My attempt to fix a squeaky belt with bar soap went about as well as you'd think

I was working on my old pickup in the garage last Tuesday, trying to stop a high pitched squeal from the serpentine belt. I remembered my grandpa once saying a little bar soap on the belt could quiet it down, so I figured why not try the cheap fix first. I grabbed a fresh bar of Ivory, turned the engine on, and carefully held the soap against the moving belt. For about three seconds, it worked great. Then the belt grabbed the whole bar, shot it into the pulley, and made a sound like a gunshot. I found bits of white soap all over the engine bay and the belt was shredded. I learned that old tricks aren't always wise, and a $20 belt is cheaper than a tow. Has anyone else had a simple fix turn into a much bigger job?

2 comments

2 Comments

kaiharris4d ago

Always spray belt dressing on a stationary belt before starting the engine.

victor_perry904d ago

Grandpa's trick works if you do it right, you just can't hold the whole bar against a running belt. You shave a tiny bit of soap onto a knife and rub that on the belt while the engine is off. It's a decent temporary fix for an old belt that's just dry, not cracked. Spray dressing can make a mess and sometimes attracts more dust.