I got a noise at idle. It's like a weird rattle. It sounds like its a pully. Like a bearing or something. Could it be the tensioner?? All of my pulleys are tight. Alternator is good, a/c compressor good. It doesn't do it all the time though?

 

Given the limited information you have here, I'd check the tensioner pulley bearing or the water pump. Possibly the clutch for the A/C compressor.

 

It's not coming from a/c. It sounds the same even when it's not engaged and the water pump is new

 

It sucks because its intermittent

 

Best I can say is get out and hunt it down when its happening. The tensioner pulley is only like 12 bux and takes maybe 15 minutes to change if you want to just take a shot at it.

 

Yea I'll probably do that. I need a belt too

 

Well I installed new belt and tensioner. Still a rattle. It sounds like a grinding rattle?? I don't understand it

 

It's like a chatter

 

Ps pump or water pump.

 

Smog Pump.

 

How hard to change smog pump?? I do hear it louder underneath the car

 

It's not terrible. I just did the delete on mine. I had a very similar sound but mine was intermittent. Especially when hot

 

What are the steps taken to install delete pulley???

 

Well there isnt much info that your giving out but i had the same problem with my camaro. go under the car and check your torque converter to flexplate bolts, see if they are loose or if you are missing some bolts.

 

Ok I'll try that

 

Did tightening the flexplate bolts fix it?
Interested in knowing what you did if you solved it since I have the same situation.

 

btw if u delete the smog pump don't buy a new pulley change the routing, heres the link. https://www.thirdgen.org/serpentine

 

I'm interested in what this might be as I have the same thing very occasionally. I replaced my tensioner, removed my ac, smog, new water pump- only the alternator remains- could it be that?

 

Is the noise happening at specific RPMs? Does your car idle at 500 and occasionally jump 600-700 (makes grinding), returning to idle around 500 (no noise)?

 

Usually when you're moving and put the clutch in to coast and then at idle at tickover rpm.

 

Just a note on the A/C pulley. The A/C pulley is supported by a bearing and whether the clutch is engaged or not, that bearing carries the full load of the pulley. The bearing will be noisy whether or not the compressor is engaged.

TC bolts are a definite possibility. Also, I see alot of issues with serpentine systems producing belt noise that can sound alot like bearing noise. It is most often caused by a slight misalignment of the pulleys that forces the back of the belt to drag at an angle across the water pump pulley. Look for a variation in the pulleys and for the belt to enter and exit the water pump pulley at slightly different points front to rear. It doesn't take much of a difference to make alot of noise. Try a little WD-40 on the back of the belt and see if it goes quiet for a short time. If so, then you need to realign the pulleys. On GM products, adjusting the P/S pulley 1/16 to 1/8 inch forward usually does the trick.