S
Skant
Guest
Today it started making moderately loud noises when I turn the wheel on my 1996 LT4 vette. When I'm just sitting there and turn the steering wheel, it makes this noise from the engine that sounds like... hard to describe I guess. At first I thought it was coming from the tires because it's a rubbery ticking/rubbing sort of sound. Kindof like rubbing taught balloons together roughly maybe.
I opened the hood and listened while my friend turned the wheel. At first I thought it sounded like something was contacting the serpentine belt when the power steering was active. But now I'm thinking it's the sound of the belt slipping/gripping/slipping/gripping rapidly.
I'd guess when you use the power steering, the pump puts more strain on the pulley.
I'd be pretty sure it was the belt except that the sound is nothing like the belt squeal I'm used to. But then I'm used to older V8 motors that don't have serpentine belts.
Visibly, the belt has little cracks and appears to be toward the end of its life span. So I'm guessing that's it. Just I've never heard that sound from a belt before.
Second question... The belt looks like it goes around what I think is the power steering pulley backwards. I believe there are three accesory pulleys down there and two idlers... the alternator and A/C are up top (clearly visible). The lower one must be the power steering I think. The pulley on the power steering is slotted to mate with the bottom of the serpentine belt, but the belt actually goes around it the other way so that the non-grooved side (top) of the belt is against the pulley.
Visibly, it looks like the belt would reach around the pulley either way. But I doubt the power steering would work at all if the pulley was going the wrong direction. Is this how it's supposed to be? That could certainly explain why it's slipping if it's not supposed to be pulling with the smooth side.
Third question... is it difficult to replace the belt on an LT4? Not much clearance in there at all. I'm hoping I don't have to take stuff apart to get at it.
Thanks in advance!
PS: Searching through the forum posts, I see references to 'morning sickness' for the power steering. But the engine was not cold and it wasn't a cold day. And I'm not sure that I would describe it as a moaning sound, though maybe it could be. And other than the noise, the power steering seemed to be working fine. But maybe that's what it is anyway?
- Skant
I opened the hood and listened while my friend turned the wheel. At first I thought it sounded like something was contacting the serpentine belt when the power steering was active. But now I'm thinking it's the sound of the belt slipping/gripping/slipping/gripping rapidly.
I'd guess when you use the power steering, the pump puts more strain on the pulley.
I'd be pretty sure it was the belt except that the sound is nothing like the belt squeal I'm used to. But then I'm used to older V8 motors that don't have serpentine belts.
Visibly, the belt has little cracks and appears to be toward the end of its life span. So I'm guessing that's it. Just I've never heard that sound from a belt before.
Second question... The belt looks like it goes around what I think is the power steering pulley backwards. I believe there are three accesory pulleys down there and two idlers... the alternator and A/C are up top (clearly visible). The lower one must be the power steering I think. The pulley on the power steering is slotted to mate with the bottom of the serpentine belt, but the belt actually goes around it the other way so that the non-grooved side (top) of the belt is against the pulley.
Visibly, it looks like the belt would reach around the pulley either way. But I doubt the power steering would work at all if the pulley was going the wrong direction. Is this how it's supposed to be? That could certainly explain why it's slipping if it's not supposed to be pulling with the smooth side.
Third question... is it difficult to replace the belt on an LT4? Not much clearance in there at all. I'm hoping I don't have to take stuff apart to get at it.
Thanks in advance!
PS: Searching through the forum posts, I see references to 'morning sickness' for the power steering. But the engine was not cold and it wasn't a cold day. And I'm not sure that I would describe it as a moaning sound, though maybe it could be. And other than the noise, the power steering seemed to be working fine. But maybe that's what it is anyway?
- Skant