Tips to diagnose squeaky belt or bearing component

[rreegg]

Believe to got a squeaky belt, pulley, or bearing component around the engine. It'll be chirpy when driving around 2k rpms but sort of quiet down with the clutch in when shifting. There's a skreeching sound when hitting higher rpms >2400 in 3rd and 4th gear
Obviously that's not a lot of information to go on but just looking for tips or tricks on how to figure out what this is. Is the only option to remove belts one at a time and see if the sound changes?
Not sure if there's like a belt lubricant or something folks recommend to process-of-eliminate things. It might be a bearing though too not sure.

Not the ac compressor because removed that belt already. The alternator has a sticker saying 2013 on it so seems that was replaced on. The belts all seem to be in pretty good shape and previous owner mentioned having them replaces around 2020ish

It seems to be coming from the middle-ish area of the engine but these things are tough to hear

Thanks for any help

 

[Nero]

Soapy water in a spray bottle. Rev up engine until you get noise, spray one pulley at a time until noise goes away. There's your culprit.

 

[rreegg]

Soapy water in a spray bottle. Rev up engine until you get noise, spray one pulley at a time until noise goes away. There's your culprit.

Sweet thanks, nice and easy!

 

[IDIBRONCO]

To me, it sounds like you have a loose belt. My alternator belt would squeal after I did a 3G swap. I put on a Gates green stripe belt and that fixed the problem.

 

[chickenpot]

I always threw baby powder on the belt to see if it was belt or pulley noise. If it quiets down it's a belt

 

[Old Goat]

Tires have a date code on them, and a 7yr life span
(industry standard) yeah seen them go way longer,
All rubber dry`s out.
Maybe your Belts are just due for replacement.

Goat

 

[Nero]

Just to throw it out there, I was just at discount tire, they advise 10yr tire life

 

[Cubey]

To me, it sounds like you have a loose belt. My alternator belt would squeal after I did a 3G swap. I put on a Gates green stripe belt and that fixed the problem.

Yep mine was squealing with 3g on my van (even with green stripe) until i tried a second time to tension it. it's been quiet ever since.

 

[Kizer]

I use a section of hose (+/- 3/8”) like a stethoscope.
One end to your ear, the other to “probe” the suspects.

It works pretty nicely…Be sure to clean the “ear end” of the hose though.

 

[IDIBRONCO]

Just to throw it out there, I was just at discount tire, they advise 10yr tire life

I've always thought that if I had a vehicle that never left town and never saw more than maybe 40 MPH, I'd run the tires until they rotted off. 10 years seems to be on the long side to me. No facts to back it up, just my opinion. I lean more toward the 7 year limit.

 

[MtnHaul]

Squealing has always been the alternator belt on mine.

 

[Nero]

The tires that were on my truck when it was still srw, two of them were from 2013, and had zero dry rot on them and about half tread.

 

[rreegg]

Yep it was the alternator belt. Belt looks pretty decent and tension seemed fine last I checked. Checking tension and maybe a new belt are all I can really think of - there is some slight abrasion on the exterior of the belt uniformly on the front half - couldn’t figure what it’s from but it’s just barely worn off the lettering not a huge thing