Aloysius

My car just started with a new noise from the front of the engine. With the screwdriver-stethoscope, the noise is loudest coming from the viscous fan mount which was leading me to believe that it might be the pulley bearing in the mount. However I was beginning to wonder about a WP bearing going bad and tried to check the noise on the block that the viscous fan mounts to; the noise there is not so loud but I can definitely hear the same noise. Tried listening further back on the block on the water bridge and the noise is quieter still. Any thoughts from these observations?

It sounds like a grinding bearing, directly related to engine rpm up and down. I tried spraying water on the belts to see if it was belt noise but that didn't make a difference. I've been driving it daily for the last 8 months or so and it's largely been bulletproof - trying to keep it that way.

I suppose one step would be to remove the fan anchored by the (3) bolts and see if the noise goes away. Anyone have a tip on running the motor with a loose fan belt around the smog pump and main pulley?

Any and all thoughts welcome. I have to sort this out to determine if it's "crisis mode" or "wait till it breaks mode". It's my only transport at the moment so have to figure it out soon. Thank you!

Dean_Fuller

I always have to remind myself that ANY bearing, new, or old, will make noise that you will hear with a stethoscope. The easiest thing is to remove accessory belts. If its still there its the WP...if it goes away then it could be the AC compressor pulley, alternator, fan, PS pump. You can then isolate by putting one one belt on at a time and run it.

James Bailey

Far better to find out what it is BEFORE the issue become a major one and you must tow the car and get it fixed quickly because quickly means more money !! rental car, tow, major hassle.... YUour car is talking to you...... LISTEN !

Aloysius

@Sir Bailey - I am TOTALLY Listening. Just took off the fan and PS belts and turned it over. Sound is still there. Looks like I'm into TB/WP territory now; time to place an order! Er, may find a local shop to take it on - my time is looking too precious these days. <sigh>

Landseer

I had a bad noise on 84.
Turned out to be the inspection plug on the bell housing cover under the car.
The rubber plug had turned rock solid hard, shrunk a bit, and was vibrating in the cover.

How about your air pump? Those go bad and make noise too.

Aloysius

Hey Landseer - I should upload a video or something of the noise but those video uploads never do much for me. I'll check the bell housing but this noise is definitely topside. The belt for the fan is also the air pump; so when running the car to check, the only belts turning were the A/C and Alternator - and the noise is definitely inside the WP somewhere. I get this ugly feeling it's the impeller scraping. Or, it's an idler pulley with a blown bearing. Bottom line: open it up and see what's there. I'd love to do it if I had the time but I don't see any in the near future. + I need the car for transport, recently moved, fun, fun, fun . .