Crickets under the hood?

I've been here in Guam now for a month, and my 96 F250CC 4wd w/460/AT has developed an irritating condition: Whenever I use the AC (almost always) a squeal comes from the front of the AC compressor. AT first I thought the drive belt was loose, for that was the sound it made. Then the more I tracked it down, the more it sounds like it's coming from the AC compressor. Actually, it sounds like a cross between crickets chirping and a squeal. It's much worse after a rain. When I start the rig and don't use the ac, it's rather quiet, but still there. When I turn on the ac it becomes rather pronounced in pitch and volume.

Question: Is there a bearing going bad in the compressor? Can I use some wd-40 to get rid of this sound?

Your replies are appreciated.

Thanks,

Harry in Guam

Reply to
Harry L
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Sometimes, a slight misalignment of pulleys will commence a terrific chirping of a nice clean drive belt - especially in wet climates like Guam where all the dust and dirt gets washed off the serpentine. If you drive it long enough for the belt to get fully warmed up, does it lessen or even go away? I've tried lots of stuff, and never found the perfect solution - WD-40 is mostly just kerosene, and while it quiets the belt, doesn't last for long and isn't the best thing for longevity... Baby powder works amazingly well until the next rain... Rubbing bar soap on the belt works some, but is a pain to put on... Belt dressing spray is for single belts, not serpentine and makes the noise worse, as well as collects crap all over the serpentine...

I suppose the best solution is to properly align the errant pulley, but I'm still looking for the best dressing for that squeaky serpentine...

Just a thought, anyway.

Dave

Reply to
David Ward

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