The cause of squeals under the hood...

[volvoCLE]

Yesterday I replaced the alternator in my 2002 V70. Ever since I bought the car, I had a strange noise which I couldn't nail down. Two days ago, the noise became more metallic, and upon reaching down to feel for looseness on the pulleys, I nearly burned my fingertips off on the alternator pulley. Yesterday I replaced it, and I thought I'd share a few notes about it. First, make sure you have the right tool to remove and reinstall the belt! I tried everything- crow bar, a special belt replacement tool kit, but what finally worked was a T55 Torx socket bit on a swivel extension. To replace the alternator, all I had to do was to remove the belt, remove the bolts holding the power steering pump in place, LOOSEN the metal tube going into the power steering pump, remove the upper radiator hose, and remove the two top bolts holding the compressor in and LOOSEN the two bottom compressor bolts (don't worry- they are easy to get to.) I had everything almost done in only two hous- but then I dropped a bolt, then I couldn't get the belt back on. But it is doable, and really was not that hard....