JHZR2
Staff member
I have no record of its replacement, and it looks like an original part. Spins smooth but makes some real noise. Works perfect in terms of flow/cooling.
I have an OE replacement coming.
Another noisy bearing - water pump 31 yrs, 228k
- Thread starter JHZR2
- Start date
- Status
I have no record of its replacement, and it looks like an original part. Spins smooth but makes some real noise. Works perfect in terms of flow/cooling.
I have an OE replacement coming.
ls1mike
$50 Site Donor 2026
That pump owes you nothing. 
How difficult (or easy) is the R & R? Some of the bolts appear to be behind other components (?).
What does it sound like when the pulley is under tension of the Serpentine Belt, and the engine is running? If it's somewhat quieter, and there is no coolant leakage at the bearing, I would keep running, and just keep an eye on it... Perhaps a few drops of oil wherever you think it would best get into the bearing would help quiet it down a bit??
Pump the weep hole full of grease. Good for another 100K.
JHZR2
Staff member
Well, there has been some belt noise since a I’ve owned the car, and the PO unfortunately tried spraying belt conditioner to quiet it. That just made a sticky disgusting mess…
I’ve thought about removing the pulley and looking more at the bearing… but at some point I’m not sure it’s worth the effort versus changing out the part for peace of mind.
JHZR2
Staff member
Not bad since I have the fan removed already. One bolt is occluded by the alternator bracket. Not a huge deal except for getting the torque right when reinstalling.
When I bought my pickup, (1991 F-150), I had the Serpentine Belt start making noise after 2 or 3 thousand miles. If I kept driving it got worse. A new belt would stop it, until another 3,000. Then it would start squealing again. I took it in, and the dealer I bought it from couldn't find anything wrong. And they told me everything was, "normal". Total B.S., and nothing but an excuse that they didn't know how to fix it.
I called another dealer in Kingman and asked him if they had an unusual number of late model F-150's come in with squealing fan belts. He was honest and said they did. I brought mine in to him, and it turned out to be a misalignment issue with one of the pulleys from the factory. They fixed it while I waited, and I've never had an issue since.
Now I normally run Serpentine Belts for 30,000 miles. They would go longer if I drove more. But the high under the hood temperatures out here in the Summer from heat soaking, dries them out, and they start to crack.
It was a common problem back then and often fixed with a washer to realign belt path. A competent service department would have discovered some TSB's regarding belt squeel at that time.
The key word in that sentence is, "competent"...... They were not.
JHZR2
Staff member
How did they determine the amount of misalignment and how did they fix it?
I really didn't ask. I had put up with it for several thousand miles, and was getting disgusted that the dealer here in town that I bought it from couldn't, or else didn't know how to fix it.
Out of desperation I called the Ford dealer up in Kingman, (about 60 miles north of Lake Havasu), told him the issue I was having, and asked if it was a common problem affecting that model. He told me it was, and assured me they could fix it.
So I set up an appointment and drove there. It took about an hour and a half, and it was fixed. When I pulled in the place it was squealing worse than it ever had. And it was completely silent when I left. (It was the same belt).
After I got it home I looked over everything, but I couldn't see any washers, spacers, or anything else. So I can't say for sure how or what they realigned what was out of whack. I was just happy to finally get it fixed for good.
That was over 30 years ago, and it's never been a problem since. And in that time the vehicle has seen both a new water pump, and a new alternator.
- Status
