Print

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

[Goonybird]

So having just spent £400 getting the car through the MOT, another problem has surfaced.
I have had a noisy pulley at the front for a the last month. It sounded like the drive belt tensioner pulley. I thought this would make sense as I fitted a full Gates cambelt and pulley kit in November, @ 3,000 miles ago. Fitted new drive belt and repacked grease in the drive belt tensioner pulley bearings as per OOF-DVD.
So got a pulley off a scrapper and noise is still there  :-?
Listeneing closer it sounds like the top cambelt tensioner pulley. At this point I am getting a bit pee'd off as this means dismantling to get at the pulley and re-timing the belt. Suffice to say I cannot be bothered and might just let it self destruct, coz I have had enough.

[neilr]

why let it destruct if its a full kit get it replaced under warranty if it was a quality make

[Kevin Wood]

Agreed. The slightest hint of a problem with the cam belt and it's worth spending an hour and a half double checking. Very small investment in effort if it's going to prevent a lunched set of valves.

Kevin

[JasonH]

Could it be your water pump. Get a 15mm spanner on the tensioner and slip the belt off the water pump pulley in the middle. Rotate the water pump by hand - if there's any roughness at all the water pump is shot.

[Goonybird]

Could it be your water pump. Get a 15mm spanner on the tensioner and slip the belt off the water pump pulley in the middle. Rotate the water pump by hand - if there's any roughness at all the water pump is shot.

Dont think its the Water pump as that was replaced as well (APE Lockheed).
Sound is definitely coming form the top end. The only other thing could be a camshaft front bearing?

[The Red Baron]

also check power steer pump & air con pump bearings.

[Goonybird]

If it is the top bearing/tensioner ( as suspected), is there any way I can do this while keeping the timing belt in place.
i.e. de-tension and remove the top pulley, then replace and retension?
I am considering getting a dremel to the cam cover and just removing the top half to avoid having to dismantle everthing.

[Bumbazor]

If it is the top bearing/tensioner ( as suspected), is there any way I can do this while keeping the timing belt in place.
i.e. de-tension and remove the top pulley, then replace and retension?

You can keep the belt in place but you need to be sure the top idler is dodgy before it is replaced.
I had a similar suspicion with mine months ago.

I am considering getting a dremel to the cam cover and just removing the top half to avoid having to dismantle everthing.

Not good; how would you replace the top half of the cover to ensure a good seal?

This really is worth doing properly.
First you should identify the faulty part. This is easy to do on pulleys. You will have to remove all the bits and the front timing belt cover to expose the timing belt. Then reassemble all the necessary bits to enable you to run the engine briefly, with the belt exposed. This would be all the air intake bits and probably the metal coolant pipe that runs across the front of the engine. All electrical connections should be made too.
Run the engine only for as long as is necessary. While doing so, put the tip of a screwdiver (anything metal really) on to the centre bolt of each pulley. Be careful and don't slip! Put your ear to the handle end and listen. This will amplify the sound of the part you are holding it against and will certainly majke it easier to locate the noisy part.

Then, work towards fixing or replacing the faulty part.

[Goonybird]

There is a Lord! 
Removeed drive belt this morning and no extraneous noises with engine running, so well happy , and relieved it's not cambelt related.
Repacked the drive belt idler with grease but no improvement. Further investigation reveals the alternator bearings noisy.
Job to do at later date methinks.

Thanks  again for the help and advice as ever.