too..............easy to change and a part that often fails.

 

try tightening the alternator? loosen it and push it back and keep it held and feel how hard the belt is and tighten it? unless out models arent like that