I do have to add oil to the truck occasionally. There is a little bit of build up on the rear of the oil pan,but I'm still not convinced that it is leaking. My guess based on other observations is that a piston ring is bad, and is causing the engine to burn a little oil. If it is burning oil it appears strange considering the fact that it has so few miles on it to be an 11 year old truck, but then again I bought it from a man, who was selling it for his son that went into the military. Maybe he dogged the truck out, and now there is a ring issue. I know that its hard to diagnose a problem on the internet,but I am willing to take any of the advice that you have to offer considering that more than one "mechanic" has looked at the truck, told me what to buy, and in the end it only cost me money to see the problem still occur. What is really strange is that a new belt usually fixes the noise for a month,but this go round I replaced not only the belt,but a tensioner too, and after 5 minutes of driving the truck it started making noise. Like I said,the NEW "idler" pulley has a little play in it. I can move it back and forth a bit.... However with the engine running I can't see in the pulley. My guess is the pulley should be as tight as can be. I can pull an engine,rebuild it,and put it back in,but this issue here has me stumped.

 

and your positive on the routing?

 

I know that I sound ignorant by asking for help on such a small mechanical issue,but believe it or not I'm pretty good with a combustion engine. I can change the belt on my truck in less than 2 minutes because I have done it so much. Hell there is a routing diagram under the hood of the truck,and the belt is on properly. I've even "re-adjusted it" left to right to try things out. What is really getting under my skin is the fact that a "new" belt fixes the issue for a while to go. I just counted 7 belts that I have intalled on the truck since I've owned it (there are more that i have thrown away). Anyhow,out of the 7+ belts that I have replaced, this is the FIRST that has made noise the day that I installed it. The day that I replaced the belt it squeled like a pig,until I put the new belt and pulley on. That ended the noise at idle,and for a good 5 minutes of driving it down the road. And then all of a sudden it started acting up and hasn't gone away since. I DO FIND IT INTERESTING THAT THE NEW IDLER PULLEY HAS PLAY IN IT AND I CAN MOVE IT BACK AND FORTH WITH THE TRUCK OFF. THE PULLEY THAT I REMOVED DID THE SAME THING,AND I ASSUMED THAT THE BEARING WAS BAD. NEW PULLEY,SAME PLAY IN IT. What are the odds that a "new" pulley is bad?

 

I am 110% sure about the belt being routed properly. The belt is a tight fit. I have to relieve every bit of pressure off of the belt tensioner to install a new belt. The diagram under the hood shows how to route the belt for AND without a/c. You and I have talked about this issue a bit now,and I'm starting recall more and more things about the year and a half of owning a truck. When I purchased the truck it had a belt in the bed of the truck, up against the cab. So naturally I assumed that the belt had recently been replaced. And after I just thought about it, I remember that they belt looked brand new (just like the noisy belts that I keep replacing) So obviously the previous owner was aware that there was some sort of a belt issue.

 

Yeah then I guess the idler would be suspect if you can move it. Also the fact that the tensioner is able to be moved when you say that the belt is as tight as can be. Do you know anyone else with the same motor that you could compare the front of the motor with. I am wondering about a possible wrong pulley being installed somewhere down the line which is throwing you off. From what you say it would not be possible to get the next size smaller belt huh? Is there anyway for you to take and post a few pictures of the front of the motor? I hate things like this and now you got me on the mission too!

 

Is the idler pulley and tensioner pulley that you have replaced the same size as stock pulleys? And if the belt is that tight mabe you coould try a size just slightly larger... like half an inch. I have seen belts that are too tight cause squeling. The only other thing I have heard of a situation like this was a freind of mine had a 5.3 that had a slightly tweeked crank. He took it to the dealership numerous times. He didn't even make out of the parking lot because as soon as he drove away it started squeling. Finally a tech was looking at it form a side view and notivced that the crank pulley did not line up correctly. So the motor was pulley apart and sure enough the crank was tweeked just enough. Just a thought though.... Hopefully it is not a bad crank.

 

The link to the belt diagram that was posted is identical to the one under the hood of my truck. That is how it is routed. The belt does have a little room to play with,so I don't think that the belt is too tight. When I say a little play,I mean a little. It doesn't appear to be enough to make it squel.

I've compared every new part installed to the one that was removed. Everything has appeared to be an identical match.

Out of this entire ordeal,here is what makes the least amount of sense to me after replacing the idler pulley,and the belt.

1) It started squeling within 5 minutes of driving the truck,as opposed to the usual month that it takes to start acting up.

2) If I rev the motor up to 4,000 rmps while parked,the squel goes a way for a while, and at higher speeds when I hit 2nd or 3rd gear it will go away for a while. Why wouldn't it squeel nonstop,regardless of how many rpm's I'm running??

 

The only thing I can do about the belt is get the one for the truck. I've tried catching the auto parts store employees giving me the wrong belt. I've told them what I have,and they look it up, and give me the belt. And then on my own, I compare the numbers from the old belt against the new belt,and the numbers match up. Also,if you stretch both of them out they are the same length. Even if I could find a belt that was a little bit smaller,it would be impossible for me to get it on. With all of the pressure of the tensioner off, I can BARELY get the belt on the alternator pulley. It is a snug fit.

 

My 97 is the same way. I can barely get the belt on the alternator pulley with the tensioner all the way back.....It looks like this is "normal" for the most part........the only issue I can see affecting it is a tensioner that is not going back all the way.

 

The tensioner comes back all the way as it should. When I say that it can be moved by hand, I mean that it can be moved in the direction to loosen it by hand. But ofcourse you can't get all of the pressure off of it by hand. It moves just a little.