83 Hurst/Olds. After a long days work when I start the car for the ride home, turn on the lights and put it in gear the belts squeal like no other. They are all new and plenty tight. With the radio on, lights on etc the voltage meter reads in the 9-10 range..could this be the alternator? power steering pump and pulley are new too. Thanks
Adam, PA

 

what kind of squeel. sometimes power steering does this too.

 

Well, obviously they're not plenty tight.

Have you modified your original pulley configuration?

Have you made sure to tighten ALL of your belts properly?

And 9-10 volts in a running car is an indication of a serious problem.

- Eric

 

Well to be more specific. Stone cold if you press your finger into the belts you will get about 1/4in of play. This squeal only happens at cold start at night time. the 9-10 is an estimate from a factory gauge not a handheld volt meter. The pulley configuration is altered because I moved the A.I.R pump and a/c belt.

 

Removed**

 

Do you have a picture of what you did?

 

I can snap one when I have light tomorrow, everytime I try to post a picture on here it gives me bullshit. I havn't done any mods to the belt drive system short of cutting off the AIR and A/C belt years ago. I had a new PS pump and pulley installed a few weeks back and it does appear to be shimmed pretty heavily with washers. If geomertry was the issue wouldn't I see belt wear? or squealing during other times?

 

If the pulleys do not line up correctly you will have problems. Did your problem show up after the power steering pump repair? I don't remember how the air pump was powered and what was powered with it, hence the pic?

 

Come to think of it..this didn't start happening until I installed the hayden fan clutch recommended in an older post. Solved the cooling issues but now I've got the squeal. It was doing it last night so out of curiosity I took it on a 10-15 minute drive and the squealing had subsided once I arrived home.

 

You've got a loose belt. It may not be obvious, but that's you problem (unless the sound is a bad bearing).

I am not familiar with these newfangled cars with AIR either, but I believe there was a freaky extra belt driven off of another belt on these, and your problem probably lies there.

- Eric

 

Is it time for a 307-squealing-belt post again?

Search is your friend:

https://classicoldsmobile.com/forums...elt-loose.html

https://classicoldsmobile.com/forums...ueal-hell.html

 

Thanks Joe, still getting used to this site and it's interface.
-Adam, PA