1987 Acura Integra
Had the timing belt, belts, etc done.
screeching sound - I know it is the belts are loose - initially it wasn’t there and then it started and it was getting a bit worse slowly. It seems to only happens when the engine is cold.
I went back and had the belts tightened.
Does this tell anythign about the mechanic/workmanship?
Should I be concerned about other areas of repair that does not have the symptom of screeching?
“Had the timing belt, belts, etc done.”
Are you sure that the “etc” included the tensioner(s) for all of the drive belts?
It sounds to me (no pun intended) like you have a bad belt tensioner.
That would seem likely @VDC. Or possibly one of the pulleys is worn and glazed.
On that vehicle - are there separate tensioners?
My wifes 87 Accord - you tightened the Alternator belt by moving the alternator til the belt is tight…and then you tighten down the alternator bolt. Then you move to the AC belt and repeat. I thing the AC belt and PS pump share a belt.
That’s probably a D16 engine in that Integra, so it’d work the same way, @MikeInNH . Good call.
OP, here’s the deal: That engine works such that if the timing belt isn’t right, the engine runs really badly (if you’re lucky and it just jumped a tooth) or destroys its valves (if you’re like most people who have a T-belt problem with engines like that). In other words, if it’s running fine, they probably did it right.
Accessory belts can stretch, especially when new, and require re-tightening. Many modern cars have an automatic tensioner that compensates for this without you doing anything, but yours does not. It’s not unusual to have to snug it up a little a few days/weeks after you replace the belt.
Car runs fine better than before - the screeching sound stopped - it seems like as someone stated “Accessory belts can stretch, especially when new, and require re-tightening”
I was wondering about mechanic workmanship.
When accessory drive belts are tightened where there’s no automatic belt tensioner, they’re tightened more towards the loose side. Then if the belts make noise when engine is started cold, you can always go back and retighten the belts.
The alternative is overtightening the belts where bearing damage can occur to driven components. And once that happens, going back and loosening belt won’t fix the damaged bearing.
Tester