Update: the two belts appeared loose I could twist them.
Took loose 13 mm bolt
Tightened 10mm adjustment bolt- almost all the way tightened.
Took a piece of sandpaper and scuffed the pulley sheaves lightly.

No squeal after a couple of starts.

With the squealing it is intermittent. Usually at starup and sometimes last a mile or two other times it goes away. If I rev the engine in neutral most of the time it calms down.
When I opened the hood while squealing the noise appeared to come from alternator area. It was ear piercing.

These are great ideas - ill start by checking belt tension. Spraying water to see if it stops.
Check the harmonic balancer with marks
Use a bar of soap on the belts

Keep u posted as to the cause or causes.

I just had mine rebuilt for $100.00 with all new bosch parts.

The bearings in an alternator usually make a rumbling noise when they go bad. You can listen to them buy touching a big screwdriver to the alternator case putting your ear on the handle. Mind the moving parts and electrical connections.

To loosen (or tighten) the belts: There are two mounting bolts on the alternator, top and bottom, near the engine block. Loosen them. There is a 10mm adjusting bolt near the pulley. Turn it until you like the belt tension. Tighten things up again. If you can turn the alternator fan easily by hand, the belts are not tight enough.

Use an impact wrench to get the nut off the alternator once it is on the bench. The pulleys come right off.

Greg

The squealing could also be the harmonic balancer is slipping. Draw a line across the two pieces of metal then run the engine make it squeal and see if the lines separated. If so you need a new harmonic balancer.

Dan

Squealing IME is usually belts - one bad, 2 bad, mismatched. I have 2 with that now. Check for looseness 1st.

A Haynes manual helps much with these kinds of things.
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240 drivers / parts cars - JH, Ohio

You can easily check the belts for being too tight or not tight enough with just pulling on them to see how much them move (obviously with the engine off). Are you certain it's the bearing squealing instead of the belts?

Back in the old days, we used belt dressing, but I have a hard time finding it now.

If your bearings really are squealing and the belts aren't too tight, then I'd simply go to Autozone (or comparable) for a lifetime warranty rebuild. I don't like paying for parts and as long as I keep my cars, I can save a lot of money on brakes, waterpumps, starters, altenators, etc.. by using the lifetime warranty. (even if you have to replace it more often than by going with a new Bosch).

(BTW - I think mine from Autozone came with the pulleys mounted).

If the bearings aren't bad - simply replace the bushes/regulator.


hope that helps
Charles

"I have recently had the belts replaced- I think they overtightened them.
The bearings squeal like a pig at startup."

Spray some water on the belt. If the squeal goes away. They didn't tighten them enough.
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