Belt tension frustration - solved - defective belt

im no cold weather expert(tx) but im going to chalk up the squeal to cold weather in combination with newly installed belts.
(my POS 01 Forester 230k just started this p/s belt squeal for few moments at startup since the 3 days we have had 32 lows)

as far as that marble sound.....
best way to poke around with a mechanic's stethoscope at the pulleys
they are like $10 at HF but a long screwdriver works the same(your ear on the handle)
works great, can totally hear the 'marble crunching' sound when the affect part is located
GL

 

Yeah. Well that’s why I put that it’s audible to me without the the cell phone.

I didn’t replace the ps tensioner, if that’s what you mean.

The water pump is only about 1? 1 1/2 yrs old.

I just had to go back in & redo the wp gasket. That’s when I learned through some random post on TW about the rubber on the crankshaft pulley. Checked mine & sure enough, I needed a new one. So since I had been driving with a compromised pulley, I figured I’d swap out the accessory belts.

 

I have a stethoscope. It’s definitely slipping though. I could feel it whilst I was just out doing errands. Only when pulling in or out of parking spaces (almost standstill turns).
I didn’t travel far. Lots of start/stops, but I let it fully warm up before leaving.
No more squeal. It stopped after the last time I tightened it.

 

do not use belt dressing under any circumstance, will result in needing to replace your belts again,
theres no getting that shit off!!!!!!

Been a ford eng mechanic for 32 years, that's stuff should be outlaw'd...

 

Ps belt is at 3/16 & it’s slightly warm. Maybe I ought to try tightening it.

 

So as far as the vids go, no one noticed anything out of alignment? @bkhlrTaco's thought maybe something was off from the pics, but also stated that it could have been the angle. That’s the main reason I did the vids.
Course now there’s noises to investigate….

 

Nothing looks or sounds concerning, in your videos.

 

Ok. Let’s see if tightening it stops the slippage….
This morning we’re at a balmy feels like 16, so hopefully I can get myself to do it before I head out.

 

& if that doesn’t solve it, I’ll order or pick up another belt.

 

I've bought different aftermarket belts for my John Deere off amz, all claiming to be the correct length. Though, all were different lengths ea. time.

I have some adjustability but not much. One was too long to use.
If the length was off, how were the other dimensions??

 

I don’t know if this was the problem as I have not yet installed the new one….

These are taken from different spots on the one that was installed.

 

This is the new, yet to be installed, belt width

 

kind of hard to determine if a belt is tight enough from the inter tube....

 

So there was a little squeak on startup, so it needs a pinch of tightening. VERY happy to report though, that there’s no slippage! Thank you all! Who’d’a thunk it was all due to a one mm manufacturer’s defect….

 

Tightened, no squeal, still no slippage

 

Great freakin job K!
Thanks for updating

1mm…..ugh

 

Never use bent dressing on a ribbed belt. That’s a bandaid over the real issue. It’s probably not tight enough if it’s still squeeling.

 

It’s been figured out. Post #11. Defective belt….

 

Good for you, hanging in there with persistence to resolve the problem.

Future tip. I agree with others saying not to use belt dressing. However there are times you might be trying to determine if a noise is a belt or something else in the area. Using some bar soap on the edge of the belt will give it temporary 'lubrication' that can stop or change the sound if the belt is the problem. It's not permanent and will be gone in a few miles of driving. Just a shadetree diagnostic.