Quote:
Originally Posted by hurryinhoosier62
A thorough application of belt dressing compound will help as well.
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I'm gonna disagree.
There are multiple kinds of "belt dressing" ranging from various petroleum-based lubes to Neoprene liquefied in a solvent. Typical "belt dressing" is a great way to contaminate the rubber/fabric of the belt. The belt doesn't squeal because it's been lubricated, but it's still slipping, still running hot at the interface between belt and pulley, still damaging the belt and wearing the pulley. In MY driveway, a belt that had belt-dressing
goes in the dumpster, I clean the pulleys, and start with a new belt.
If the belt squeals, it's slipping. Find out WHY the belt is slipping, and fix it. Don't cover-up the slippage with chemicals.
Tension is the final part of solving belt squeal.
Before the tension, you need pulley alignment, (it's a 3-D world--pulleys have to be aligned in three dimensions) pulley condition (I've seen pulleys that were worn to a "U" shape instead of a "V" shape, the steel doesn't have a paint layer in the belt groove, etc.) correct belt width and length, proper PS pump pressure (if the pump pressure relief is stuck, pressure goes out-of-sight and no belt will have traction on the pulley to prevent squeal.)
The FIRST thing I'd do is to determine that you have belt squeal, not pump whine or failing bearings in the pump. Use a squirt-bottle to spray the belt with WATER, if the noise goes away it's belt squeal. Water evaporates,
doesn't contaminate the belt.
If the noise doesn't go away, it's a pump problem--bearings, excessive pressure, or foaming fluid/aeration.