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1980 Trans Am

Tiny
SCRAPE
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  • 1980 BUICK
I have a 1980 Trans Am 301 4.9L Turbo Buick engine with 84k orginal miles. The water pump is five years old, alternator is three years old, the AIR pump or smog pump is new as well as the powersteering pump. As well as 3 new belts. There is a screech sound coming from the engine that is similar to the belt screech you get when they're bad, but this sound is not as high pitched as the common slipping belt. It sounds a bit metallic but no like a grinding piston. The screech sound is heard just asfer idle on the tach, but doesn't rise softly like a worn belt. The belts have been tightened to proper tension and belt dressing has no effect on the problem. I also tried WD-40 on the belts in an attempt to get a reaction from the V-belts while troubleshooting but again no effect. The sound seems to come from around the altenator or powersteering pump. It is not coming from the turbo, which sits at the rear of the engine bay.
Any thoughts to what my problem is?
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Sunday, February 18th, 2007 AT 7:36 PM

3 Replies

Tiny
MIKE H R
  • MECHANIC
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Could be from a couple of things. To limit the area
you can use a small rubber hose on the end a funnel. Listen in the funnel as you put the rubber end on the altinator or power steering unit or by the drive delt tensioner. Sounds like a bearing is starting to get bad. With the funnel you will hear a rumbling when you get close to it. But it sounds like the bearing in the drive belt tensioner
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Sunday, February 18th, 2007 AT 8:17 PM
Tiny
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Thanks for the advice. I don't have a hose to fit on the funnel, so I was thinking about isolating the sound by running each belt individually for a few seconds each and seeing which one still gives me the noise. I'm thinking it could be a bearing with the cooling fan because it hardly freespins by hand. I was thinking it was a bearing somewhere but wasn't sure.

My TA has v-belt setup with no tensioner pulley.
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Sunday, February 18th, 2007 AT 9:05 PM
Tiny
MIKE H R
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The fan should not turn free. It acts as the engine
and car move the air cicurlates through the radiator
the fan slows down putting less drag on the engine. I see you like racing. To boost your horsepower think about a electric fan. They had them on later models. Back to the problem, do you have a short piece of garden hose? You can also use that or anything hollow. Later models have the auto belt tensioner. Thinking about it last night, check the altinator first. Try not to put wd 40 on the belts does not do them any good. Get back to me and let me know what you find.
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Monday, February 19th, 2007 AT 9:38 AM

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