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Please help me fix this power steering pump squeal.
- Thread starter 76k5blazerr
- Start date
I'll take a video tomorrow morning so you boys can hear what I've got going. It's something... That's for sure. It's amazing I've dealt with it for this long.
Your sure it is the P/S belt that squeals ?...it might be the alternator belt..tried running it with the P/S belt off to make sure?..
Some belts do work better than others--I am not a big fan of those "cogged" v-belts that have the cogs on the inner part of the "V",they only work better than a regular V belt on applications with a small pulley ,the cogs let it wrap around the smaller sheave better...
I have substituted a 3/8" kevlar corded belt intended for lawn & garden or industrial applications that have a rather rough textured canvas like cover on the belt,for the alternator on one of my 6.2 diesels.
That had a belt that squealed like a stuck pig until it had been run a good 10 minutes with a Gates v belt on it (that looks new too!)--it ran silent with the Kevlar one,and I noticed the volt meter showed a charge higher right away,while the Gates wouldn't let the needle move till it stopped squealing..
I assumed there was a heavy load on the alternator till the fast idle cold advance shut off and the battery regained what it lost from long cranking to start it cold,because the belt squeal would just stop "instantly" when the fast idle shut off..
Unfortunately the 3/8" belt was only a decent fit in the alternator sheave,it sat too low in the crank pulley and "hit bottom"on it, and it soon wore thin, and failed...but it was QUIET !..
I then tried using a 1/2" wide kevlar belt ,but it was too fat to fit good in the alternator pulley,it stuck up above the pulley a bit, and it cut a groove in each side of the belt..and came apart..
Automotive belts are usually 7/16" wide (or 15/32") with a slightly different taper to the wedge..and are made of rubber and fabric not as tough as kevlar belts..if I could find a pulley for the alternator thats wider,the 1/2" kevlar belt would likely work great..(I have seen some on bigger trucks and industrial applications)..
Dayco sells belts that are "gold label" for truck applications that are 17/32" wide ,instead of 15/32" wide...those will work on "most" stock pulleys,but not all--the "17" series are listed for "heavy duty" applications where the "15" series are the "regular" stock OEM sized belts..example, a Dayco belt for a stock OEM replacement would have a number beginning with 15,like a 15445 ,the heavier "17" series equivalent would be a 17445...you'd have to make sure that one would fit all the sheaves properly..
The belt shouldn't have to be too tight not to slip--too much tension on it will chow the bearings in no time..most power steering pumps ,if the belt is to loose,will cause "jerky" steering at the wheel with intermittent squeals..if it squeals constantly,something else might be wrong,like a restriction in the hoses ,causing the pump to work real hard--
(A crude test for a P/S pump to see if its putting out decent pressure is to crimp the pressure hose shut for a few seconds,the belt should squeal instantly if its ok )..or perhaps the pulley is slipping on the pump shaft--it is only a light press fit..that might make a squeal similar to a slipping belt...
I see newer vehicles with plastic P/S pulleys,and cant see how they hold up at all..they are pretty fragile..
Some belts do work better than others--I am not a big fan of those "cogged" v-belts that have the cogs on the inner part of the "V",they only work better than a regular V belt on applications with a small pulley ,the cogs let it wrap around the smaller sheave better...
I have substituted a 3/8" kevlar corded belt intended for lawn & garden or industrial applications that have a rather rough textured canvas like cover on the belt,for the alternator on one of my 6.2 diesels.
That had a belt that squealed like a stuck pig until it had been run a good 10 minutes with a Gates v belt on it (that looks new too!)--it ran silent with the Kevlar one,and I noticed the volt meter showed a charge higher right away,while the Gates wouldn't let the needle move till it stopped squealing..
I assumed there was a heavy load on the alternator till the fast idle cold advance shut off and the battery regained what it lost from long cranking to start it cold,because the belt squeal would just stop "instantly" when the fast idle shut off..
Unfortunately the 3/8" belt was only a decent fit in the alternator sheave,it sat too low in the crank pulley and "hit bottom"on it, and it soon wore thin, and failed...but it was QUIET !..
I then tried using a 1/2" wide kevlar belt ,but it was too fat to fit good in the alternator pulley,it stuck up above the pulley a bit, and it cut a groove in each side of the belt..and came apart..
