Installed the new tensioner assembly and the noise is still present. I've noticed that my power steering pump, water pump and AC clutch pulleys all have slight play. Not enough to see but enough to hear/feel when i wiggle them. I think the very slight play in all pulleys add up and is enough to create the vibration. I'm trying to determine if i should continue driving the car at this point of if i have to fix everything as soon as possible.
Would you replace either pulley?
- Thread starter JHZR2
- Start date
JHZR2
Staff member
If there is play and things aren’t perfectly lined up, of course there will be issues.
Check water pump first. On my om602 it spins almost too easily.
Thanks, i will start here. New water pump is on it's way. I'll start here and see if i can find an original used PS pump as well and maybe replace the AC pulley. I'll keep you posted. I forgot to check but is it common for these crankshaft pulleys to fail?
JHZR2
Staff member
I’ve seen some with a bit of rubber chunked out. But otherwise not that I’ve seen.
The water pump is the one likely to be loose and wobble. If the ps was an issue I think you would hear and see it.
If one gets bad likely multiple are…
Pulleys, tensioners and belts get replaced ever 80-100k. They are are almost always on there way out by then. Timing belt and hardware, the same thing. Check the water pump while your at it.
Water pump is replaced and i've installed another PS pump i had which is in good shape and it still rattles like crazy around 1000 rpm when taking off and on decel (also audible at idle and above said RPM range). I am at loss to understand where it comes from. There's no wobble or play anywhere now, just extremely slight play in the AC clutch pulley. I still don't have the one way alternator pulley installed but it should be better than that without upgrading this pulley.
JHZR2
Staff member
And you’re absolutely sure it’s coming from the pulley/belt system?
The spring on the tensioner isn’t broken, is it?
Thanks for still answering my questions by the way. I'm pretty sure it comes from the belt system since the sound was slightly changing while playing with the tension of the spring with the engine running. And no the spring isn't broken. The noise seemed to lessen when reducing the tension on the spring and be worse if i applied more force. Can the belt itself be the problem? I've noticed that length is a bit different from a manufacturer to another.
JHZR2
Staff member
If you have an incorrect length belt, sure. Verify yours against the FSM. They vary by 10-20mm by year, engine variant, and car variant.
Is turning up the radio and ignoring the sound an option?
If only it was just a sound, i can feel the rattle through the whole car!
Update: 99% sure it has something to do the alternator. I am going to install the overrunning pulley after christmas and see if it helps but i suspect the alternator is bad. If i raise the rpm to around 1000 which is the worst, i don't see any excessive movement in the belt or tensioner but with the hand on the alternator i can definitely feel the rattle coming from it.
Update: 99% sure it has something to do the alternator. I am going to install the overrunning pulley after christmas and see if it helps but i suspect the alternator is bad. If i raise the rpm to around 1000 which is the worst, i don't see any excessive movement in the belt or tensioner but with the hand on the alternator i can definitely feel the rattle coming from it.
If they spin this freely it means all the grease is gone, which means time to change. Doesn’t need immediate attention, but it needs to be done.
Also,
Wow! BITOG safety police is sleeping on the job. Not even one mention of OP sticking a tool near a spinning radiator fan and how this is not a proper way of checking things.
Also,
Wow! BITOG safety police is sleeping on the job. Not even one mention of OP sticking a tool near a spinning radiator fan and how this is not a proper way of checking things.
JHZR2
Staff member
Well how else was I going to exert pressure on the item to diagnose?? Of course there is some risk. It’s calculated risk, taken with care.
Agree. I don't have the fan on my car, it made things easier too...
Indeed, the alternator spins freely without the belt.
Belt tensioner repair:
Sorry, should’ve used an emoji to indicate I was joking and being sarcastic.
