water pump noise??

[hullofalottatrouble]

1982 merc 260 reman summer 2006.. pertronix II and flamethrower.. pre-alpha drive.. Century Cuddy 4000 - 2600lbs..

took her out for the 3rd time since dropping in the reman 260.. vacuum still solid at 20+ at ~670 rpm..

but. got kind of a clunking sound from the front of the engine.. sounded like it was coming from the water circ pump? but couldn't tell exactly.. i might borrow the wifes stethescope and see if that helps pinpoint it.. but it was a regular sound that seemed to go with RPMs.. but at higher RPMs cant hear it anymore.. didn't seem to impact performance.. also no impact on engine temp.. but i dont like hearing any clunking..

i opened up the engine compartment and moved my head around both valve covers.. the power steering pump.. and it was definitely loudest around the water circ pump..

do these things start making noise when they start to go bad?

bondo rather doubts that it is the water circ pump. but didn't suggest what it might be instead.. so anybody have any suggestions?

thanks all..

 

[Don S]

Re: water pump noise??

Nobody here at the forums can hear, see, or feel your engine. We can make suggestions as to what a problem could be, but noises are hard to do.
You can listen, if it sounds like the sound is coming from the circ pump, then it probably is. It wouldn't be the first to make noise.
Change it, if that's where the noise is coming from ..............

 

[hullofalottatrouble]

Re: water pump noise??

pulled the belts off the pump and checked for any excessive play in the pump.. and i wouldnt say there was a lot of movement.. but at times there was some sort of contact inside the pump.. i was able to repeat it a few times.. like a piece of metal lightly touching another.. might be the best description.. or maybe something lightly giggling around inside a can.. i am supposed to be working today so that was all i could do during my "lunch".. ill need to bring the boat home this evening and start it and try to find the noise with the stethescope..

 

[getinmerry]

Re: water pump noise??

Nobody here at the forums can hear, see, or feel your engine...............

We can't see or hear his engine, but we can feel his pain!

It stinks spending all that money and still not having things perfect.

Chuck

 

[Mischief Managed]

Re: water pump noise??

I had one suddenly fail on a small block and I thought I'd thrown a rod it clanked and clunked so badly. Take the belt off and start it up. If the noise goes away, you have your answer.

 

[kazanka]

Re: water pump noise??

Happened to me once - the same kindo of "metal-to-metal" hitting sound. Suspected the circ pump or the power steering - turned out the belts loosened up over the winter. The noise had disappeared completely once the belts were tensioned properly.

 

[hullofalottatrouble]

Re: water pump noise??

got the boat home.. put the belts back on nice and tight.. fired it up.. runs same as usual.. nice smooth idle.. no worries..

and also no sound.. put it in gear at idle for the heck of it.. no sound..

i do have a little bit of a wobble in the power steering pulley thou..

but looks like ill need to take it back out under load and see if i hear anything then...

 

[Zackman]

Re: water pump noise??

i do have a little bit of a wobble in the power steering pulley thou.. QUOTE]

To paraphrase a commerical... And not doing anything about it hasn't helped?

 

[hullofalottatrouble]

Re: water pump noise??

um.. well since i just noticed it.. not leaving me much time to do anything about it are you.. but thanks for the help..

 

[Zackman]

Re: water pump noise??

Sorry, trying to be funny... But that didn't work either. You shouldn't have any wobble in the power steering pump shaft. Just be sure that it is indeed wobble and not one of those optical conclusions.

 

[hullofalottatrouble]

Re: water pump noise?? - update

Re: water pump noise?? - update

swapped out the water circ pump.. and it wasn't the problem.. i opened the old pump up thou and there was a bit of scale rust etc collected in there so it probably wasn't a bad thing to replace anyway..

so got the new pump on and still makes the noise.. sounds more like a rotating noise now than a clanking or anything else.. like something that a little WD-40 or some grease would take care of..

so i took the power steering pump belt off and still makes the noise..

put power steering back on and took the alternator belt off.. and noise seemed to go away! so i think i have isolated it to the alternator.. no idea what to do about it thou? i know jack about alternators?? can i pull the pulley and fan off and swap em out or spray em with WD-40 or something? or is the noise a sign right before complete alt failure?

 

[Haut Medoc]

Re: water pump noise??

It's a 25 year old alternator, the bearings are probably going bad......
How rough does the pulley turn......
Take it to a starter/alternater shop & have it rebuilt......
Should be under a $100.....​

 

[hullofalottatrouble]

Re: water pump noise??

yeah the pulley seems fine on the alt.. doesn't seem to be able wobble or anything.. im going to fire it up again tomorrow and double triple check that the noise is gone with the alt out of the loop.. and take it from there..