Chirp near alternator
09-01-2014, 03:34 PM
#1
Le Mans Master
Thread Starter
Chirp near alternator
I have an intermittent chirp coming from the top drivers side on my 2007. Seems to be more consistent now so I am wanting to take care of it. Sounds like it could be coming from the alternator but that is just a guess. Installed an ATI balancer a few months ago so it is not the balancer.
Battery voltage on the DIC is at 13.8 - 14.0. No wobble on any pulleys visible. It is definitely louder on the drivers side and seems to be up high on the engine. I assume that there is another tensioner below the alternator. Is that a DIY? Do Alternator bearings chip when going bad? It is not a grinding sound at all.
Any suggestions on trouble shooting would be appreciated.
Thank you for the help.
Battery voltage on the DIC is at 13.8 - 14.0. No wobble on any pulleys visible. It is definitely louder on the drivers side and seems to be up high on the engine. I assume that there is another tensioner below the alternator. Is that a DIY? Do Alternator bearings chip when going bad? It is not a grinding sound at all.
Any suggestions on trouble shooting would be appreciated.
Thank you for the help.
09-01-2014, 07:04 PM
#3
How much skill do you have.
So long as the belt tensioner still has good spring tension and its pulley is aligned with the rest of the pulleys (spring section arm not walking way from the bracket section, could be as simple as a dry bearing on either the tensioner or the two idlers.
Granted that you can buy new ones, but nothing wrong with pulling the idlers, then pulling the tensioner to pull the pulley from it to get to their bearings to clean the bearing and re-grease them.
To pull the pulley off the tensioner to get to the bearing once you have the tensioner off the car, you need to vise the pulley section of it in a vise to hold it firmly, then spin the tension bolt out of the front assembly. When go to put the bolt back on, Red loctite it back in place.
Note, to figure out if a tension pulley bolt is reverse threaded, look at the direction that you need to wrench the tensioner to put the belt on. The direction that you use a wrench to move spring loaded pulley arm to put the belt on is always the direction that tightens that bolt.
As for cleaning the bearings, WD-40 makes short work of this once the bearing covers/seals have been remove (let the WD-40 sit for a few mins, then pin the bearing with compressed air to blow out all the crud/old grease/WD-40 until the bearing spins correctly again (read may have to give a few shots and high speed spins), then re-grease and re-install the covers.
How to pop off the rubber seal covers on the bearings so you can clean them.
So long as the belt tensioner still has good spring tension and its pulley is aligned with the rest of the pulleys (spring section arm not walking way from the bracket section, could be as simple as a dry bearing on either the tensioner or the two idlers.
Granted that you can buy new ones, but nothing wrong with pulling the idlers, then pulling the tensioner to pull the pulley from it to get to their bearings to clean the bearing and re-grease them.
To pull the pulley off the tensioner to get to the bearing once you have the tensioner off the car, you need to vise the pulley section of it in a vise to hold it firmly, then spin the tension bolt out of the front assembly. When go to put the bolt back on, Red loctite it back in place.
Note, to figure out if a tension pulley bolt is reverse threaded, look at the direction that you need to wrench the tensioner to put the belt on. The direction that you use a wrench to move spring loaded pulley arm to put the belt on is always the direction that tightens that bolt.
As for cleaning the bearings, WD-40 makes short work of this once the bearing covers/seals have been remove (let the WD-40 sit for a few mins, then pin the bearing with compressed air to blow out all the crud/old grease/WD-40 until the bearing spins correctly again (read may have to give a few shots and high speed spins), then re-grease and re-install the covers.
How to pop off the rubber seal covers on the bearings so you can clean them.
Last edited by Dano523; 09-01-2014 at 07:11 PM.
09-01-2014, 08:12 PM
#4
Le Mans Master
Thread Starter
Thanks for the info. Mechanical skills are probably moderate but certainly not a technician. Steering boxes, alternators, starters, many brake jobs, old school tune ups are in my past. This looks doable to me. I will give it a shot. Thank you again!
09-02-2014, 01:49 AM
#5
Once you have the tensioner off and the pulley removed to clean and re-lube the bearing, double check the spring load of the arm to the man assembly, and make sure that there is no slop of the arm to the main block.
If the assembly itself is toasted, then there is always going low budget with another oem, or just upgrading the tensioner to something a lot, lot better instead, hence Manual unit that does not use a spring/bushing place to wear out).
Low budget, And click the second picture on the bottom with the pulley removed to see the two parts of the assembly that will wear out against each other, get sloppy against each other over time)
http://www.corvetterecycling.com/product-p/12569301.htm
Katech
http://store.katechengines.com/bille...sioner-p2.aspx
If the assembly itself is toasted, then there is always going low budget with another oem, or just upgrading the tensioner to something a lot, lot better instead, hence Manual unit that does not use a spring/bushing place to wear out).
Low budget, And click the second picture on the bottom with the pulley removed to see the two parts of the assembly that will wear out against each other, get sloppy against each other over time)
http://www.corvetterecycling.com/product-p/12569301.htm
Katech
http://store.katechengines.com/bille...sioner-p2.aspx
Last edited by Dano523; 09-02-2014 at 01:51 AM.
09-02-2014, 07:38 AM
#6
Race Director
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NCM Sinkhole Donor
I have the Katech one, but you have more than two options. You can go to any auto parts store and get one.
There is another idle pulley for the AC and I saw one that a famous engine\car builder built that they stretched the hell out of the belt and killed the bearing because the belt was forced because it was too short.
After I saw that, I concluded that big money doesn't always translate into the getting what you think is the best.
Its all about the details.
There is another idle pulley for the AC and I saw one that a famous engine\car builder built that they stretched the hell out of the belt and killed the bearing because the belt was forced because it was too short.
After I saw that, I concluded that big money doesn't always translate into the getting what you think is the best.
Its all about the details.