I thought I would post the symptoms my truck is having the best I could. I bought her 3 weeks ago, with 81,000 miles on it. It runs great, and is solid. It obviously did some sittin, the engine compartment seems to show more rust than usual, along with some of the components. The A/C compressor has been bypassed, so that is obviously toast. About a week after buying it, it started making a whining/grinding noise in the front of the engine. The best I can tell(or hope), it is coming from one of the pulleys, but no idea which one. They are all kind rusty, so I am thinking a bearing is going bad, but it doesn't seem to have gotten worse. It is not terribly loud, but noticable while idling. The other that has me concerned is when I start it in the morning, it has a noise coming from the tranny area that resembles the spinning, whining noise of a bad steering pump...again, only notice it when sitting idle. It hasn't happened once its warm, or in the afternoon after work.
Could the front engine noise be due to bypassing the A/C, and maybe the belt is too tight ??
I checked my tranny fluid, and it is a little low. I am considering changing the fluid, and filter, but have never done it before. I have tools, but lack the experience of this task....is it fairly easy?? do ya think it may help the noise, or could it be something totally different ?
Sorry about the long post, but I think I got a pretty good deal on a good truck, just want her to last. I will be going thru, and doing a tune up...thanks for any advice.

 

Take the belt off and spin each pulley by hand . If there any noise or roughness that most likely is the noise from the front of your motor. Could also just be the belt.
On the tranny I would suggest a fluid and filter change along with a band adjustment.

 

The tranny is easy.

Loosen up all the bolts on the pan and allow it to drain.


Then I pull all bolts out except two opposite of each other and tilt it to let it drain more.


Once the pan is out the filter is held up by 3? bolts that on mine are torx or allen tips.


It is pretty idiot proof on how it goes back on.


The pan need to be cleaned out and get all shavings off of the magnet, check for big chunks.


The filter kit will come with two different gaskets, just match it up to your pan.


I will usually put some gasket maker in the groves of the the lip of the pan before I set the gasket on it to help hold it in place.


Bolts in each corner through the gasket before you lift it up and snug them down.


Then install the rest of the bolts snugged down then go back and tighten in a criss cross pattern.


Fill to recommended capacity.



This is just how I do it.

 

Thanks, I will get it done today. I think I will leave the band adjustment for another time, and someone who knows a little more about trannys. I will also check the pulleys up front. Thanks again for the replies.

 

Well, I thought everything went well, and was about to pat myself on the back for trying something new, but noticed some tranny fluid leaking from the pan. I fiddled with the polts a little while at work, and it seems to have slowed, but I will find out on my way home later. Is it possible to seat the gasket once fluid has leaked thru it. I am hoping not to have to take it apart. Thanks

 

Unless you have a line of bolts that are loose I would say no. You don't wanna over torque the bolts or you risk stripping it, then you gotta buy a tap and die kit and those are not cheap.

You prolly rolled the packing and you need to seat it right. the packing os more than likely still good but you can try using a bit more RTV around the pan to get it to stay in place. Also check to see if the pan got bent.


I know the pain it can be when that happens, I did mine a while ago and when I started it it was pissing fluid all over the place. I had to drop the pan and save all the fluid I could as I did not have any more and the stores were all closed.

 

for the squeal, do as charlie suggested, if you can't find it that way, spray each pulley at it's attachment point with a little WD-40 while the engine is running. Wait 2 minutes to let the WD-40 to work in a bit and then squirt the next one. When you squirt the one that the squeak then goes away, you found the culprit. Check the belt for cracks and glazing as well, just to be sure.

 

Well, I got the tranny fluid straightened around, and over the weekend, my engine light was blinking, showung numerous misfires. I took it to the dealer I bought it from, and asked him if it was a plenum issue. He informed me this truck didn't have a plenum, but a full throttle body. I asked again, and he insisted there is no plenum gasket on this truck. How would you take it from here ??

 

I am going to take it that the truck was bought at a large dealership, If so then have a talk with the service manager about the issues with the truck, then go get the sales man and let them have a talk so that they are both on the same page.

 

I would DL the FSM I linked you, find and print out the part with the Plenum plate, and show the dumbass while also pimp slapping him for being a failure of a mechanic.