Drive belt makes alot of noise

HITACHIMAN

MEMBER
BUICK LESABRE

I have a 95 buick lesabre custom, 345,817km's, 3.8L 3800. Alot of clicking noise coming from either the tension pulley, power steering or air conditioning. It gets alittle quieter when I turn on the AC.I would like to know which one so I can change it.I dont want to judge for myself and end up buying 3 different parts. It's not a sqealing noise. Clicking. Not lifters either. Its coming from one of the pulleys in belt area. Could it be the air conditioning. The clicking starts when the clutch on AC pulley stops. If I don't have the AC running it will be louder and more consistent. When AC is on, it only makes noise periodically.I think the rear motor mount is gone.I havent been under yet, but when I give gas and release it clunks. When I throttle when hood is up, you can see the engine tilt back, then clunk, then forward. Sides are good.I woulfd like to fix myself if its an easy job, like pulley tensioner, altenator.I put a screw driver on the altenator, tensioner, and power steering.I can feel it in all 3.

1 Reply

TCCC143

MEMBER
21 POSTS

Sounds like the ac pump clutch going out. An easy way to tell is get some lithium grease in a spray can form and start with the ac pulley with the ac off. Spray behind the pulley near the bearings. Do not get any on the belt. If the noise stops them it is the bearings going out. If the noise continues then do the same with the alt pulley and so forth until the noise stops. If it continues then it might be the belt itself or a pulley is off center and the belt is rubbing against the inside of one of the pulleys.