Hello All. Need some help.

When I start the car cold, for a long while, even after the car begins to warm, there is a noticable (fairly loud) chirping and squeaking from a belt or a pully that I just can't track down. The sound can be heard across and down the street - especially at start up... It seems to get better, close to disappear, once things heat up. I fear a water pump, but who knows...?

I'll start the car and jam my big head under the hood but there is so much ACTION in the area, all kinds of wind from the fan, the rotation of the fan itself, the multiple belts and the engine noise itself, it's impossible to pinpoint.

​​​​​But it has to be solved. I fear zipping down the highway and a pulley bearing seizing up, belts flying and all the potential damage.

I was thinking to remove the fan, start the car and plug the AAV so revs are low while cold,,, briefly and see if that helps me identify the offender(s) - I'm sure it would, but then what? Is there a way lube these pullies? Replacement bearings? A top secret way to identify the pully with all the ACTION under the hood?

I know this is fundamental stuff but I can't nail it down,,, and randomly pulling belts and pulleys on these cars ain't no easy task. Any help/guidance would be greatly appreciated.

 

JJJ
First suspect is the alternator belt. The fourth and innermost, of course! I suggest as follows:
When you start it up, have to bonnet (hood) open and spray WD40 over the belts, each in turn that you can see from the top (ie not the alternator one) and see if that stops it. If it does, all good. If not it tends to confirm the alternator belt. You can try testing its tension, if loos-ish try tensioning it, or replace - which is a pain as the first three have to be removed.

 

AND

Being 1990, that alternator belt is more than likely a
"flat belt" as apposed to the earlier version which is a "V" belt.

Once Flat Belts start to squeal, replacement is the only sure way.

Clean the multi V sections of the alternator and engine pulley of any old crap from that belt, or you will do it again in about a months time, HA.

NEXT

The section of the engine pulley that drives that belt is vulcanised to the inner section, and that "rubber" fails, age, oil, coolant, road shiiit, etc. Rebuilt engine pulleys, commonly called a harmonic balancer, are available, or get yours re vulcanised, simple.

 

FWIW . . .

 

Hey Y'all Three! Thank ya thank ya...

There is a product here called "belt dressing" or some other. I will get a can and belt at a time, go down the front of the engine, see what I hear.

I've heard about the vulcanized crank main pulley and over the last few years have done the line down the middle of the crank pulley test (I'll do her again) to check for difference in spin rate. Was always good,,, in the past.

I'll pay CLOSE attention to the alternator belt...in this. Thank you!

My fear, and what I think it may be, is one of the bearings (is it called a bearing?) in one of the pulley shafts. I really really hope not. It sounds like metal on metal, but I could be and certainly have been WRONG...

See sheared bolt (8mm head), top one, on the under side of the engine, sump pan space, oil spout pick up... My handy work... Some serious GRANT style unusual body language and curse words, hooping and holling, after that wrong move!!! This is supposed to be fun, lol
Upper most bolt (of course) at the top O the black tube - oil pick up!

 

NOPE

Bearings usually rumble.
Failure is generally very quick and sudden, so a week or so would be the MOST expected from a failing pulley bearing,

 

Get an automotive stethoscope and trace the squeak. I had one, fairly high pitched, that started after the engine was running a couple of minutes.This was aafter extensive work at the front of the engine, oilpan, seals, etc. Traced it to the area behind the harmonic balancer. Long story short, I believe it was from an undertorqued balancer bolt after doing extensive searching. Squeak hasn't returned after ensuring the balancer bolt was torqued tight.
Here's a video of what my squeak sounded like.
Jon

 

I need one of these anyways. Long overdue. Not a super expensive anything,,, but something...

I should mention,,, the ABOVE oil pan photo is of my 204 XKR. Not the XJS, thank goodness...

That's good news about the bearing then, thank you Grant!

I'm on the hunt.

 

Here's an alternative for the stethoscope from the most annoying voice on YouTube.

 

Oh yeah, oh hell no... Tooooo many moving parts, and I have long hair. Pretty much anywhere else,,, but not in the belt works of an v12... I'm brave,,, but not that brave.

 

Here's stethoscope from Harbor Freight. It's what I use.Stethoscope

 

Hairnet? Bathing cap? Barber?

 

Hahaha... Dreadlocks, to the belt line. Haven't sat in a barbers chair for 20+ years - girlfriend with scissors is as close as I've gotten. So, other areas for the engine, long screwdriver - belts,,, no go.

 

With you on that one Jay, not the hair, the many rotating parts just waiting to reek havoc with human components.

Memory, hahaha, only one idler in there, the actual engine fan belt, and I have never had one of them go south.

The other components with bearings are all major items, and those bearings "rumble" not squeak/squeal.

 

Just to follow up with this...

I used WD-40 on the upper belts many days ago and maybe 40 miles and the chirping and squeaking is gone... Sometimes I think I can hear where it might have been,,, but yup, it ain't around no more and I'm thankful for that. More, I'm thankful for y'all...

Hope everyone is doing well out there,,, in the big ol worl...
Talk soon ! I have another speedometer thread in my future. Darned-est thing it is.