View Full Version : Spray lubricant on pullies?
EdgeCat
02-23-2003, 07:24 PM
Would it be bad to use spray lubricant (like spray lithium grease) on the engine pullies? I'm getting a strange noise coming from that area of the engine (sounds similar to the noise you hear from the steering pump when you have the wheel cranked all the way). The bizarre part is that it seems to happen when the engine is revved, even if I'm sitting still with the wheels straight. It's kinda like "Vroooooom!-MEEEEeerrrrrrr!" and then it stops. I rev it again, and it does that again, then stops, which leads me to believe that maybe a pulley is sticky or something. Thoughts?
rista
02-23-2003, 09:10 PM
i don't think spraying lubricant on the pulleys themselves will hurt anything, but i do remember reading somewhere a long time ago (on another messageboard) that the lube could actually cause the belt to 'crack' quicker.
01blkcat
02-23-2003, 09:19 PM
Originally posted by: rista
i don't think spraying lubricant on the pulleys themselves will hurt anything, but i do remember reading somewhere a long time ago (on another messageboard) that the lube could actually cause the belt to 'crack' quicker.
I agree with that about cracking quicker, but if you are already taking care of it, you'll notice any major problems and repair before it becomes a problem, anyway.
EdgeCat
02-23-2003, 10:11 PM
Well, I'd be aiming more for the bolt area vs. the actual belt and surface of the pulley. I'm just thinking if something is getting sticky or catching, that the lubricant would help quiet things down.
RiverRojo
02-25-2003, 01:19 AM
2 words=belt dressing.
Lubricant will make the belt slip.
Afterhours
02-25-2003, 03:36 AM
Good advice. Belt dressing should help if the belt is slipping.......adding a lubricant would just make it slip more (but may silence the squealing). An old trick we used to use was taking medium grit sandpaper and remove any glazing from the inner surface of the belt. If a belt has been slipping for awhile........the inner surfaces get really glazed and slick. Roughing it up with sandpaper can silence it. You need to keep in mind though.....that maybe that insufficient tension on the belt is causing it to slip....so maybe you need to take a good look at your belt tensioner. There should be a tensioner mark......check that so see if it's beyond specs.
B3NN3TT
02-25-2003, 11:33 AM
I think you guys are missing the point. EdgeCat is saying that his pulleys have noise coming from INSIDE them- the bearings, in other words. The belt is fine.
But the point they are trying to get across is that if you spray the pulley down with a lube, it will in turn spray the lube on the belt as the pulley turns.
Not to mention, typically using an external lube has an opposite effect on bearings. Bearings are lubed and covered, so they stay lubed and no dirt can get to them. Spraying lube on the outside of a bearing housing will get more lube on everything around the pulley than it will get into the housing itself. It will also attract dirt and sand, which will cause the bearings to go even quicker. And as everyobe is saying, any loose liquid lube (spray) will fling all over everything when the pulley turns, thus covering the belt with a lube...not a good thing.
Truth be told, if you are hearing a sound from the bearing, check for any play in the pulley itself. If there is no play, then you should be fine...just be aware that you might have a problem in the future. Personally, if I heard a sound in my pulley...I would just replace it and be done with it.
yeehaw
02-26-2003, 11:19 PM
Are you positive its a pulley squeal? Does anyone think its possible that it could be the IACV making the noise? Sounds kinda charachteristic of that prob.
GL man
Darcy
Originally posted by: EdgeCat
Would it be bad to use spray lubricant (like spray lithium grease) on the engine pullies? I'm getting a strange noise coming from that area of the engine (sounds similar to the noise you hear from the steering pump when you have the wheel cranked all the way). The bizarre part is that it seems to happen when the engine is revved, even if I'm sitting still with the wheels straight. It's kinda like "Vroooooom!-MEEEEeerrrrrrr!" and then it stops. I rev it again, and it does that again, then stops, which leads me to believe that maybe a pulley is sticky or something. Thoughts?
I'm sorry, it's kinda off thread topic, but LOL! I had to laugh "Vrooom!-MEEEeerrrr!"... lol, that's classic. :)
Next we'll see people posting "This Is how my Exhaunts sounds..." and then typing "put put put VROOOOOOM EEEEEEEE *rice noise* rooo-ooo--ooom."
:)
I suggest taking the car to just get looked at by someone before hosing all kinds of crap in the belt area... :) Don't think anyone would really charge you to just give you an idea...
rista
02-27-2003, 09:10 AM
Originally posted by: yeehaw
Are you positive its a pulley squeal? Does anyone think its possible that it could be the IACV making the noise? Sounds kinda charachteristic of that prob.
GL man
Darcy
not an iacv problem. he said the car goes "Vroooooom!-MEEEEeerrrrrrr!" not "Vroooooooom!- MOOOOOoooooooooooo"
i get this same problem every now and then(usually on cold starts). it goes away after a couple revs or a minute of idling. i know it isn't the belt because it only started shortly after i put an underdrive pulley on with a new belt. i haven't checked the tension in the belt yet as my car may be going to the shop this week. it is probably one of the most embarassing things when cranking your car up in or around a crowd of people.