Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[steve6367]

https://www.dropbox.com/sc/357939tdehiuw87/AAD5jrU1EVQKiHV0gTJ6NKFha

I'm struggling to pin it down!

Only when cold, once warmed up all goes quiet.

Any thoughts appreciated.

[star_whites]

I'd say bearing collapsing or running dry.

Start by removing aux belt and turn the tensioner by hand, mine sounded like this when it was on its way out.

[terry paget]

Could be the aux belt itself. I had a similar noise on the 2.5 I bought in Clacton, cure ws to change the aux belt. As previous reply, removing the belt will be instructive. Easier, locate a socket with long bar on the tensioner and relieve the belt tension.

[tunnie]

Pop the Aux belt off, start the car but run only for a few seconds. See if makes same noise 

If yes, cambelt related.

If no, aux belt related.

Then worth trying to spin each bearing the aux runs on, see if you can feel hear the suspect one.

[EMD]

And if it is the aux belt , make sure you check condition of the tensioner pulley wheel for play . A new aux belt on a worn out tensioner pulley wheel will end in tears 

[zirk]

As above, if its Aux Belt related, also check Water Pump Pulley Bolts are nice and tight, the fact that it gets quieter when warm would get me thinking possibly Water Pump.

[steve6367]

Thank you all - I thinks its the tensioner pulley. Aux belt of and all quiet, swapped another old pulley on and stayed quiet. 

[Nick W]

Thank you all - I thinks its the tensioner pulley. Aux belt of and all quiet, swapped another old pulley on and stayed quiet. 

You can easily clean and grease the tensioner pulley once it's off.
Or new ones are about a tenner.

[steve6367]

Thank you all - I thinks its the tensioner pulley. Aux belt of and all quiet, swapped another old pulley on and stayed quiet. 

You can easily clean and grease the tensioner pulley once it's off.
Or new ones are about a tenner.

I think will grab a new one for peace of mind reading the stories of when they fail! Its beyond grease, massive amount of play in it and it was red hot when taken off.

Thank you all for the great advise 

[terry paget]

Thanks Steve, thanks Nick. I have had 2 aux belts pulleys fail on Omegas, and it's bad news. Last one was on the way to son's wedding reception at Dawlish Warren, 6pm, November, descending the hill to Starcross. Without water pump or alternator car was useless.
I then changed the pulleys on all my cars. Perhaps it's worth doing regularly, or at least removing, inspecting and greasing. Timely reminder that cam belt pulleys must be changed to avoid disaster.

[terry paget]

Having said that, I suppose the bearings in the water pump, alternator, power steering pump and AC compressor, all share the same load so are equally prone to failure. Now I am worried.

[Nick W]

Having said that, I suppose the bearings in the water pump, alternator, power steering pump and AC compressor, all share the same load so are equally prone to failure. Now I am worried.

But they are all fitted to shafts, and are better supported; for instance alternators and compressors have a bearing at each end, and other internal components fail first. The water pump isn't as effective, and are a service item as a result.

That the tensioner pulley fails first is actually good design in that it is the quickest, easiest and cheapest part to service or replace if it fails. And this sort of serpentine belt is much more efficient and reliable than the old style flat or v-belts were.

[terry paget]

You're right, Nick. I know they are easy to remove. I reckon it's worth removing every two years, feeling for roughness, and if it feels OK, greasing and replacing; if it feels rough, replacing with new. Lithium grease, graphite grease. molybdenum disulphide grease, any old grease?