Engine: Aligning crank pulleys

[BobWaitz]

I've got a problem with belt squeal which started today. When the engine accelerates, the belts squeal loudly and stop after they catch up with the new RPM. It's crazy loud and occurs whenever I accelerate from any speed to any other speed. It really makes the truck undriveable. I disconnected the belt that drives the alternator and water pump and the squeal went away. I replaced the belt and it did not solve the problem. After looking at the pulleys more closely I see that the crank pulleys seem a little wobbly so I crawled under there and tightened the bolts. The squeal is still there as loud as before and I don't seem to have fixed the pulley alignment issue. What is the proper procedure for aligning the crank pulleys?


Important details:
I DID have occasional belt squeal when pumping the gas a little too much during hot starts but as soon as that squeal stopped it was fine and it did not recur during acceleration.
Engine/Vehicle is a 1964 259 V8 in an M5. The inner belt drives the water pump and alternator, the outer pulley drives a power steering pump. The alternator is a 1-wire GM style from JEGS. The power steering pump is from a Jeep.

[DEEPNHOCK]

Belt squeal is usually a loose belt.
But it can also be a belt that has the incorrect profile (too deep in the pulley groove), or is just polished too smooth.

[StudeRich]

It sounds to me like there COULD be a problem since you have a Jeep P/S Pump and an GM Alternator, concerning the width and Angle of those incorrect unit Pulleys?

Do you need to take a much closer look at those maybe? This one is a bit difficult to "Armchair analyze".

[thunderations]

Many times an old belt will get hard and if it's squealed before, may be glazed to the point where it's not gripping the pulley. You might get by by roughing up the belt surface with some sandpaper. You can also get a can of "Belt Dressing" that will help soften the old rubber and give the belt more grip.

[TWChamp]

Can you feel the alternator pulley getting too hot?
I'm wondering if the alternator is bad or something electrical is making it pull much harder than it should?

[Skip Lackie]

Are all the pulleys lined up perfectly?

[Treblig]

To check pulley alignment I take a 1/4" or 3/8" straight rod (14 to 16 inches long) and put a curved bend in it on one end. Make sure you start out with a straight rod!! The curved end needs to fit into one pulley then you use the other "free" end to see if the other pulleys line up. If you tuck the curved end into the pulley groove it will give you a straight shot to the next pulley. It's extremely accurate if you take your time. Be sure to use the rod diameter that fits best into the pulley (pulleys). It's an inexpensive way to get perfect pulley alignment since I've used the same rod for over 20 years!! treblig

[Kurt]

Are the pulleys worn? If they are they can cause belt squeal.

[jackb]

do the pulleys have the same diameter ?