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I've been messing with my motor trying to figure out why its running the way it is. Well, as it idles, I'm hearing a weird noise...kinda has a bearingish/grinding noise to it. It's kinda hard to hear over my exhaust and gear drive....but I can hear it. I know it's not a rod or main bearing because it has a higher pitch ding/ping to it, and the noise is faster when then the rev...so I know its not that. Could it be my cam? Any and all suggestions welcome. TIA Also, my motor has been running a little hotter then normal. In our "heat" it's been between 210-220* when it's usually around 200-210* Normal weather, 70-85*, it'll be around 180-190* What do you guys think? Thanks!!!
Could be alternator, or water pump bearings... Usually when water pumps go bad, they'll leak a little out of the little seap hole(s)... Check the snout of the water pump for any seapage out of the little hole on top, and/or bottom of the snout of the pump. Maybe pull the belt(s) and see if the noise stops?
Also, grab ahold of the fan and see if you can move/wiggle the water pump shaft. It shoud be rock solid.
Water pump bearings will make a kind of 'growling' noise when they're going bad. When they start getting worse, they will make the shaft wobble and feel loose, or start seeping.
Stupid question here, but, you are talking about doing that with the motor off, right? I don't know how you'd be able to pull on the belts with the motor running....only thing is that you wouldn't be able to hear the noise pulling on the belts with the motor off. I'm gonna go out there in a lil bit and check everything out. Its getting kinda hot out, so I just might wait a lil longer. But I'll let you guys know if I find anything. Thanks a lot!!!
Well I went out and moved the fan around, and nothing. The shaft is stiff. The fan kinda flexed a little, but that's about it. I didn't notice any water near or around the snout and lower rad. hose. Do you think it could be the alternator? I don't have a voltmeter, so I don't know if that's being affected or not.
Start taking belts off and then running the motor. When you take one off that makes the noise go away, you've found the problem.
Another old trick. Take a length of broomstick or similar about 2 feet long. With the engine running put one end on the W/P, or Alternator and the other end in your ear. The noises will conduct through the stick and you'll be able to hear a bearing/bushing that's bad. Just be careful.
Acutally I just finished trying that a lil while ago, but I used a crow bar. I flushed the system because the motor started running hotter then usual. Only thing is that I heard what seemed to be the same noise when I put it the water pump, alternator, intake, and the fuel pump....maybe I shoulda used a broom stick???
Naw, the device used doesn't really matter, but wood will dampen the metallic "ringing" noises. A long screwdriver works too, with the plastic handle in your ear - same thing, dampens the ringing... Do a few test listens, and get used to the "normal" sounds of whirring devices. Then listen hard to the noises "under" the normal ones. This is a trained ear thing. A growling or grinding noise will show up, but as a sound under the "normal" noise. It's hard to explain, just one of those black magic things you learn by experience.
Well I've been taking the car to work, and well....would a water pump that's going out/bad maintain a certain temp? Or does it usually keep rising? I noticed on my way to work, the temp will shoot up really quick, from "0" to 200* within 10-15mins or so of being on the freeway....and that's at roughly 60-65*F at 5:30am. I've noticed that it'll stay between 200-210*....and in the after noon, it'll stay around 210* and "drift" up to 220* when I'm at a red light or stop sign. Does this sound like a water pump that's going bad? Or could it be something else? I flushed the radiator using the water hose, and everything seemed fine. What do you guys think? TIA
Nope. Engine temp is totally independant of the water pump function as long as the impeller inside the pump is turning (even if the pump leaks or the bearing is going bad). Now, if something happens to the vanes of the pump impeller, or, if the pump quits turning, that's a different story. But, basically, if your pump is going bad, but still mover coolant, that won't cause your temp to go up.
Sounds to me like your cooling system is acting normally as they do after a lot of use and/or the passge of time. Temp going up above 180, or whatever the thermostat setting is, in 10-15 minutes is just hwt you want. Somewhere above 180 is normal operating temp. 200-210 on a warm to hot day is not abnormal. Creeping up to 220 at a stoplight is not abnormal. If the system is not new, then it will not cool like a new one and will have less extra capacity to deal with hot days, hills, towing, and idling.
lx, Back to your noise problem. If it is doing it al the time, wait until the car is comletely cooed off and take off all the belts. Then start the engine and see if the noise is still there. You should be able to run it at least 5 minutes, if not longer, without the water pump circulating coolant. If the noise is gone, then you know it is something that turns with a belt. If the noise is still there, then its time to dig further. If the noise went away when you took the belts off, you should be able to figure out what it is. Try taking the fan off the pump and turning it very slowly by hand. That is usually the best way to "feel" a failing bearing. Do the same with the alternator, ps pump etc. Hope you find it,
Is the car automatic? If so check flexplat bolts are loose also a bad converter can cause higher than normal temps because of increased trans temp. Just a thought
Thanks a lot everyone....I guess I'm being "paranoid" or something. It just seemed really odd for me to see my temps go from 180*-190* on a warm day, to the next day 210-220* (on a similar warm day). I just got home from work a little while ago, and I gotta fix my fuel lines...if there's still sun out, I'm gonna try what you guys said and take the belts off and see what happens. As for my tranny, yes it is automatic, and I'm soooooo hoping and expecting it not to be or have anything to do with the converter. Its a B&M Holeshot 2000, and I've heard that they're really not all that great. Well thanks again everyone and I'll let you know what happens when I take the belts off.
Well I did what you guys said, I took off the belts and I still heard the noise BUT!!! As I was about to put the power steering belt back on, I noticed a drop of water on the crank pulley. Sooo, I don't know if it has anything to do with it, but I'm assuming that the noise is because of the water pump.......but I guess that's hard to say since the belt wasn't on. Well, since I did see water on the pulley, I'm guessing now that that's the reason why my temp has been higher then "normal." What do you guys think? Is the water pump what's making the noise I hear? Or is it coincidence or something else? TIA
Most likely its a bad pump--shaft seal won't esal anymore--, but doubt that a pump that's leaking a little would cause temperature problems. Depends on what ypu see when you get the pump off. I've had good luck with Carquest stuff including two water pumps (made by Airtex) in the last 4 months ('72 MOPAR 318, '85 Chev S-10 151 cid.) Good luck.
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