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A BAD Squeak NOT belt related, What Could It Be?Who else has had this problem??

Rdrunr

Rdrunr

Full Member
Joined
Mar 10, 2004
Messages
113
Location
Adirondack Mountains of Upstate NY
About 2 weeks ago I drove my seldom used, well cared for Av down to Albany,(about a 2 hour 70MPH drive)I drove around that area for a while and when I stopped for gas I noticed a squeak noise that at first I thought was my belt. I had the wife rev it up to about 3000rpm's or so and it gets worse as the RPM's increase. Again I thought that the noise was coming from the belt or pulley but you can also hear it from under the trucks engine.

My "shade tree" mechanic took the belt right off yesterday and the noise continued so that took care of it being a host of things as you would all know. He has no idea what it is and thinks it could be like an object got pulled into the timing chain or something? Now he has also taken off the A/C belt and that's NOT the problem.
Has anyone else out there experienced such a noise? It's loud enough so as to have people you pass by take notice like you are smuggling chirping birds  under the hood! The power has not decreased and the oil pressure stays right up good and strong like it always has.

I would love to stay away from my local STEALER...I didn't buy it there and they tend to treat me like a red headed step child!

UPDATE: My old school mechanic now says that the strang noise in coming from the upper part of the engine behind the timing chain cover and under the intake plenum. Has anyone out there had a problem with the 5.3 L that sounded like this?
Thanks for you help!

 
Yup, there are 2 belts :)

Bet it's the AC tensioner
 
Do you guys know the easiest way to be sure that the problem is coming from the air condition tension pulley? I called my mechanic buddy and he was not aware of there being a separate belt for the air conditioner and said that he TOO felt that the chirp could be coming from that general direction.

Is it a tough job to fix if in fact that IS what the problem turns out to be??

Thanks,
Doug
 
Take off both belts is the easiest way.

No harder than replacing both belts. It's down at the bottom.
 
Rdrunr said:
Do you guys know the easiest way to be sure that the problem is coming from the air condition tension pulley? I called my mechanic buddy and he was not aware of there being a separate belt for the air conditioner and said that he TOO felt that the chirp could be coming from that general direction.

Is it a tough job to fix if in fact that IS what the problem turns out to be??

Thanks,
Doug
Click to expand...

Might want to fine a better mechanic buddy :)
 
MEDICO said:
WOW... Same type of question, Some kind of unknown SQUEAK from a belt or pulley, but this one is Ok to post here...  :needhug: I'm confused :p

Yes Doug, I'm messing with ya :p >:D
Click to expand...

I believe this one also required moving.

Are you volunteering to spend hours maintaining this kind of stuff?
 
What started off sounding like a belt or pulley problem has been narrowed down to an engine problem. My mechanic (old school) just called and said that it's not either belt or any pulleys and now he thinks this diff. squeak is coming from the upper part of the engine, behind the timing chain cover and under the intake plenum.

I was just wondering if any of you folks have experienced such a problem with a 5.3L motor before? I really want him to be able to fix it so I don't have to let my local GM dealer steal Christmas much like the Grinch!

Thanks,
Doug
 
Try a dealer for a second opinion...

Could be water pump bearing, idler bearing compressor Ps pump, heck anything driven by belt..

unless your mechanic removed the both belts.

then squeak could be timing chain, cam,  main bearing, etc etc etc.

Truly,,,, get second opinion
 
I'll be shocked if it is timing chain related. A failed timing chain/tensioner/arm (all timing chain related ones) is a very distinct, metal rubbing metal, but almost smooth. It sounds like a constant whoosh. I am going to say either pulley or a belt tensioner is needing replacement. You would know a timing issue very quickly from other failed components.
 
A couple of weeks ago I had the exact same sound start on my 5.3L  It started half way on a trip into the Rockies to visit Banff.  I saw two GM dealers and one independent mechanic, they all stated they have never heard this kind of sound coming from a 5.3L , they all however asked me if I had removed the two belts, which I had. Like you I was praying it was a mere cdn$500.00 water pump but alas we may have a more serious problem. I chose to drive the 400 kms back home to  Edmonton as I too had excellent oil pressure, and I figured if I have to spend large anyway.....what more harm can come. Embarassing to say the least especially in traffic through Calgary, people were literally looking around for an old jaloppy that was squeeking by. As I work in oilpatch I have parked it till I return home next week. My sound seems to cycle at half crank speed, so I suspect a failed roller on one of my lifters, I opened oil pan and found very tiny ( normal ) metal shavings on magnetized plug. no evidence of needle bearings! I will start with easiest route and pull valve covers first to examine pivots on rockers or maybe a binding push rod. I will post my findings. You imply yours makes sound whilst idleing as your wife brought up rpm's, that pretty much eliminates drive-line problems as I assume you were stationary. Stay in touch on this post and hope its a LITTLE problem.
 
ramonday said:
I'll be shocked if it is timing chain related. A failed timing chain/tensioner/arm (all timing chain related ones) is a very distinct, metal rubbing metal, but almost smooth. It sounds like a constant whoosh. I am going to say either pulley or a belt tensioner is needing replacement. You would know a timing issue very quickly from other failed components.
Click to expand...

