zetec cam belt idler pulley bearings

[pete tudor]

I believe that I have rough sounding bearing noise from the cam belt idler pulley (not tensioner pulley)- Is this a usual problem to experience on lowish mileage zetecs, as I seem remember hearing that there was a similar problem on some early zetecs???

I am obviously worried that bearing break up could cause serious consequential damage to valves/pitons etc!!!

[I.Mupferit]

Pete,

 

When is this noise most apparent, when cold, hot, idling or higher revs?

 

I had a noise on my Zetec which I believed was the idler pulley but turned out to be the oil pressure relief valve (diagnosed by James Whiting). His advice was not to bother about it unless it worried me.

 

It worried me!

 

I can only describe the noise as a 'metallic scraping noise' which only started after the engine had been running for about 10 minutes from cold and disappeared altogether when it was hot.

 

It could only be heard around idle speed and I was a tad sceptical of JW's diagnosis (sorry James) as it just didn't sound like an oil pressure relief valve to me.

 

I replaced the idler pulley and...............no change. I replaced the oil pressure relief valve and............the noise disappeared!

 

I must learn to trust the experts.

 

Brent

[J.R.]

Peter

 

I am glad that you couldnt sell for enough dosh & kept the car.

 

Is the pulley you mention the water pump pulley?

 

If so the 2 litre Zetec that I replaced yours with also developed a noise there, I bought a new one but sold the car before fitting it, it is yours if you need it.

 

P.S. I only managed to get £8750 for the silver De_dion 2 litre Zetec car.

[pete tudor]

John,

Thanks your reply - Luckily at long last we received some orders at work, so I decided that I could keep the car and possibly just about continue to feed the family!!

I didn't think the noise was eminating from the water pump, but I will disconnect the water pump/alternator drive belt and run the engine up and see if the noise is still there.

Best Regards,

Pete

[pete tudor]

Brent,

Thanks your reply. The noise you experience sound similar, in that it seems to occur after a short warm up period and then only at idle/high idle revs.

I thought it was the idler pulley because the squal type noise when listened thro my stethiscope sounds more like a shot bearing inside the cam cover in this area.

I will investigate further!

Thanks,

Peter.

[I.Mupferit]

Pete,

 

Sounds very like the noise I had on my car. I listened to mine with a stethoscope as well and like you said it sounds just like a shot bearing around the idler pulley region.

 

Before replacing the pressure relief valve, I even did what you are contemplating and briefly ran the engine without the alternator pulley to eliminate alternator and water pump as the source of the sound.

 

All to no avail until I replaced the valve.

 

Good luck with it and let me know how you get on.

 

Brent

[Paul Turner]

Pete

 

Two thoughts for you, when I was preparing the 2 litre for my car I noticed that one of the cam belt idler pulleys had a rough feel with some bearing play when compared to the other and I replaced it whilst it was easy, don't know what it would sound like but the dealer had sold a few when I asked. Secondly I had a hideous rattle after approx. 100 miles in the car, after much listening I came to the conclusion it was either the water pump (unlikely as it was new) or alternator (more likely as it was a recon.) and I decided the easy thing to do was to take off the drive belt but whilst removing the belt I noticed that the alternator bolts were slightly loose and were allowing the alternator body to catch the bracket. I filed the bracket to prevent future contact and refitted the alternator tightly, rattle gone. The alternator is mounted under the carbs (bugger to get at)and the said rattle appeared within a minute of a cold start at high idle revs.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Paul

[J.R.]

Peter

 

I had already replaced the oil pressure relief valve with the uprated type prior to you buying the engine.

 

The unmodified type usually stick either open (no oil pressure) or closed (guage off scale & blows oil filter O-ring out).