Chrysler Repair: squeal in serpentine drive belt, 92 3.3L, crankshaft pulley, chrysler new yorker

Question
92 chrysler new yorker 3.3 ltr. very loud squeal in serpentine belt..replaced with new belt..still very loud squeal..if i spray water on the belt it stops squeal for only a few minutes and then returns...any idea what the problem is or have you heard of this before...thanks courtney...

Answer
Hi Courtney,
I would look for a couple of possibilities: first try to locate which pulley is causing the squeal by using a piece of rubber hose to act as a stethiscope/ear horn to "focus" your hearing. Then I would check the pulley on that component by placing a straight edge across its face and compare that plane with the plane of the other pulleys/overall belt. If a pulley is not in the same plane as the rest of pulleys or the other components/crankshaft pulley then that will sideways slipping and resultant squeal. If one of those pulleys appears to be tilted or shifted to either side of the plane of the belt/other pulleys then examine the mounting bolts for that component to see if they are loose or can be adjusted to correct the error. It may be that a mounting bushing is worn too much and so the component is out of alighnment.
Of course it could always be a matter of belt tension: push on the belt midway between two pulleys and with the help of a straight edge determine the deflection of the belt when using a force of about 10 pounds. It should deflect ~ 1/4" if the span of the belt is 7-11 inches or 1/2" if it is 12-16 inches.
I am not certain about how the tension is maintained on your '92 but I suspect that it is by a dynamic tensioner and if the tension is too loose that will cause belt squeal. If that is the case a new tensioner spring may be necessary. That belt drives everything so it needs to be tense enough to not slip on any one of the pulleys.
Please let me know what you observe and if you have other questions.
Roland