I hate to be rude but I mentioned several times already that all the belts have already been removed. I WISH that's all it was at this point!
 
Hadams,

I'm not sure what you mean by your question? The chirp sound follows RPM's but when you get at cruising speed it goes away. I would think that is because it is then making the noise so quickly, it then sounds like engine noise.
 
Hi again rdrunr

To clarify my situation ; at 600 rpm idle I timed my "squeak" with a stopwatch, I tried to match the rhythm of the sound by tapping my thigh at the same rate , in 10 seconds I tapped about 50 times,  hence the rate of the sound is 300 rpm.
Yes it seems a complicated way to determine but I don't own a timing light which is an automotive tool that comes in handy for stuff like this.

Anyway 300 rpm means the sound is half of crankshaft speed so one can assume the sound is valve-train related as our camshafts rotate at half of crank speed, its the nature of the 4 cycle engines we own.

This is why I think my problem is to do with lifters rockers or push-rods as all these components are a part of the valve-train.

It is relatively easy to open up a valve cover to examine rockers and pushrods, further my sound is loudest on drivers side , so I only have to open that cover. I'll be doing just that this Sat or Sun, I work 1000 kms from home and have been searching the internet to find solutions . Unfortunately if it isn't a simple to replace rocker or push-rod I will have to pull that sides head to get at lifter and if it is a bum lifter I will almost certainly need a new cam as well. So I'm crossing my fingers.




 
More

Yes, I noticed too that as I speed up noise seems to diminish....however I think that road noise etc is just masking it.

What really fooled me was, no loss of power, no drop in oil pressure, no funny shifts nothing just that awfull sound!
In my case most noticeable at idle.  Interesting point though, I hardly notice any sound immediatly after engine start-up, but within 10 seconds...it's there!

I should also point out I have the famous lifter tick for the first 30 seconds at start, summer or winter. I listened to each cylinder position with a long screwdriver to my ear as my son fired the motor up, and only one lifter was ticking, not the same side of engine as my latest problem. I did this months ago when lifter ticking first noticed.

My engine has 182000kms ( 114000 miles ) but has run like a top till now. I will fix this as I like my half-a-Avy.
 
I have an 05 and the squeak I hear is only in the morning when first starting up the engine to warm up.  After warming up the sound is gone
 
DougD said:
Yup, there are 2 belts :)

Bet it's the AC tensioner
Click to expand...

My AV has been squeeky for a while..I finally motivated myself to change the AC belt tensioner that I bought last year and my squeeks are gone :love:
 
Hello guys, nice to hear your squeaks are minor or even gone for good with belt related issues, but this post is titled A BAD Squeak NOT belt related.

In the mean time I have just removed my drivers side valve cover and found my # 7 cylinder is where my noise is loudest.
It is a little awkward removing the coil pack and then plugging it back in without the valve cover so that I can fire up the engine. But VERY little oil mess so well worth the running test. Next I'll be removing both rockers on the #7 and hope to find a binding pivot bearing.

More tomorrow.
 
Hadams,

I'm glad that you seem to be gaining on this annoying problem. I am so pissed about this happening to my pampered 5.3L engine with only 60,000 miles, I'm trading mine(with the squeak) for a new 5.7L Tundra. I guess this will end up someone elses problem!

I'm sure that THEY ( the dealership) too will think at 1st that I was just too lazy to change the belt...oh what's that? There are 2 belts someone said? LOL...really? It MUST just be belt related.....
 
rdrunr, don't give up yet. It may really only be a minor problem if it's just a rocker!
I got a quote today from GM no less, it was only cdn$60.00 for a stock rocker, one bolt holding it in, less than an hour to open up the valve cover. ( me providing the labour )

If a dealer figures that's the problem with your Avy they might take advantage of your frustration and screw you on a
trade-in valuation.

Granted a lifter would mean MUCH more work and labour....you should try to determine if it's not a rocker first.

I'd be in my back yard right now if we didn't run out of daylight already, the garage is full ( don't ask ) otherwise I'd
be working on engine still. Tomorrow will tell.




 
hadhams,

I have already made the deal on a new '08 Tundra. Chevy has disappointed me for the last time I'm affraid and I had  Chevys since BEFORE I even had a drivers license...heck I owned 2 of them when I did get my license!
 
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