Need Help Diagnosing/Pricing a fix

[slider35]

Timed it just right to capture on video the moment when bearings (or whatever it is) start making noise. Starts sounding bad right at the 35 second mark in this video:

I have never done any work on this part of the LC and am apprehensive about it. Can anyone tell me what I'm looking at parts and labor wise? Timing belt was done 30k miles ago and I don't have records of any of the pulleys being replaced.

This is my daily driver and just started making this noise after I started it up this morning. It's now in my driveway after about 10 miles of driving with this off and on.

 

[duggy]

Does it happen only with the AC on? And everytime the compressor kicks on? @ENGINE er (houston local) replaced this on his truck recently.

 

[slider35]

No. It's constant from the moment the engine starts - the entire time the generator drive belt is moving. There are times that it seems the bearing kicks back into alignment and all is well, but that does not last very long before the grinding begins again. Looks to be the fan pulley. You can see in the video, right as the sound starts, the fan starts to wobble a bit. Before that point, rotation was tight and appeared as it should be.

 

[duggy]

Just a consideration here, but have you checked bolt torque on the fan clutch? Check to see if they are tight. If I recall correctly, the bearing for the fan clutch is within the whole assembly so it will need to be replaced as a whole.

With the truck off, I also suggest grabbing a fan blade and moving it around to see if you have any play.

Are you comfortable with doing it yourself? If not, come on over and I'd be happy to lend a hand.

 

[slider35]

Fan is solid, not the clutch. You're right about the bearing, it's entirely within the fan bracket that mounts to the block.

I just dropped about $750 for all the parts needed for timing belt/water pump/pulleys/tensioners/hoses/thermostats for the front end. Have not decided if I'm taking these parts to Sterling McCall or if I want to tackle it myself. Have not done a TB/WP on my own before, so if you have and you're offering help, I'm interested.

 

[duggy]

I've not yet done a tbelt job before but would never pay a shop to work on my truck. It sounds like a potential multi-day job but the fan clutch will be part of that job.

 

[slider35]

Sterling McCall has done 2 of my TBs on previous vehicles. One on a 2000 LC that saw 110k after the work done by them without any issues. I requested one of their certified master techs do the job. I usually wait a few days until one of those guys is available, then confirm and try to talk to them before the work begins. In both of those trips they have worked with me to get what I want.

Other than those two jobs, I've done everything myself or had a friend help me out - so we're of the same mindset. Too many opportunities to screw something up and my truck is too important to me to trust it to just anybody. I just don't have as much free time as I once did.

 

[ENGINE er]

I have no idea what that sound is. But diagnosis should be straight forward.

If you have a stethoscope, steth each pulley mounting point and compare them to the others, if one sounds worse than the others then you have a winner.

IF you dont have a steth then just remove the serpentine belt and start spinning/feeling bearings. That kind of noise sounds like a well worn bearing.

if it is your fan bracket get prepared for a big job. If its any other bearing its easy and can be changed in under an hr.

 

[slider35]

After spending time looking at it today and capturing most of the evidence in that video. I'm 100% sure the other pulleys are not causing that noise. I'm 95% sure it's the bearing in the fan bracket.

When the noise starts in that video above, the entire unit shudders a bit and then begins wobbling. That means, it's not the clutch either. It looks like I'm in for the big job and getting to that bracket is pretty much the same as getting to the timing belt.

 

[ENGINE er]

it could also be another pulley catching and causing that one to wobble. I would just double check before you dive in deep.

Its not the SAME, but you do have to take a lot off. You get to leave the crank pulley!