The drive belt pulley/wheel on the very front of the engine, above the crank pulley (?? the big low one) makes an unbelievably annoying noise that makes my car sound like absolute s**t. I pulled up at an Arby's drive-thru and the dude told me to cut my car off it was so loud.

All the pulleys are real tight, except this one, I can move it back and forth a bit. I tried to tighten a couple of the bolts on the front but if I try to do that the whole wheel will move so I stopped. What can I do?!?!?!?!?!?

info. that might help a solution:

my A/C recently stopped blowing really cold air, and needs recharged. I'm in the middle of fixing a cooling system problem, so this might have to do with the car running hotter than usual lately. (just changed the thermostat to a brand new 180).

 

buy a new water pump from what it sounds like. The pulley right above the crank is the waterpump. The bearings are probably shot in it, which is also why your having cooling probs, replace it and you'll kill both bird with one stone

 

Thanks a bunch for the reply. I was dreading this conclusion since this is one task I've never taken on. I'm going to search the archives now... guess how I'm spending my weekend......

 

Mike,

I'm not sure how you're planning to do it, but here's a suggested schedule:

Saturday -

• 7:00 - Shut off alarm clock and sleep in an extra hour or so - It's the weekend!
• 9:00 - Call around for the best deal on a replacement pump.
• 9:30 - Hop in your noisy, hot car and head out for parts.
• 11:00 - Return with a new pump, a couple gallons of antifreeze concentrate, a new belt, and a can of black spray engine enamel (rated for higher temperatures), a small can of thread sealant, and gaskets for the pump.
• 11:30 - Open the box to make sure the pump is the right one for your engine. If so, paint the pump and set it aside.
• 11:45 - Start draining the cooling system. Make sure any animals can't get at the drain pan.
• 12:00 = LUNCH BREAK! (No Big Orange drinks just yet!)
• 13:00 - Slightly loosen the bolts holding the pump sheave to the pump hub. Remove the drive belt.
• 13:05 - Remove the lower radiator hose and heater hose from the pump (if equipped). If the pump has a pipe plug or hose fitting on the upper right side, loosen it.
• 13:15 - Remove the four bolts holding the pump to the engine. You may have to remove or loosen another accessory bracket or two. Remove the pump.
• 13:30 - Clean any excess gasket material from the front of the engine.
• 13:45 - Glue the new gaskets in position. Allow the gasket cement to set for a few minutes. Clean the threads of the four pum mounting bolts while you wait for the cement to set up.
• 14:00 - Install the new pump. Apply sealant to the threads of the four cleaned bolts, and install them.
• 14:15 - Remove the bolts holding the belt sheave to the old pump. Install the sheave on the new pump. Tighten the bolts as best you can by hand without damaging the sheave.
• 14:30 - Install the drive belt. Tighten the hub bolts (the engine will help keep the water pump sheave from turning while you tighten).
• 14:45 - Apply thread sealant to the heater hose fitting (or plug) and tighten. Reconnect the lower radiator and heater hoses.
• 15:00 - AFTERNOON BREAK! (One beverage only.)
• 15:15 - Fill the system with clean water only. Keep the radiator cap loose or off, and start the engine and allow it to reach operating temperature. Watch the radiator fill opening for activity and keep the system close to full.
• If the pump will move coolant through the radiator, install the cap and allow the system to build pressure. Check for leaks.
• 15:45 - Once you realize everything is back to normal, shut off the engine and drain the system again.
• 16:00 = While waiting for the system to drain, plan your evening.
• 16:15 - Refill with a mix of coolant appropriate to the lowest expected temperature in your area.
• 16:00 - Clean up your toys and the area. Dispose of the used fluids correctly, wash up, and enjoy your evening.

Sunday -
• Yell at me if I forgot something.

That's just one possibility...

 

Good luck with your pump, myn is squeeling like a B**CH too, but since myn ain't drove much at all, it is going to wait till our tahoe intake gasket is fixed. My dad knows exactly whats wrong but he has ZERO time to even start on it. :/ Anyway, good luck with your pump.

 

(yelling) you forgot return with....

box of band-aids, Neosporin, and at least one know-it-all buddy that'll be more than willing to help if he gets 12 bottles of his choosing and can watch the game at the same time.



Thanks a million for the details dude... I really don't know what to say other than the obvious.... I wish I had the money to make somebody else do it.....

 

Sounds right. But why do you suggest filling with water first? Why not fill with the mix immediately and top off as required?

 

It's a flush fill to help dissolve any remaining sediment, loose gasket particles from scraping/cleaning the surfaces, or other "junk" that may come from inside the hoses after flexing or the new pump,

Additionally, if there is a leak, you only lose water, not antifreeze.

 

Yeah you shouldn't have all that much trouble with the water pump, I've done plenty of them in my life, pretty straightfoward on a small block chevy, just might take ya a little bit if you've never done it b4, but its fairly fairly painlessless fix, just time consuming for the amatuer.

 

Vader,
You made that seem way more complicated than it really is. Water pump installs are easy. I don't think you'll have to much trouble with it. Follow Vader's lengthy instructions and you'll be ok.

 

Just thought I'd correct myself b4 i get made fun of lol. Take one fairly and one less out of my last post....

 

okay...................... um...............


put new pump on..... put pulley wheel on front of pump..... can't put new belt on, it's not long enough. is there something I gotta loosen and move to be able to get the new belt around all the pulleys??? I'm following the diagram and I made sure I knew the belt routing diagram before I took old one off..... do I need a longer belt??? the belt they gave me is the exact part number as the one I had.



WTF?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

 

They told me at Advance that the tensioner can be lifted upwards by just grabbing onto the middle bolt...... is this safe before I go breaking something??!?!?!


and.... if I do this and end up with a different position in the tensioner pulley, will it f*** up my timing?

 

There's a square hole in the tensioner bracket; you put a ½" ratchet or something in there, and lift the tesioner; that way the belt will go on, and when you let go of the tensioner, its spring tension will push it against the belt to tension it.

 

This won't break the belt? it seems like the belt's at least an inch short. I cut the old belt (that I couldn't get on either) and wound it through to see how far it's off, and it was a good inch.

 

aight I'm stumped.... it took me a total of probably 30 minutes to get the last screw in on my water pump replacement.... and I gotta get a ride to work today because I can't figure out how to loosen this "tensioner" to get my belt on. (Guy at Advance told me to grab the bolt in the middle of the pulley and pull upwards..... um...... no......)

I put a ratchet in the hole that protrudes out of the right side of the top of the tensioner and there's no way this thing is moving. In the middle of the tensioner part above the pulley part, there's a 6-pointed star hole...... do I need to loosen it this way??? I can't see any other way to get it to move.



HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Put a ratchet with a 1/2 drive in the square hold that's at the end of the tensioner.
Stand on the passenger side of the car.
Pull the ratchet upwards and towards you. Looking at it straight on it would be counter clockwise.
The tensioner should move plenty to get the belt on. It's spring loaded.
Don't use the Star hole. That's the bolt that mounts the tensioner assembly to the bracket.