Why do belts squeak?
Asked by M2099 Jun 05, 2020 at 12:01 PM about the 1967 Chevrolet Impala 4 Door Hardtop Coupe RWD
Question type: Maintenance & Repair
I have a 1967 Impala. The belt squeaks when i make a left
turn or right turn and it sometimes fights me which can be
dangerous if i cant make a proper turn. In July ill have this
car for two years and the previous owner had this problem.
I just rebuilt the engine, the belts are new (two), water
pump new, alternator new. Powersteering resivor is not
new. It doesnt happen all the time but does it a lot. Any
suggestions?
18 Answers
If it fights you through a turn, I would suspect the power steering pump and or PS pulley is the issue.
I noticed the belt that goes to the powersteering resivor is a bit loose but the resivor mounts to the engine block so i cant stretch out the belt. Im slowly replaceing everything so the resivor will be next but do you think i need different belts? I got them at autozone and everything i get from there is usually correct.
There must be a way to adjust the tension. If the old belts are cracked you need replacements.
Belts are new. I can try to see if i can adjust it but by looking at it i dont see a way. I'll post a pic and yall can tell me where to adjust.
The power steering pump belt is loose. I can see it in the picture! The following two pictures are from the 1967 Chevrolet Factory Shop Manual. Hope that helps you adjust the belt. Jim
The pivot bolt is on the bottom and the slider is on the top back of the pump as shown in this picture. Hope that helps! Jim
I figured it out but problem is the pump is all the way to the end of the bracket so im guessing the belt is just too big. I took off the belt easy with everything attached. I barely pushed the pump towards the hermonic balancer and the belt slide off.
You can check Rockauto.com for the correct part number or I can look it up tomorrow at work. I work for Napa. What engine do you have? Jim
Napa part number is 257350. Hope that helps! Jim
What size is the belt? I just came back from autozone with a smaller belt but it ended up being too small. My larger belt 35 3/4 inches and my smaller is 34 1/4. Both belts dont work.
Outside circumference is 35.57 inches. Hope that helps! Jim
Be sure to tell them you don't have an AIR pump or air conditioning (two different things)! The twenty year old kid at the counter will have no idea, I'm sure! The AIR pump was for cars originally delivered to California. So if their computer is asking about California Emissions, the answer is no. The belt you want is for power steering only. You might have to be abrupt with the kid at the counter to make them understand. Hope that helps! Jim
Yesterday i bought a belt at Orileys part # 7350. Belt is 35 1/2 inches which is a bit smaller than the original belt but it's still too loose. So last night a bought a new power steering pump and a new upper bracket from Speedway Motors. Its confusing why its loose but im hoping the new upper bracket will let me adjust it further. I wonder what the belt size is suppose to be from factory standards.
I'll be getting the new parts Wednesday. I'll post more pics of my setup to see if yall can point out whats wrong.
Ok, sounds good. The original GM part number for that belt from my 1968 parts catalog is 3847710. Hope that helps! Jim