Automotive belts are usually 7/16" wide (or 15/32") with a slightly different taper to the wedge..and are made of rubber and fabric not as tough as kevlar belts..if I could find a pulley for the alternator thats wider,the 1/2" kevlar belt would likely work great..(I have seen some on bigger trucks and industrial applications)..
Dayco sells belts that are "gold label" for truck applications that are 17/32" wide ,instead of 15/32" wide...those will work on "most" stock pulleys,but not all--the "17" series are listed for "heavy duty" applications where the "15" series are the "regular" stock OEM sized belts..example, a Dayco belt for a stock OEM replacement would have a number beginning with 15,like a 15445 ,the heavier "17" series equivalent would be a 17445...you'd have to make sure that one would fit all the sheaves properly..
The belt shouldn't have to be too tight not to slip--too much tension on it will chow the bearings in no time..most power steering pumps ,if the belt is to loose,will cause "jerky" steering at the wheel with intermittent squeals..if it squeals constantly,something else might be wrong,like a restriction in the hoses ,causing the pump to work real hard--
(A crude test for a P/S pump to see if its putting out decent pressure is to crimp the pressure hose shut for a few seconds,the belt should squeal instantly if its ok )..or perhaps the pulley is slipping on the pump shaft--it is only a light press fit..that might make a squeal similar to a slipping belt...
I see newer vehicles with plastic P/S pulleys,and cant see how they hold up at all..they are pretty fragile..
I use gates green belts. Never have problems.
When you clean the pullys, dont do just the power steering. Do the crank pully too.
When you clean the pullys, dont do just the power steering. Do the crank pully too.
I have a good lesson learned belt story. This was in an 06 Super Duty. Replaced the belt early on at the suggestion of a mechanic. Went cheap; you can probably see where this is going.
We started getting a squealing noise when the motor was over 3000 rpm like when we pulled steep mountain passes. First thought was tensioner so we replaced that.
Still squealed and it was starting at lower RPM. We were able to narrow it down to only occurring when the cooling fan clutch fully engaged; in that truck you could really hear it.
So we decided it had to be the fan clutch slipping. Took awhile to get that replaced as they were pricey. Imagine our disappointment when that didn't fix it.
This probably went on for 2 or 3 years since it only happened pulling hard grades it wasn't a huge issue. I finally started thinking back and realized the squealing started not long after the new, cheap, belt. So I dropped $80 on a genuine Motorcraft replacement belt. Guess what, that fixed it.
Haven't taken belts lightly since then.
We started getting a squealing noise when the motor was over 3000 rpm like when we pulled steep mountain passes. First thought was tensioner so we replaced that.
Still squealed and it was starting at lower RPM. We were able to narrow it down to only occurring when the cooling fan clutch fully engaged; in that truck you could really hear it.
So we decided it had to be the fan clutch slipping. Took awhile to get that replaced as they were pricey. Imagine our disappointment when that didn't fix it.
This probably went on for 2 or 3 years since it only happened pulling hard grades it wasn't a huge issue. I finally started thinking back and realized the squealing started not long after the new, cheap, belt. So I dropped $80 on a genuine Motorcraft replacement belt. Guess what, that fixed it.
Haven't taken belts lightly since then.
Swap a serpentine setup off a vortec. Take all pulleys and buy corresponding year water pump. Solder capcitor in the switched power wire.
Well what do you know. This morning it didn't squeal at all... I'm gonna start telling people my truck doesn't have any problems, it's just moody as all get out.
Maybe because it wasn't a cool damp morning?...
I've had some belts that chirped and squeaked every foggy or rainy morning till it warmed up for 10 minutes or so...those were belts that were "stiff" compared to others I'd tried,felt like they had fiberglass cords and a harder rubber compund,and what looked like ground glass dust in with the rubber...
Other belts I tried that were "Road King" brand,a "economy" grade sold to discount stores made by Dayco,were softer compound ,but had fabric cords like a tire sidewall,and they were stretchy as hell--you could tighten one all the way to the end of the adjustment when it barely fit on with it backed off all the way,like a rubber band..those ran quiet but did not last very long..
