Help Isolate squeal
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 18
Likes: 0
From: IL
Help Isolate squeal
Just purchased truck with 5.0 302..has a high pitch squeal that I think is coming from the front center area of the motor. At idle it "chirps", and squeals at higher RPM. I can't quite pin it down to the water pump. I have replaced BOTH idler pulleys. It comes and goes and sometimes goes away completely when the engine warms up. The water pump is not leaking, and I don't want to change it if I don't need to.
From the 302 experts..what component is most likely to make that noise?
Air Pump, Power Steering??
hard to isolate since I can't just remove a component with the surpentine belt...........
From the 302 experts..what component is most likely to make that noise?
Air Pump, Power Steering??
hard to isolate since I can't just remove a component with the surpentine belt...........
Drive like you stole it
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 884
Likes: 70
From: Where the snow/salt is
If it goes away when warm it's probably your fan clutch. My 351 did that. When it gets warm the clutch tightens up and the noise stops. Check it for play / bearing wear. You could remove it and run the engine too.
It's a Canadian thing eh!
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 6,539
Likes: 196
From: Ontario, living across a hay field
Is the tensioner tight and not bouncing at idle? Use a mechanics stethoscope and listen to each pulley with he engine running to pinpoint any bearing or pulley squeal or use a piece of rubber hose up to you're ear.
Member
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 30
Likes: 1
From: South Jersey
I like the suggestion to temporarily remove the fan to see if squeak goes away. It also sounds like it's possibly coming from your distributor considering the location you're describing. How many miles on the engine? Original distributor?
Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 268
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My truck is doing the same thing! Got scared that it might be a spun bearing in the crank or something. But since mine goes away when it warms up also doubt it. Sounds like a good time to upgrade to an electric fan....
Member
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 62
Likes: 7
From: Austin, TX
Look into this. I have 93 5.8 and have been chasing a squeal for months. Today i narrowed it down to the distributor. THe cap and rotor are new so its definitely the distributor. I sprayed some WD-40 and it went away. This is temporary as I need to replace it but it helped me narrow it down. I sprayed it down the distrutor under the base the rotor connects to.
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 18
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From: IL
Never thought of the distributor..
truck has a bizillion miles on it (211K) and thanks for the tips on the clutch. I'll disconnect that first and then spray some lube in the distro and see what happens.
truck has a bizillion miles on it (211K) and thanks for the tips on the clutch. I'll disconnect that first and then spray some lube in the distro and see what happens.
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Member
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 62
Likes: 7
From: Austin, TX
I replaced the distributor today and the squeal is gone. When I took the old one out and turned it manually and it had a terrible screech so that was indeed the source of my problem. Not only did the new distributor get rid of the squeal but the truck runs so much better now. I just thought I'd follow up in case your still struggling with your squeal.