Belt shedding?

[JHZR2]

This is my 96 Ram 4x4. I’m hearing a bit of chirping when cold, goes away 90% when warm.

I’ve used a stethoscope and can’t really tell where the chirping belt is coming from. I can hear different bearing noises, but not that instantaneous chirping sound from the belt, when I touch any specific item closely.

I think what I see on the battery is thrown bits of rubber. I can’t tell what else it would be. I don’t think it could be spot, it’s not oily, etc.

Everything spins smoothly and all accessories work properly.

Any ideas? I guess I could pour water on different things to see when the noise goes away? Is it expected that I should hear the chirp through the mechanics stethescope?

 

[eljefino]

I feel like I've seen this on car hoods over the belt area. I thought it was "slime", maybe water pump weepage, maybe front seal. Never really analyzed it so it could be rubber. It has to go somewhere, right?

I bet you have a pretty small alternator pulley to account for the diesel's lack of RPM. That would stress the belt more than average.

 

[JMJNet]

In the picture, the top of the belt looks worn.
If I were you, I will replace it.
If the Gates HD (green top) is available, I will buy that.

 

[JHZR2]

In the picture, the top of the belt looks worn.
If I were you, I will replace it.
If the Gates HD (green top) is available, I will buy that.

I do have an AAP Driveworks belt I bought as a spare before a road trip. It was cheap and US made so I have it under the seat.

Question is why is the belt shedding? If there’s noise and residues it points me to something else being not quite right…

 

[JHZR2]

I feel like I've seen this on car hoods over the belt area. I thought it was "slime", maybe water pump weepage, maybe front seal. Never really analyzed it so it could be rubber. It has to go somewhere, right?

I bet you have a pretty small alternator pulley to account for the diesel's lack of RPM. That would stress the belt more than average.

No signs of water pump seepage. I’m tracking a bit of seepage from the front HG area under high load/boost (common point to seep overboard). But I don’t think it could be associated.

 

[Trav]

The belt glazed probably due to low tension, the belt is hosed and possibly the tensioner. I would change both, putting a new belt on a weak tensioner is no good. Break the glaze on smooth pulleys that run on the outside of the belt with 400 grit, scuff it till it looks hazy not shiny.

Edit: Make sure no coolant is getting on the belt.

 

[clinebarger]

And the Tensioner appears to be original. Doesn't this rig have over 400,000 miles?

 

[JMJNet]

I do have an AAP Driveworks belt I bought as a spare before a road trip. It was cheap and US made so I have it under the seat.

Question is why is the belt shedding? If there’s noise and residues it points me to something else being not quite right…

I have the truck in this signature. IME, I stopped using the cheap belt. LOL!!!
Try that spare belt and see if your belt is the cause of chirping sound.

 

[JHZR2]

And the Tensioner appears to be original. Doesn't this rig have over 400,000 miles?

No, only 264k.

My 2wd 1996 has >440k. No belt noise.

 

[Trav]

Still at 264K the tensioner is definitely suspect. Do you know if the one that 400k on it still had the original? I would use OE.

 

[JHZR2]

Still at 264K the tensioner is definitely suspect. Do you know if the one that 400k on it still had the original? I would use OE.

Don’t recall/don’t believe so….

Yeah I have to see what Cummins/Dodge uses as OE…

 

[Trav]

OE Mopar is probably Dayco's OE line and big $$$

 

[JHZR2]

OE Mopar is probably Dayco's OE line and big $$$

I’m suspecting that OE was Dayco, and the box store version is still US made.

 

[zzyzzx]

Are you losing any fluids?

 

[JHZR2]

Are you losing any fluids?

No. There is a tiny seepage at the front head bolt, which is a known location for an overboard HG leak under boost on the 96MY engines.

It’s slow enough that the leak is 1-2 qts going across half the country (SD-NJ).

Ill probably throw a HG in there at some point, as Indont want this to erode the block.

 

[Krieg]

Take a representative sample of the questionable substance and send it to laboratory for analysis! This bitog sir! Elemental analysis would be productive in addition to Trav's recommendation.......

 

[SwampSurvivor]

My grand marquis is doing this too. Squeals terribly on the morning and then I can smell burning rubber after a long highway drive. There's belt dust on the passenger side of the engine. I don't believe it's the tensioner, think it's one of the idlers. Hopefully tomorrow I can get to fixing it.

 

[JHZR2]

I finally pulled my OE tensioner. I think it was a 1996 manufacture.

It doesn’t look that bad for 265k miles. The pulley still turns perfect. About the same level of stiffness as my new one.

I think I can see why I was getting intermittent noise and wear. There’s a Teflon washer in these, it can get worn crooked.

Note the spacing between the two halves on the old one:

Versus the consistent spacing on the new one.

 

[clinebarger]

I finally pulled my OE tensioner. I think it was a 1996 manufacture.

I knew it was OE because the overspray from when the engine was painted at the factory, Was always curious if Chrysler painted them or they got sprayed over at the Cummins plant?

 

[JHZR2]

I knew it was OE because the overspray from when the engine was painted at the factory, Was always curious if Chrysler painted them or they got sprayed over at the Cummins plant?

I think I’d argue since it was painted on the backside that it was pre-painted.

I used flat black ace rust stop after a rubdown with acetone.