Belt Auction

So can you put oil on flat belts and not v-belts?

Public Comments

1. why would you want to? i have never had a desire to try it, but i would guess it would slip off the pulley. at the very least it will make a mess throwing the oil all over. you didnt fall for the joke where you complain you belt is squeaking and they tell you to oil it, did you ?
2. You shouldn't put oil on rubber. It tends to make it soft and it will also make it very slippery and it will slip on the engine pulleys. If you have a squeaking sound , to eliminate it auto parts stores have a belt dressing. If you have brake fluid put a few drops on the belt. The brake fluid will not damage rubber but a lot will damage paint if splashed on it so be care full good luck
3. Neither, oil goes in the motor. If a belt is squeeling, there are only two possibilities, either belt is too loose, or a pulley (alternator, powersteering, ilder pulley, tensioner pulley, etc) is locking up.
4. putting any fluid on that belt will shorten the life span of that belt. you need to locate the source of the noise and eliminate the problem, not hide it. look for a glazed pulley, a loose tensioner, a binding shaft on any of the driven units.
5. NO!!!! Belt dressing is available, but not a long term fix. I agree with the others that oil deteriates rubber. If it is squealing, either replace the belt or find the sticking/binding pulley or part and repair/replace it. Way back in the middle to late '70's in a power transmission course at Texas A&M University, Gates Rubber Co., a very large manufacturer fo belts and hoses said do not, repeat, do not use belt dressing or oil on belts of any kind because of the above stated reasons. Oil is a lubricant (i.e. slick) and will cause more harm than good. Belts drive on the wedge principal, even the serpentine belts have ribs, like a multiple v-belt.