I have a 1996 ram 1500 5.9L. I replace the tensioner arm and pulley and put a new dayco belt onto it, this fixed it for about 2-3 weeks then we hit really far negative these last two day -7 through -15 degrees and now my truck is squealing again, what can I do to fix? Is dayco belts ok and can I use soap like my grandpa told me to do? The squeak left completely for those weeks and I want that back

 

yup soap may do the trick, or use belt dressing. i usually use good year gatorback belts and never had a problem. if the soap or belt dressing doesn't work i have also taken a scotch brite pad to all the pulleys and gave them a light scuffing. Sometimes they get pretty glazed over.

 

Belt dressing is not recommended. Soap OK and cleaning the pulleys as stated above or with a wire brush is a good plan.

 

i did use a scotch brite pad to clean before i placed new belt on, so ill try soap for now, is the dayco belt ok?

 

Like they've said, Belt dressing is the worst idea ever. What I've found works sometimes is WD-40. It just gets rid of any moisture that might be lingering inside the pulleys.

 

The Dayco belt is ok, make sure the belt(or any belt you buy) is the right one and has the same amount of ribs as the pulleys. Some have 6 ribs and some have 7. Actually, make sure the tensioner you bought is right and matches the alt. for instance.

Edit: also, while you have the belt off, make sure all the pulleys on all the acc's spin freely.

 

One thing I would check cause it happened to me is the water pump. I thought my belt was squealing for awhile then it would go away and come back so eventually I just started ignoring it. Till one day it was really bad and basically blew apart. Belt came off and and temp gauge sky rocketed to the top. Only good part was that I was actually about a mile down the road from the mechanincs cause I was on my way there to get my axle seals fixed.

 

I have been battling a belt issue also. I replaced the oem belt this summer after doing a water pump change. Old belt was showing dry-rot cracks but was still doing its job after being on the truck for 12 years and 98,000 miles. This fall semester the truck was in the body shop at school and a month or so with the hood off. Got the truck painted and back together and the belt started to squeak then squeal and go on.(On could days it made alot more noise) Tried cleaning the belt, checked all pulleys and replaced the tension and idler pulleys with no avail. I went to the local auto zone and got their top belt a Dayco and it fixed the problem (so I thought). When I removed the belt that was making the noise it was also the same Dayco belt I just figured all the dust and paint fumes in the body shop caused the belt to start making noise. The new belt is now starting to squeek just like the last one now. I got to looking at my maintance records and have come to the conclusion that it is the belts and after 1,800 to 2,000 both belts started squeaking.

 

but the squel will stop if i change to new belt or place soap onto it, so can that be the water pump if soap fixes?>

 

My problem was the dayco belts.