Chirping at idle when warm

So this is a true story about my 2009 Toyota tacoma V6.... I decided to change my idler pulleys and belt, they were starting to get a bit loud but not bad at all, so I purchased all idler pulleys including the tensioner pulley and new belt. Then when I first drove it, all was fine until about 15mins later, there would be a chirping/squealing only at idle. I figured maybe the new belt was bad, so I bought another one, but same issue. Then I thought the pulleys were bad, so bought another set... Same thing. So then I thought it was my entire tensioner, so bought one of those, but same issue, then I thought I bought a bad tensioner... So I bought another one and guess what! SAME EXACT CHIRPING/SQUEALING AS BEFOOOOOOORE!! WTF is going on! Please someone tell meeeeee!! Oo and just last week my alternator went and I replaced that

 

So it chirped the same with the old and the new alternator?

Asking because in rare cases, a failed diode in an alternator can cause a chirping sound that sounds very much like a belt chirp.

 

Yes, same exact sound with old and new alternator. It sounds more like a belt squeal

 

Did you check your water pump?

 

Alright, not that. Did you 100% get the belt routing correct?

 

Before throwing more money away, use a dowel or similar to track the sound down to the cause. With the engine at an idle and chirping, put the dowel on different components and to your ear. You will hear the sound through the dowel when it is on the culprit. Be careful not to hit or catch clothing on the fan.

 

It's not leaking, is there anything else I need to check?

 

A wooden dowel? Or is there a specific type of dowel?

 

Yes... After doing this 12 times now, I can almost do it with my eyes closed

 

Yep. Wooden dowel, long screwdriver, broken mop handle. Just something long enough to reach components and still be able to put your ear to it. I prefer wood dowels over metal personally.
Again, be careful not to hit or catch on the fan.

 

Why is there an arrow on the power steering pump? Is that adjustable?

 

No adjustment there. I think they are suggesting that to be the first place off / last place on when installing the belt.

You say the water pump isn’t leaking, but you haven’t had any other sort of coolant leak or spillage onto the belt through all this, have you? The super long life (OAT) coolant gets absorbed into belts and causes squeals. Replacing the belt is the only way to resolve that.

 

No leaks, just put a brand new OEM Toyota belt this morning.... Still squeals when warm at idle... Fml.... I wanna burn this truck

 

Another suggestion, and a method I use to help determine if it’s the belt or a bearing (idler / tensioner / alternator...) chirping is to spray some brake clean onto the belt while it it running / chirping. If it shuts up for a few seconds after spraying, it’s the belt. If no change to the noise, it’s a bearing.

Another new belt and no improvement. Yeah. That’s frustrating. I can’t like that post.

 

It's probably a bearing on any one of those pulleys . One at a time squirt WD40 with the long straw on each bearing until you find it .

 

Have you ran it with the belt off just to be sure it's not something else?

 

I’ve used my finger to sorta feel the vibration noise being made. I DON’T recommend it in this case, no room to get your hand in there without getting hit by moving parts.

No disrespect intended here. Are you using good oem parts or the cheapest things you can find? New aftermarket is quite often no good out of the box.

 

All OEM parts used.... Some twice

 

Could it be the clutch fan? Anyone know how to check if that's bad?

 

Wouldn't the chirping/squealing be there all the time and not just at idle if it were bearings?