OK, so maybe I was being a little hyperbolic with the minivan comment.

I have a '95 Disco. 3.9 serpentine, 150K miles. In pretty good tune, new plugs, acceptable cap, rotor, etc.

Problem is that when I come to a stop, there is this horrendous whining noise (almost sounds like a whistle) that seems to come from the front or right side of the engine. Only happens when hot and at idle in gear. Sometimes when not in gear, but goes away at about 1,200 RPM.

Thinking it was a vacuum leak, I poked and prodded and replaced most, if not all of the vacuum lines. No dice.

OK, what else in front could be causing this? Hey, how about the belt tensioner bearing. OK, look up the cross reference and swap the bearing. No dice.

Got pissed off and bought a stethoscope (this is where I embarrass myself). I poke around with the stethoscope and think I have found it in the power steering pump. Replace the power steering pump (I won't discuss how I embarrassed myself, nor how much it cost!). No dice!

OK, pull out the stethoscope and poke around again. Wow! sounds like the water pump is grinding itself to pieces. Put a slightly less-used water pump on. No dice.

OK, pull out the stethoscope again. Bingo! Sounds like it might be the distributor (is this beginning to sound as repetitious to you as to me?). Open up the distrbutor as many have said to lubricate the shaft from beneath the rotor. OK, at this point, I'm game for buying chickens for another sacrifice to Lord Lucas. When I go to pull the rotor off, I find the contact plate is loose (at least the screws were). Tighten the screws, blow some solvent around to clean things up and lubricate the shaft with some WD-40 thinking it would penetrate the rust and do its mojo. No dice!

While in this nightmare, I pulled the viscous clutch/fan assembly off so I could buy a wrench that really fit that big-ass nut on the viscous. Without the fan/clutch there, it still made the noise.

Anybody got any ideas for me to try next? I have replaced almost all of the rotating components on the front of the engine.

Oh yeah, when the A/C is engaged, it still makes the same noise leading me to believe it is not the A/C compressor (thank the gods of Roverdom!), nor do I think it is the alternator.

A Hummer minivan is starting to look good to me.

Paul

:confused:

At 150k your ready for an oil pump and it is on the right side of the engine. Have you replaced the timing chain? Have you run it with the belt off?

Thanx OS. No, I haven't done any of those things-yet!

I haven't run it with the belt off for fear of inducing low voltage issues, although my SRS and ABS lights are already on so what more damage can I do.

I did have to replace the oil pressure switch recently though.

I did give some thought to the timing chain idea though.

I'll poke around some more with the stethoscope as soon as the Isidore rain goes away-maybe tomorrow night.

Again, thank you for the suggestions-even though I was hoping it might not be any of those. Good thing I like to get my hands dirty.

Paul

PTSchram,

You need this:

(so does anyone else approaching 150K)

That might *not* be the source of your whine, but since you are in the habit of replacing things that are worn out anyway, you should dive right in and do it!

OK, I guess it is time to tear into it, although I can correlate the noise starting when it gets hot more easily to the oil pump than I can a cam chain.

Mike, W/R/T wheel bearings, did you know that John Deere uses the same bearings in all of their tractors? Same as in many Dodge trucks, too.

That said, is the timing chain in our trucks the same as for a SBC? I have heard of folks buying the double rollers from Summit, but I didn't think to ask which one they were buying.

Gee, while I'm in there, I might as well put in an RPI camshaft, new lifters, new valve seats, valve guides, rings, knurl the pistons, main and rod bearings...

Wonder what the wife will say.

Paul

Maybe try looking up a Cloyes for Buick 215 V8? You can get adjustable ones that let you give a little cam advance.

sometimes if the base idle is to high they make a whinning nosie that is cause by the air entering the intake. nosie will go away at around 1,200 to 1,500 rpm. try adjusting the base idle.

I don't know if the timing gear/chain is the same as a SBC, but the gear/chain I put on my 4.2 is from Cloyes.

I can get the part no. if needed. I figured Cloyes probably has it on their site.

The POS plastic gear makes my spine tingle every time I think about it while I'm driving down the road!

I'll check the cloyes site. Mike, if the plastic ones make you cringe, I'd hate to think how you would respond to the old phenolic gears on the Chevy sixes!

I'll investigate the base idle (had been thinking in that direction for awhile) as it amkes really unhealthy wheeing ssound when you whut the engine down.

Fear Factory: Suppose some cam advance would get a few more horsepower out of that anemic power plant? Sure couldn't , eh?

Damned hurricane making everything wet and nasty-it's not even duck season yet!

Paul

Guys,

I was mistaken. It's not a Cloyes timing chain set that I have used in the past, it is an Edelbrock kit.

part no. 7828

I don't know if it's made by Cloyes, perhaps it is.

FWIW, my 3.9 blew the timing gear at 183K and totalled the engine. In it's place I had a 4.2 installed, balanced and blueprinted, and at the same time we upgraded the timing gear/chain to the one pictured above.

On my two LWB's I'll start seriously considering doing the timing gear swap at about 150K (unless things get ugly fast). They both have just over 100K, so I have a while yet.

Good luck Paul!