The belts on my 86 5.0TPI are squeaking,is there any liquid or anything that could quiet them a ltiile,how much would it cost to replace all the belts on the front of the engine and could I do it myself???

 

first get a haynes manual or something similar..ive replaced 2 of mine wasnt that hard..few basic tools and a crowbar

 

Sounds like you have individual belts - try some 'Belt Ease' spray, tho changing belts fairly regularly is a good move anyway. Very simple to do yourself.

 

the spray works good. A cheaper method is use a bar of hand soap (non oil base). Let the engine run and allow the under side of the belt rub the soap. The belts are squeaking because they are slipping, and the soap tends to give them a little extra grab.

I've done this for years and it works great.

 

so what happens when the belts get wet???

 

the belts get washed....LOL

The bar of soap is simply a quick fix. Anytime the belts get wet after that they revert back to sqeaking again. Most times its not that big of a deal though.

 

The best way to cure it is to replace the offending belt(s) and wash the pulleys thoroughly with brake cleaner. You should not have a problem with belt squeek at that point. Just take a look at the belts and see if they look cracked or dried out or have chunks missing. It should be evident if a belt needs replacing.

And as mentioned above by others, replacing the belts is a piece of cake. You just need to examine the componant you need to loosen to get each belt off and find the bolt(s) that will allow that component to move enough to get the belt off. You will also need a prybar or a large screwdriver to apply pressure to the components when tightening up the bolts so as to set the belt tension properly. The belts should have some movement to them but not too much. I generally set them to around a 1/4" of deflection in either direction.

Hope that helps.
Good Luck!!

 

Just be careful what you pry on, the power steering housing is a bad place to pry against.

WD-40 also cures the squeaks for a while, but doesnt require you stick your hand as close moving parts.

 

Belts squeal when they are loose. If the belts appear to be in good condition, simply tighten them by the above mentioned methods. Should be nice and quiet.

Using WD-40 on a belt will make it slip MORE... It is a lubricant.

 

That just tells me you've never tried it.

 

I'll back up madmax...

WD-40 works well for the belts. Try it and you'll see

-peace

 

While I can back up madmax's claim on WD-40, it is definately a temporary fix and once the WD-40 is all slung off the belts, they will squeek again.