Nasty Bearing Noise

[schulte]

Got an ugly bearing noise coming out of my motor. Can't tell if it's inside the motor or off the serpentine belt.

Sounds like your typical bearings about to grenade sound; like a glass jar of BB's being shaken.

It's intermittent; it comes and goes at idle, but is more common when the engine is up to temp.

Just replaced the alternator; almost 160k on the clock and the factory one finally gave up... thought this might've been it but I guess not. While replacing, I spun both idlers and the tensioner pulley, found no excessive play or noise from being spun by hand.

What else could this be? I'm leaning towards the PS pump, but I'm hoping that's not it. I do have the truck leveled out with 35's, so it would make sense cuz the PS takes a real beating.

Could this be something more serious, a crank bearing? It doesn't sound like one to me, but from where it's coming from it seems like its IN the motor. I wouldn't think a main would be bad this early... oil's always been full and changed on time.

 

[JustinD]

Check your flex plate, my buddy just had a similar noise and thought it was the converter but it ended up being a cracked flex plate.

 

[schulte]

Check your flex plate, my buddy just had a similar noise and thought it was the converter but it ended up being a cracked flex plate.

Weird. Was it intermittent or all the time?

 

[precision37]

Try running it without the serp belt.

 

[jcool]

Try running it without the serp belt.

 

[shortcircut65]

that will let you know if it is the ps, or the fan, or idlers, or tensioner. if it still does it, then that not good!

Ken

 

[Ed HD]

Do it for less than a minute. You'll know right away if it is or not.

 

[schulte]

The noise is intermittent... it comes and goes- even when it's there, usually if I put it in drive or take it out of drive, it stops with the slight change in engine RPM.

 

[srode]

Has your oil pressure dropped any? If you're losing a bearing - you should see a pressure drop.

 

[JustinD]

noise would get worse when it warmed up????

 

[schulte]

Has your oil pressure dropped any? If you're losing a bearing - you should see a pressure drop.

I don't think so, but I can't really tell because my oil pressure gauge is kinda tweaked out. The stepper motor is gone in it; sometimes it'll randomly just go down below 0, sometimes it works fine.

 

[schulte]

noise would get worse when it warmed up????

Not really; it happens only at idle though. If I put my foot down on the throttle a little and bring it a couple hundred RPM up from idle, it stops. Sometimes, just shifting from drive to neutral while not moving makes it stop.

Slight changes in RPM make it go away; so far it's only at idle. Starting to get really aggravating.

 

[THEFERMANATOR]

Just for the heck of it, look at your turbo down pipe passenger side and check the support bracket on it. My donor truck I bought has a similiar noise in it only at idle and I found that it was the support bracket on the downpipe was cracked and hitting at idle. Also take the belt off and run it for a minute at idle. You won't overheat it that quickly or kill the battery that quick(the water pump is internally gear driven anyways). While the belt is off put it in and out of gear and see if you can replicate the noise.