just completed 60k...scared to death

[1kirby1]

Due to a faulty water pump I figured I might as well due timing belt, cps, and crank seal, while replacing the pump (I wouldn't have known to do it all at the same time if it wasn't for people in the forum, big thanks. It made a **** of a lot of sense once I got 5 hours into just taking part after part out though and seeing it's all right there). I did not end up with any extra bolts or anything like that and feel I was very thorough. To my relief the car is running very well except for a noise coming out of the front side of the engine (or right front wheel). I don't believe it was there before but I could just be noticing it now because I'm really listening to it and watching gauges etc so I can shut it down in case something fails. The sound is high pitched and resonates about every 3rd of a second at idle (only time I can hear it). I can actually hear it better from the driver door but I'm sure it's from the front of the engine. Thinking it might be a tensioner bearing on an accessory from me tightening a belt too much. If there's any possibility it's the harmonic, someone please tell me. I tensioned the bolt to 120lbs (took a 4 foot cheater bar, 24" of 1/2 socket extension, and a jack stand to stablize everything to get it off). I did not use lock-tite on anything.

ALSO, I HEARD METAL GO UNDER MY CAR and I'm pretty sure it was from mine because I turned around to see what it was and it was hot enough that it was uncomfotable to touch. It was nothing I recognized, looked like a heat sheild that would go around a cat or something. Would coolant dripping from h20 pump cause something to fall off like this? Then today I swear I heard something else come out while driving but I wasn't able to see it. Have been driving the car still and temperature looks to be stable, although when I first drove it after the 60k the temp was all over the place, I'm assuming the computer had to "learn" the engine again.

Another thing I just put new rims/tires on. 17" rims with 43mm offset and Bridgestone 225/45/ZR17" tires. I have about 1/4 inch between rear strut and tire, how much is safe?

 

[luigisho]

You should locktite the crank pulley bolt. If it gets loose the crankshaft can get damaged= sho boom. The heat shields have been known to come loose and possibly fall off. You should check the other one and try to locate where that noise is coming from.

 

[SHOTIME]

I am not a fan of Loctite on the crank bolt.

the metal piece does sound like a cat shield.

as for the noise, be more specific, it could be the pulleys, or the actual timing belt tensioner too tight.

 

[1kirby1]

Any secrets on keying in on where exactly the noise is coming from? The closer I get to the engine the more drowned out the noise is. Also, the noise doesn't seem to resonate like I said earlier, just a continous med-high pitch squeel. If I can't pin point the noise I'm going to re-tention the timing belt since that can be done fairly simply without me knowing what the problem is, might not be a bad idea anyway. I'll check the harmonic will I'm in there but I can't imagine it's loose. I was running my heater tonight and heard a chirp at 3,000 rpm, must be a loose belt but they already seem too tight to me. I believe there's something on tensioning belts without a tensioner tool @ showtimes, I realize the timing belt tensioner is self adjusting (when you loosen everything up and cam is in proper position etc...). Anymore help would be appreciated. Wheel strut clearance???

Thanks guys

 

[snowwind1990]

I think there is something you have to do with the 17" rims clearing the springs at high speeds, the walls of the tire heat up.....expand. And the inner lip of the fender wall may also scrape in the rear wells..They give us a lot of room in the front(I guess for the extra weight up there)or for lowering the front to improve aero dynamics. I dunno.
Anyway.......Snowwind lost his pretty swiss cheese heat shield by unknown ... It sheared off I guess, the bolts and part of it is still there,,where the rest is I dunno and how it happened I dunno.

Ma Ma M..........
.you have someone going out to your SHO at night and losening parts and when you drive they fall off maybe, I dunno

 

[dar314]

Use a hollow pipe and place it against the egine case's and listen it will act like a doctors stetha scope, just be careful for moving parts.

 

[sdpatt]

Be aware if you try to retension the timing belt that the crankshaft must be 60 degrees BTDC on the #1 cylinder. That is the yellow mark on the crank damper at the "0" mark on the index marks. You only have to remove the small door on the timing cover over the 14mm nut on the tensioner pulley to access the nut. Set to 60 BTDC, loosen, then tighten the nut.

But I don't think that the timing belt tension is going to create the sounds you are describing. Find the source of the noise before yo utry to "fix" anything.

 

[AutoSHO]

Does the sound change tone as you turn the steering wheel or add electrical load? It sounds to me like you have a slipping belt, or slipping belts. The timing belt won't make a squeal, it can't. Try tightening the belts a little bit. Did you replace the serpentine belts when you did all this? If not, its a good time to do this as well.

 

[DJ SHO]

I'm experiencing a squeal in my ATX too. It's only around 1000 rpm that it does this. And usually lasts a while after going through a normal sized puddle of water. Temp of the air doesn't have any affect on it either. It there when the motor is cold at startup and it's there when it's warm. I'm thinking it might be my serpentine belt and or the tensioner. My belt is fairly new though so I'm stumped. But I think it could be one of the two becuase if I go through a normal puddle in the rain, the belt slips and makes a little squeal and you can tell because the lights dim for a couple seconds (running off of battery only during slippage). I don't know... It shouldn't slip like and does it at almost every decent sized puddle I go through. Maybe the tensioner isn't tight enough. Who knows...

<small>[ October 10, 2002, 12:57 AM: Message edited by: DJ SHO ]</small>

 

[1kirby1]

Thank you all for the comments, and now that I think about things Scott you are probably right (as I've noticed in other topics you reply to also). I checked and re-checked that I was doing everything correctly when it came to installing the new timing belt, I should just leave it alone. The 4 foot pipe I got to bust loose the crank bolt should work perfectly for finding the noise . I did not replace accessory belts, they looked really good, the timing belt did too to be honest but I had aleady purchased the new one etc... I feel pretty good about things now, I just need to find where the **** that piece fell off of. I know what the other thing was that I heard go under my car, I'm pretty sure it was part of my drivers side plastic wheel well because the idiot that owned it before me busted some of the tabs and didn't bother replacing them. I had to buy 25 but I didn't care, those things are always bustin and it would be nice to have a few extra. Any ideas on how long it takes to put a new blend door actuator in? I've got clicking in dash and no a/c, going by the helms it looks like that's the prob anyhow. I'm pretty sure there's already posts on this, I'll check it out.

Thanks guys...

 

[RogueSHO]

i have a sound like darth vader breathing... thought it was the intake... nope. it comes in and out, usually hear it when i'm sitting still because the road noise drowns it out. i don't know what it is but i just thought i'ld add that in.

 

[snowwind1990]

squint "like Darth Vader breathing" squint ...now that is funny..I had to add "Darth" to "Bart"who is now "Darth Bart" 'cause the "breathing" is exactly what I found odd about him....
He has Edelbrock mufflers, SHOshop Y-pipe, with this huge resonator and it really sounds like Darth when he is "warming" up,,I would say it probably takes a full 2 mins. to find idle...
Ma Ma M...
\Darth Bart and Snowwind..not exactly two of a kind, like Dominoe Twins.....Black//White both Gen I .

 

[1kirby1]

What the **** is a resonator? Sounds cool, I'm sure I need one!