Ok, I have a 98 talon that I just purchased the motor has been complete rebuilt. The power steering pump was bad so I replace it. After doing so the belt would not stop squealing. I purchased a new belt and removed the hold one. I turned all the pulleys by hand made sure the spun with very little resistance and that there was no bearing noise. I put the new belt on still a noise. I attempted to tight the belt up still makes the noise. So with the car running and being very careful not to get anything caught in the belt. I tightened the belt. The noise went away. So I shut the car off inspected the belt. It had very little play in it. It felt to me like it was to tight. I attempted to loosen it a couple turns and start the car and the noise was back. So I tightend the belt back up a couple of turns and noise was gone. Then I drove 4 blocks and the belt broke. I have no idea what to attempt next. What would cause the belt to need to be so tight to stop the squeal that the belt breaks?

well i would like to say it is belt season and maybe try a lil belt dressing and see what happens...

:00000732:

did you try cleaning the pulleys, making sure they aren't bent/loose/misaligned? does it still make the noise with the ps belt off?

With the belt is off there is no noise. I'm going to warranty the belt. I will clean all the pulley's and put some belt dressing on it and see if that helps. I sure hope so.

Here's the edicate on accessory belts. Should be just tight enough so that with two fingers you can push the belt down about half an inch. Anything more than that, it may break. Anything less it'll squeal a little.

I get it down and tight. It quit for about 2 blocks and then started again. If I spray belt dressing on it then the noise stops. It does not sound like a bearing just a belt squealing. I guess I can try replacing the pulley. I adjusted the belt again using the rule you said. I can push on it with two fingers moved about 1/2 inch or less. The sound is now gone at idle but as soon as you hit the gas it comes back and it loud. I guess i will try replacing the idle pulley.

check for a fluid leak somewhere. sounds like fluid is dripping onto the belt

I will look for a fluid leak again when I get home. I looked several times and have not seen any leaks. When I first bought the car the o-ring on the oil filter adapter was bad so i replaced that have not noticed any leaks since. The werid part is it will go away when the car warms up. I'm having my brother look at it today get a freash set of eyes on it maybe I'm just missing the obvious. I have never had this much trouble with a belt. Also when I attempted to purcahse the idle/tensioner pulley I could not find it anywhere. The one Autozone/Napa/Orelly's and a little parts store in my town were pulling were not even close. I know the motor has been swapped out is there any way to tell what year car hte motor came out of?

Well, Me and my brother both looked found no fluid leaks. The belt is dry except for it is a little tacky from the belt dressing i sprayed on it. The belt looks be tight. I was going to purchase a new idle/tensioner pulley today but took it off when to several parts stores and no luck the one they show is not the same. The pulley seems to spin just fine no bearing nosie. The engine is not the orginal one and I'm starting to wonder if somehow I got the wrong belt or maybe even the wrong powersteering pump when I purcahsed the one. I'm pretty much at a loss here. I just purchased the car 2 weeks ago. The engine was rebulit. The check engine light as came on twice. Once for egr valve and once for a exahust mainfold leak. Both were easy to fix. My wife just called me though to tell me that it came on again on her way to work. I guess I will take it to my mechinac on friday and have them look at it.

My thoughts are there was something slightly different between the 2 pumps and it is possible the alignment is off
a bushing sticks out further than the old one so the pulley is slightly off something like that.

The been more than one occasion i have gotten a replacement Alt for my sons car and went to install it and there was something slightly different on how the new one fit versus the old one

I looked at that tonight and I just noticed that the power steering pump is not all the way back on the bracket. My wife is driving the car tonight. My thought on this is that with it pulled back a little further the belt will wrap around the idle pulley a little more and maybe stop the slipping. If this is it I'm going to kick myself very very hard.

Well it has to be a bad idler pulley or a/c compressor. I bought a belt for it with out a/c so it just goes around the power steering. And the issue is resolved. :banana: This thing kicked my butt. Thank you all for your help.