has anybody ever experienced a rattling pump? i first thought it was my ac compressor...it went bad shortly there after so i put a new one on. then i noticed the pulley on the power steering pump was moving slightly after i heard the same noise with the new ac compressor. tonight, i just put on a new power steering pump thinking that this has got to solve the rattle. it didn't! apparently the power steering pump has too much end play in the shaft (same as old one) and it only makes noises when the ac compressor kicks in and quiets down when the motor is revved slightly. anybody know what i can do to fix this? it seems as though the ac compressor just causes a slight vibration which causes the power steering pump pulley to move slightly and rattle.

 

If you have a serpentine belt, chances are it's the tensioner that's shot. Whenever I turned my A/C on, the tensioner would rattle badly. I replaced it, $40 part, might as well get a new belt if you don't have one. Cured my rattling.

 

I have a very similar situation with my '86 Firebird (2.8) (outlined in another thread). My car is several years older than the one in question above and I'm not running a serpentine belt to the p/s.

Could someone out there tell me if I have a tensioner that might be a problem.

Thanks.

 

As far as I know JUnderscore, you don't have a tensioner for the PS pump.

First, the standards. Check the pulley on the pump, make sure it hasn't loosened. Check your belt and make sure it isn't fraying or delaminating. (Slapping rubber chunks sound odd at high speed.)

If its not that, while your motor is running, try looking at the side of the pulley and see if it is wobbling at all. A buddy of mine had one get bent slightly somehow (to this day he has no idea how it happened) and it was actually flexing and coming in contact with the A/C belt at times. Makes kind of a weird 'thrumming' sound.

Hope that helps ya.

 

Gee, the more research I do, the more it sounds like a tensioner problem. So, I ask myself: What is like the tensioner that might do the same thing? A pulley.
Thing is, the sound gets worse with the a/c on. I don't remember which belts go to what components right now. I wonder how the a/c is affecting sound. hmmm

BlazerMaro, you're probably right about me not having a tensioner. I can't find a replacement tensioner for anything older than an '87.

It's 11pm here, but I think I'll go outside and look under my hood anyway.
edit: ok. I went under the hood and remembered that I'm not running a belt on my compressor(?) or a/c (the one above the power steering). The sound happens with or without the belt anyway. Also found the p/s pulley to have a little play in it frontwards and backwards. Just enough so it makes a 'clink' sound when I wiggle it by hand.

Anyone else have suggestions?

 

Well, I've spotted a stud on the end of my relay rod that's rubbing the lower ~2 inch rubber hose coming from (to?) the radiator when I turn extreme right.
As illustrated, my car hit a center divider on a freeway at ~45mph. I had someone at a body shop eyeball my car and he saw no signs of a bent frame.
The height of the relay rod is adjusted by the idler arm which, through a support, attaches to the *frame*.
May I consider the possibiltiy of a bent relay rod? Is this a more likely cause of my un-level relay rod?

Lastly, anyone suppose this is what is causing my vibration/grinding sound?

The sound happens at low or stopped speed. I don't know exactly how the idler arm works, but it sure has a name that goes with my problem. hmmm

 

oops. I forgot to attach the pics. I knew I was gonna do that.

 

The other...

 

I know this thread is old as dirt. However, this is the EXACT problem I am having. What was used as the solution?