I've had a chirping noise under the hood for a while now that I can't figure out. It seems to make the noise occasionally and it does increase with engine speed

When I take the fanbelt off and start the engine the noise goes away so i know it's something there.

I've replaced the fanbelt, idler pulley and tensioner pulley as the idler pulley had seized. How can I find the source of the noise?

I've searched and found conflicting information on the fan setup. When the engine is stopped should the fan be able to spin, or should it only go 1/4 turn then stop? Mine seems to spin all the way around with a little resistance.

Thanks in advance for any help.

 

it should be a clutch fan and it should spin freely with the engine off if you have a bearing going out on the fan it could be the cause of the chirping does it do it all the time? doesit only do it after it has warmed up some? it could also be your alt, water pump, power steering pump, ac compressor if you can get ahold of a mecanics stethascope it would prolly help narrow it dow some


if you have a harbour freight tools near you it is about 6$ or you can order one online

 

It makes the chirping sound on and off, but there's always a sort of whine that wasn't there before.

How can I check to see if the fan clutch is bad?

 

I had a chirping problem really bad, found out it was the harmonic balancer rubber bushing that wore out when it started it one morning and the pulley shot right off! :-0

 

how can I tell if that's what it is?

What exactly does a harmonic balancer do?

 

I will only chirp when the engine is on, and has pressure on it (belt on).

A harmonic balancer is an extremely important part of the engine, do a search on google for a full definition, but in a nutshell is removes alot of the engine "noise" and harsher shocks.

 

how can I tell if it's that and not something else in the fanbelt system? is ordering a stethascope my best option?

 

I'm not exactly sure, I knew something was wrong with one of my pulleys when the chirping was going on and I inadvertantly found out when it flung off that morning.

If I remember, there is the pulley hub, rubber strap and pulley put together in that order from inner to outer. Look at the rubber strap (sandwiched inbetween hub and pulley) and take a look at it, does it look like it is dry rotting or deteriorating? I guess that would be the best option. Spin pulleys by hand is also good to note whether or not they are making any noise or if there is any significant resistance among one.

 

I just took the belt off again in a place where i had all my tools and took another look.

How much play should the fan have in it? Holding the end of the fanblade it seems like it moves about 1/2-3/4" both ways. Without any load on it makes a small ticking noise when I spin it.

 

I don't think it should move much at all, clutch could be gone.

 

ok, I don't think the clutch is gone, because the play isn't between the fan and the clutch. The play is happening between the pulley and the engine block. I'm pretty sure this is my problem.

Now how do I remove that pulley?

 

I didn't realize the water pump was behind the fan. It looks like the one I've got has gone bad, so I ordered another one, it should be here Wednesday.

Thanks for the help.

If you have any advice on changing the water pump feel free to post them.

 

Yeah the impeller is probably shot, that would definetly be causing a noise! Good luck with changing! Just make sure you have a new gasket for it and its basically plug and play.

 

If the impeller is shot and it looks like there are peices missing I would also flush the cooling system and change the thermostat at the same time good luck

 

My truck is now sitting in pieces in my driveway. I have a new water pump, but I can't get the old one off. All the bolts are out but it refuses to budge.

Any advice?