Loud and irritating noise from cambelt/generator/waterpump area

Good evening, from Sweden!

My Golf GLI 1985 makes a loud whiny/creaky noise from the cambelt/generator/waterpump area.
Both the waterpump and cambelt (+tensioner) is new and we have made a service of the generator.
We have tried to lubricate all of the bearings with 5-56 and sprayed water on the belts without any success.

The noise starts when the engine is warm and when throttling to around 1100 rpm (the car is idling at around 900 rpm, should perhaps be raised).
Except this the car is running well, just embarrassing and annoying when cruising around town to hear it.

You can listen to the noise here!

Anyone here who can recognize the sound or can help me figure out what creates it?
Thanks in advance and best regards,
Martin.

i have the same problem i think it may be the alternator but not sure so going to get a new one as soon as i can track one down.

Overly tight tensioners on the Cam can whine similar to that.

Is there only a 1/2 twist to the cam belt or a little more.
Also the timing belt cover is off, if you put the top cover back on is it better?

Did all this start after the Cam Belt change?

mine is the same with the cam cover on and just had the engine reconditioned the noise was there before and after this was done .

Briano1234 said

Overly tight tensioners on the Cam can whine similar to that.

Is there only a 1/2 twist to the cam belt or a little more.
Also the timing belt cover is off, if you put the top cover back on is it better?

Did all this start after the Cam Belt change?

We removed the cover to be able to troubleshoot better. However the sound is still the same and as loud with or without the cover.

If I can remember the noise started after the cam belt change so there is a great chance that the tensioner is causing it.

I should probably look over the tensioner and maybe loosen it a bit. It may not get worse either if I remove it and lubricate it more thoroughly?

Best regards,
Martin.

Remove the alternator belt and start the car, you will be ok to run it for a couple of minutes without the belt fitted but the water pump and alternator will not be running if the noise stays then it's from the cam belt being over tight or cam belt tensioner (always fit a new one when changing cambelt)
If the noise stops it's the alternator or water pump.

It does sound like a bearing is shot in the alternator or water pump, try spinning them when the belt is off to hear if the squeak.

mark1gls said

Remove the alternator belt and start the car, you will be ok to run it for a couple of minutes without the belt fitted but the water pump and alternator will not be running if the noise stays then it's from the cam belt being over tight or cam belt tensioner (always fit a new one when changing cambelt)
If the noise stops it's the alternator or water pump.

It does sound like a bearing is shot in the alternator or water pump, try spinning them when the belt is off to hear if the squeak.

Hello again, from Sweden!
I have removed the alternator belt as you suggested and the sound is still heard, thus we can exclude the alternator/waterpump. I reduced the tension on the cambelt and now the noise sounds when the cars is idling, so I should perhaps reduce the tension a little more.

How tense should the cambelt be? I read that you should be able to rotate the belt 90 degrees to each side, is that too loose or just enough?

Thanks for your help so far!
Martin

(apologize for any spelling mistakes)

1/2 twist of the belt using your index and thumb.
No more no less….

Spelling mistakes, I make too many to often, so who am I to say anything Grammar Wise…

(Born Left-Handed, Red Headed, and Dyslexic….)
a Triple Crown that the Nun's couldn't beat out of Me.

morning
do you still have the plastic bottom half of the cover on? I took the alternator belt off and run the engine with no difference but not checked the tension on the cam belt but on closer inspection noticed that the plastic cover (bottom half) was poss catching the pulley as the noise only appears on tick over.

I have personally seen that cover get bent from heat of the engine and a bad engine mount causing the engine to run on the lower cover.  

Good news is that they are still available, and when you replace the mount, or belt you can remove it.

I would look at your engine mount to see if it is Broken free at the bottom of the mount

Good mount with my Improvement, a hunk of the old mount wedged at the top to prevent the engine from falling when the mount fails.  



The very bottom of the mount should not  be separated.

Morning

Every part has been changed as had an engine overhaul it did it before the overhaul and still doing it now. All new mounts.   

Evening is it just the case of undoing the bolt on the tensioner to release the tension? sorry not an engine man.thanks in advance.

mark boag said

Evening is it just the case of undoing the bolt on the tensioner to release the tension? sorry not an engine man.thanks in advance.

I would put the car in time Statically.  Then yes holding the tensioner with a spanner, loosen the nut 15mm IIRC
Then move the spanner holding the belt a wee bit and check the twist.  Pull to you for more tension and away to loosen… check the tension and tighten the belt.

You need to hold the tensioner when undoing it, there is no nut on the tensioners Ive bought recently just 2 holes to put a special tool in, I use circlip pilers, the 90 degree angle type/attachment to fit in the holes, lossen the nut and adjust the tensioner then check the tension.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/4-IN-1-CIRCLIP-PLIER-SNAP-RING-PLIERS-CIR-CLIP-INTERNAL-EXTERNAL-CAR-VAN-TRUCK-/190980185745?epid=0&hash=item2c774e5e91:g:XNIAAOSwfVpYoIcP

You can see the holes in this picture.
http://www.eurocarparts.com/tensioners-idlers-and-dampers

Shoot, I have always called that kind of tool a spanner, the ones to remove the outer races off of my Royce Union Track bike….. I forgot that you all (y'all) call wrenches spanners sorry for the confusion….
I usually use a 8" "t" handled Allen IIRC it was a 4mm
that I bent years ago for my Diesel.

     never thought about the USA to UK difference in language.
On my Mk1 Scirocco I did nave a cambelt tensioner with a nut on it so I did use a spanner/wrench on it to adjust the tension, I thought that perhaps in the US they sold tensioners with the nut on as that makes adjusting the tension a lot easier.

This exact noise in the YouTube video occurs for me also. Anyone get to the bottom of it?

When I replaced the cam belt I did tests and it appears it's in the bottom pulley part of the engine but no idea what down there would groan and make a racket…?

Hi

I had the same on my 1.5 JB after cam belt and tensioner replacement.
Issue was caused by the piece of sheet metal against the engine block got into a resonance and touched tension pulley.

When doing the cam belt I also replaced the seal of the intermediate shaft.
Removed the sheet metal to paint and slightly deformed it at reassembly.

I re-assembled everything keeping the clearance between the sheet and the tension pulley
==> Issue solved.

Success
Kris


 

That's interesting! Thanks!

How much needs to be removed before access to this sheet is available?? Looks like the majority of components?

If that is where the noise is coming from removing the upper timing cover sometimes you can see where it is rubbing.  

I had the similar thing happen on my Diesel, and I was able to get a thin screwdriver and "pop" the tin back in place which caused the noise, the next time I replaced the belt I straightened the tin…. might be worth a go at it.