Squeel In '96 SSEi Supercharger
 

Hey all. I'm back, with another Bonnie, and with another problem. I have had this '96 SSEi for 8 months or so, and other then the starting issue (which I never did get repaired...I just ignore it), it has been pretty good. However, I have been hearing a "squeal" noise coming from the supercharger for a few days now. I have spent the past few days also searching around here, and though I found many good post's, I couldn't find anything on this particular squeal.
It's coming from the actual pulley on the supercharger. It "squeals" basically all the time now, and squeals louder if I give it a little gas (not flooring it...just accelerating). If I spray the pulley itself with WD40, or a similar liquid, it stops.
Any suggestions? I just put a new belt on a week or so ago (boy, that's really fun!), as well as a new pulley. I have also taken the belt off and moved the supercharger pulley by hand. It seems to turn as it should. There isn't any play that I can find, and I have tried the "pull in and out on the pulley like you are pulling it off the car" mentioned in several post's as well. There wasn't any play there either.

Any suggestions, as always, would be greatly appreciated. :)

Do you believe the belt is squealing or the bearings in the nosedrive are bad?

How's the oil? Have you driven the car without the SC belt yet?

To answer Bill's question, it's not the belt, that I can tell. The belt is brand new, and I only squirt the WD40 on the pulley itself, getting none on the belt (to make the noise go away). How would I go about checking the bearings in the nosedrive? As I said, I have read quite a bit about the supercharger, but there is still a lot for me to learn.
To answer Willwren, the oil in the supercharger is full. That was one of the first things I checked. When I bought the car, it was low, but it only took 1/4 or so of a bottle of supercharger fluid to fill it back up.
Thanks again guys.

Check by running it w/o the supercharger belt.

You can untension it and ensure it's tied out of the way w/o taking it out of the motor mount. ;)

My apologies to Willwren. I forgot to mention that I haven't driven the car with the belt off, but I have ran it for several minutes with the belt off, and I didn't hear the noise.

Sorry Bill, I could have said this in my last post, but I didn't see your post before I replied. You guys are fast! :D
Anyhow, I have ran the car without the supercharger belt, and there is no squeeling noise, at least, none that I heard. I am going to go and double check it though when the car get's back home in around an hour or so.
Thanks for the pointer about not having to take the belt off too. Man, that isn't a fun job, espically when doing it at 11 at night in the pouring rain!

When you say you sprayed oil at the supercharger pulley...do you mean behind it..so that it got into the bearings or on the pulley so that the belt quieted down?

That's the odd thing. I sprayed the pulley itself (at the front, where the air bolt is), and I am 99% sure I didn't get any on the belt. I have never tried spraying any in through the back of the pulley.
Can you recommend a way to rule-out the belt? It doesn't sound like a belt squeal, but if I can rule it out, it's one less thing to worry about. :)

Spraying the pulley there will have no effect on the bearings. They are behind the pulley and inaccessible the way you did that.

Please look at the belt path and make sure everything is lined up. While you are doing that..please take a picture of your belt tensioner markings.

And let us know what belt you're running if you know. Get a good pic of it as well when you shoot the tensioner.

I'm leaning towards belt squeal. I agree, none of that spray could possibly have had any effect on the bearings or seal (actually, the bearings are lubricated by SC oil, and the seal could squeal, and be fixed by spray).

This is why I asked you to check your SC oil.

Finally back, sorry for the delay. Here are 2 pictures.
This one is the supercharger tensioner:
http://img2.freeimagehosting.net/ima...ff4f3060bc.jpg

And here is the pulley on the supercharger tensioner:
http://img2.freeimagehosting.net/ima...3ab1d42846.jpg

As for the belt's being lined up, they are all where they should be, except the supercharger's tensioner pulley. The belt always slides down there. I can put it on the pulley properly, and as soon as I start the car, it slides right back down. That was the reason I replaced the pulley a week or so ago, but it didn't help. The belt is a NAPA brand, 25-060721.

BINGO

We have a reason...

Your pic isn't very clear, but at this point, I'd say the tensioner is at fault for causing the belt to wander. You replaced the pulley on the tensioner, but the belt still doesn't track right? What about the idler pulley? Is it ok, or is it causing it? How does the tensioner feel with the belt off? Wobbly?

Back again. I just went back outside, and took the belt off again. The tensioner itself doesn't wobble, however, with the belt back on, I can move the tensioner about half an inch to an inch farther then it tensions itself when I release it...if that makes sense.
While the belt was on, and the engine running, I played around with the tensioner (being very careful), and I could get the car to replicate the noise when I pulled the tensioner towards the front of the car. When pulled towards the front of the car, the belt also started to slip even farther off the tensioner pulley, and would go back to it's regular spot when I let off the tensioner.

I guess replacing the tensioner is my best bet, eh? :(

If I understand you correctly, that tensioner arm will move back and forth, not just up and down like it should? And when you move it up and down, it kinda 'catches'? Not a smooth tension?

If the anwers are yes, you have a bugger on your hands. Replace that tensioner. SonomaZR2's was doing that at WCBF this year as well. But not quite as bad as yours. Just be aware the idler not too far away may be suffering the results of the off-center belt as well. Keep an eye on that one too.

Hello again. Sorry for the delay, as I had a Dr's appointment. To answer your question, the tensioner goes up and down as it should. It does not move back and forth. I apologize for describing it wrong. It moves the way it should, but it's not smooth and does kind of 'catch' like you suggest.
I do have one question though, before I say anymore. My car 'lingo' isn't as good as it should be. The tensioner is the part that I release to get the belt off, right? What is the idler?
Thanks again for all of your help.

The tensioner is the part you release to get the tension off the belt. Actually it's a spring loaded arm that is behind the pulley.

An idler pulley is one that is mounted in a fixed position and does not move in any way other than spinning with the belt on it.

Your car lingo is doing good..and no worries about getting back to us. The forum is incrediblly fast to respond. ;)

Ahh, I get it now. Thanks Bill. :D
As for the car, I guess I should replace the tensioner and check out that idler pulley. As far as I know, it's fine, but I will give it a check just to be sure.
One more thing. I called a couple of dealership's in my area, as well as my local NAPA, and none of them could find a listing for the tensioner. All they can seem to find is the tensioner for the regular belt (alternator, water pump, p/s pump, ect). Would anyone happen to have any recomendations on where to get the tensioner?
I'm in Ontario, so if anyone has a good one they want to sell, please let me know.

Thanks again for all of your help guys. And, Bill, you are right. Your guys responce time is incredible!