Squealing from serp belt area

[LukasL]

i just bought my '14 Ram 2500 5.7HEMI a few days ago, and now the serp belt is starting to squeal (or at least originally i thought it was the serp belt) for a few days i would spray a little belt conditioner on it and it would quiet for a second or two and then it would come right back. but now, spraying it with conditioner doesnt really do anything. and honestly i cant tell 100% if its even coming from the belt, it almost sounds like its coming from behind the belt if that makes any sense? like the engine? it squeals on cold start mornings but once it warms up it doesnt squeal at idle, and i cant really hear it when gently accelerating, but when i press on the gas a little more it gets louder. i just had it in to the Ram dealership and they looked at the belt and pulleys they said and nothing was wrong, just told me to keep lubricating the belt because it may be to dry? that seemed odd to me that they couldnt find anything wrong. any suggestions of what else to check? should i just try replacing the belt? thanks!

 

[HDGoose]

Idler pulley or water pump or ac pulley is there I would look.

 

[Ramrodd]

Yes I would replace the belt and tensioner and while you have it off spin all the pulleys to see if you can find anything that makes noise. The belt might just need replacing.


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[LukasL]

Idler pulley or water pump or ac pulley is there I would look.

i agree with you on that, thats why i took it to the RAM dealership and had them check the pulleys, they told me that there was nothing wrong with any of it. thats whats confusing.

 

[LukasL]

Yes I would replace the belt and tensioner and while you have it off spin all the pulleys to see if you can find anything that makes noise. The belt might just need replacing.


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is the tensioner really a necessary thing to swap if the dealer said there are no issues with any pulleys or anything? i almost feel like they didnt actually check what they said they did. but its just weird how its seeming like its not the belt squealing now...

 

[Ramrodd]

I always change the tensioner when I change the belt. It’s just good practice and you don’t know if it’s ever been changed


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[LukasL]

I always change the tensioner when I change the belt. It’s just good practice and you don’t know if it’s ever been changed


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oh i gotcha. what is it, just like two bolts or something? im sure its not terrible to change. do i need to remove my fan shroud and fan to do this or should i be able to get to it without all of that?

 

[Ramrodd]

Or just check everything yourself and if it all looks good just put a belt on it.


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[LukasL]

Or just check everything yourself and if it all looks good just put a belt on it.


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when you say check everything you just mean like take the belt off, spin the pulleys and make sure theres no resistance or grinding in them right? i can work on jets all day long but im still a newbie to working on trucks unfortunately.

 

[Ramrodd]

Should just be 1 bolt for the tensioner and I think you can get the belt around the fan


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[Ramrodd]

when you say check everything you just mean like take the belt off, spin the pulleys and make sure theres no resistance or grinding in them right? i can work on jets all day long but im still a newbie to working on trucks unfortunately.

Yes


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[LukasL]

Yes


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okay thanks for the advice, ill head to oreillys and pickup a belt and see if i can get it done! hopefully that takes care of the squeal. if all the pulleys are fine and i replace the belt. and it still squeals, any idea what else it might be?

 

[mlappin]

I always change the tensioner when I change the belt. It’s just good practice and you don’t know if it’s ever been changed


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And don’t buy the cheapest of either out there.

My father in law had a Plymouth Acclaim that would throw the belt anytime turning a certain direction and hit a puddle of water. I’ve drove the 2 hour drive to their place more than once to put that damn belt on in all sorts of inclement weather.

He gave it to my wife and first time it threw the belt I replaced the tensioner that he just put on a year or two before and it never threw another belt. Bought a OEM from Mopar for it.

 

[DILLIGAF]

Buy a Gates HD green belt.

 

[tantore]

rock auto sells the belt the tencioner and the idler pulley combo those items should be replaced together to iliminate any noise coming from the belt

 

[HDGoose]

Is the water pump on this the similiar as the water pump on the Cummins 6.7 with two bolts holdin it in?

 

[LukasL]

Alright everyone I replaced the belt and it still squeals. But after I took the old belt off I started it with no belt on and it was the same exact squeal as with the belt on so I domt think its the belt or pulleys. What else could it be?

 

[Ramrodd]

It could be a lifter failure and beating up the camshaft. My 09 hemi did it and it sounded like a belt squeal but it never went away. Is your going away once it warms up? How many miles are on it?


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[LukasL]

It could be a lifter failure and beating up the camshaft. My 09 hemi did it and it sounded like a belt squeal but it never went away. Is your going away once it warms up? How many miles are on it?


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Interesting...that would suck.
No it doesnt go away ever really. I hear it on cold start at idle, once it warms up I can't really hear it at idle but even when it warms up I hear it when accelerating. If I keep my rpms below 1300 I don't really hear it, above 13 or 1400 I definitely hear it.

 

[Ramrodd]

Yeah that could be it. Mine did it after coming down the interstate pulling a camper. I had 111k miles on it when happened. I thought it was a pulley or belt at first too


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