Miguel,

I think I paid ~$28 for the Gatorback...ordered it through the local AutoZone. And....when you and the wife start having kids, you can turn the old Gatorbacks inside out to keep them in line!

 

The only truck that I had a squeal was my '99 5.4L. Took it back to the dealer and they found a bad pulley. Replaced it and the belt and it was quiet until the day I turned it in almost 3 years later and yes, it rained too.

 

ahh just turn up the stereo..ha ha ha....

 

98SCREAMER,
The good news is it quit raining! The better news is that you can now use a squirt gun, plant sprayer, or water hose to ISOLATE the source of the noise!

Don't forget to keep your fingers and loose clothes clear of the blades and belt. Good Luck.

 

I just rerplaced the belt on my truck this morning. So far the noise is gone. But there has got to be a better way to change a belt.

 

I think it beats taking off several belts to get to one, but I also never had a V-belt squeal on me either. Well, maybe when a acc. was grossly misadjusted? I think serpentines are better in some respects, but the squeal is quite annoying. I almost went by Autozone earlier today, I need tires more though.,,,,98

 

ohh... so maybe it's your tires squealing in the rain not the belt ?

 

I just stopped into a Goodyear Svc center today, when the belt started up with the SQUEAL again. I have had it this time! On Tuesday I am taking it in to get a Gatorback put on. I'd do it myself, but it's COLD in Toledo this time of year.,,,,,98

 

It takes 2 min to change including time to open and close the hood!!

 

That's two minutes too long for me. Call me a cold weather wimp or whatever you'd like. I like my underhood time to be 50* and over,,,,98

 

LOL...Leave it...Pull up to someone at a light, and they'll think you've got a blower under there...Lol...Just kiddin...My dad had the same problem, and switched to gatorback...Problem solved...made all the difference in the world...

 

That thought did cross my mind, but it has too many little chirps and squeaks to sound like a blower. The shop didn't have one in stock when I went in of course. They are ordering one today, and I'm going in Saturday to have it put on. It's the first time I have open to go in. You'd think a belt for the best selling vehicle in the country would be something you'd stock up on. I have seen that time after time everywhere I go. No oil filters, no air filters, etc...etc...etc... I bet they have all the Honda Accord and Civic parts sitting around hogging up space, lol!,,,,98

 

The absolute worse thing you could have done is spray belt dressing on it. Chirping belts are usually caused by the belt sticking to a pulley either from misalignment or somthing foriegn on the belt or pulley. Try squirting a little polish on the belt while the engine is running. Ck your powersteering pulley its the most common pulley that you'll usually find out of alignment, it doesn't take much to create a noise.

 

Well, the belt dressing didn't work anyway, and that was two belts ago. This is the third Ford belt on the engine now. It's going bye bye, and it's the last Ford belt this truck will ever see. I tightened all of my accessories quite a while back. It has squealed on every humid or rainy morning since it was worked on at 36k. 50k is too long to go with this annoying problem, and hopefully the Gatorback solves it. Thanks for the advice though.,,,,98

 

I thought that I read you had someone work one the timing cover. Some techs pull the ps pulley off in order to remove the pump if they did they may have pressed it on to far or not far enough. It maybe worth looking at. Good Luck