hey guys. so i was replaceing alternator and pulleys the other day and found that when i had the belt off i could actually grab the fan and move it back and forth vertically and when i just spun it by hand it made a rattle type noise ive been hearing mainly on startup and sometimes while idleing. i got rid of most of my other sounds i was having with the other changes i made but this one is the louder one on start up and im assuming the pulley there behind the fan (i believe is the water pump pulley) shouldn't have that much play or have rattle when i spin by hand with belt off. anyway is it easy to change the water pump or can u just change the pulley itself there...?? im gonna pick up a manual but not sure if its worth takeing in to get done or just Do it myself. anyway. any comments are apreciated.

 

I am unsure of how you are actually trying to determine the pump is worn out. Generally a water pump will leak from its shaft if it is going bad. You will sometimes notice fluid under your truck right after you shut it down and it pukes out some coolant when there is no more force keeping it in.

If you can move your fan vertically I would first look at the fan clutch to see if it is worn. When mine was ready to be replaced it would rattle when it was cold. If the shaft going into the water pump has play it would surely be leaking at this point I would think!

What are you spinning with the belt off? The fan? If you can spin the fan around and around with out it ever getting some tension I would assume your fan clutch is worn out. It should tighten as you turn it by hand.

Someone correct me if I am wrong?

 

yah basically the fan does stop spinning quick when i turn it by hand but i mean if i wiggle it toward the engine and back toward the rad the fan and pulley move and are not tight like the other pulleys and it was makeing a rattle noise/ scratch type noise. like when people say a idler pulley is bad when it has lots of "play" well the pulley behind the fan has tones of playit seems so im assuming that is where my issues are with rattle noises. anyway ill probably just get it checked out anyway although crysler was completly wrong last time i took it in telling me the alternator was the cause when clearly it wasn't as well as an idler and tensioner. i had already replaced all of them so. what a bunch of crap. never take'n my truck there again.
so basically would it be the pulley itself that's bad to make noises like that? and if so can i change just the pulley there or is it part of a whole unit? sorry if im not explaining better... hope this helps

 

Start from the forward to figure your noises out. Remove the fan and see if your noises disapear.

What engine are you running, how many miles?

 

3.9L v6. 2001 dak sport. 111,000 miles

ill try that though.

 

Can't say for sure on the 3.9. On my 5.9 the pully was integral to the pump. I did not see a way to change it without doing the pump.

 

yah it might actually just be the fan. im gonna take it off and run it without the fan and see if the noise is gone. who knows could be the whole problem.

 

aight so i took it in and the mechanic confirmed that the water pump was bad. truck was make'n a hell of a squeal noise at the point i took in. he thinks the bearing was gone and really it was pretty bad when i was spinning the fan last week (we changed the pulley and alternator as thought that might be the issue.) HOPEFULLY this solves the squealing!. im pick'n up today cross my fingers........

 

ok so just picked up the truck....... ends up it was the water pump pulley after all. was make'n a scrape'n noise when u turn the pulley however the pump itself wasn't leak'n coolant so just goes to show just cause its not leak'n doesn't mean its not bad. thank god that's what it was. i couldn't bear another day of high pitched squeals anymore. thanks to anyone who commented to help me u guys are pretty coo.
she's purrrrr'n like a kitten now........ahhhh lol.