The "green" Gates belts are kevlar or aramid core and are made for industrial and lawn & garden applications and come only in 3/8" and 1/2" widths...they'll last a good long time,provided they'll fit your sheaves properly..and run quieter...they were intended to withstand a back side idler tensioner pulley on things that use the idler for a clutch,like lawn tractors,and they can take a lot of abuse without stretching or breaking..
I've had some belts that chirped and squeaked every foggy or rainy morning till it warmed up for 10 minutes or so...those were belts that were "stiff" compared to others I'd tried,felt like they had fiberglass cords and a harder rubber compund,and what looked like ground glass dust in with the rubber...
Other belts I tried that were "Road King" brand,a "economy" grade sold to discount stores made by Dayco,were softer compound ,but had fabric cords like a tire sidewall,and they were stretchy as hell--you could tighten one all the way to the end of the adjustment when it barely fit on with it backed off all the way,like a rubber band..those ran quiet but did not last very long..
The "green" Gates belts are kevlar or aramid core and are made for industrial and lawn & garden applications and come only in 3/8" and 1/2" widths...they'll last a good long time,provided they'll fit your sheaves properly..and run quieter...they were intended to withstand a back side idler tensioner pulley on things that use the idler for a clutch,like lawn tractors,and they can take a lot of abuse without stretching or breaking..
I had the same problem..... Thought it was for sure a pulley. After changing and still making noise, I changed belt.... Fixed!!
Old belt had some contaminants on it creating the noise. Hope its it for you.
Old belt had some contaminants on it creating the noise. Hope its it for you.
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If it squeals really well when turning, try this:
Get a bright light, maybe paint a stripe on the front of the PS pulley. Stand where you can see the front of the pulley, with plenty of light.
Watch closely while someone hogs down on the steering wheel to make it squeal bad.
If its the belt, you will probably see a jerkiness in the rotation of the pulley as it stalls for a second.
May even see it come to a complete stop.
Also, the noise of the belt is subtly different from the pump in most cases, but its sometimes hard to tell them apart.
Get a bright light, maybe paint a stripe on the front of the PS pulley. Stand where you can see the front of the pulley, with plenty of light.
Watch closely while someone hogs down on the steering wheel to make it squeal bad.
If its the belt, you will probably see a jerkiness in the rotation of the pulley as it stalls for a second.
May even see it come to a complete stop.
Also, the noise of the belt is subtly different from the pump in most cases, but its sometimes hard to tell them apart.
That's the weird thing, it doesn't do the squeal while turning, it makes a different noise when turning, like a chirping. The squeal is only when you hit the gas hard or when it's cold outside or raining.
A cheap test is to get a bottle of that Lucas power steering fix. If putting some in the pump quiets things down, you might have a pump problem. The stuff is pretty thick which is why it helps leaks and quiets noise.
Here's an update for y'all. Drove to my buddy's house about 5:30, no squeak. Left his house about hour and a half later and it squealed the whole way home. At a stoplight it was squealing at idle, I startes turning the steering wheel back and forth and it quit then as soon as I let the wheel go back straight it came back squealing. Does that point to anything. That Lucas power steering fix was another thing I was going to try.
If anything the load on the pump while turning the steering wheel when stopped would cause the belt to squeal--at straight ahead with no pressure on the steering wheel,that should be pretty much "no load"..sounds to me there is a problem in the steering box perhaps,or the pump's relief valve..has the pump been modified for higher pressure ?..
Nope. Stock pump and steering box. It's weird isn't it, it squeals when not under load and stops when put under load.
pull the belt off already!!!! Get to work!!! 
Make sure to spin the pump pulley when the belt is off, just to check if it's freezing up on you or rattling.
Hurry up!! Orielly's has those belts
Make sure to spin the pump pulley when the belt is off, just to check if it's freezing up on you or rattling.
Hurry up!! Orielly's has those belts
That the plan for tomorrow afternoon!
Well what do you know... Took off the PS belt just now, cranked it up, revved it, squeal. Put the PS belt back on and take off the alt/WP/fan belt and no squeal. Hoping a new belt fixes it. About to go and get one now. The alt pully spins freely so the fan clutch is the only other thing I could think would cause it.
