Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General Troubleshooting Loud whirring from accessories?

Hi! I'd like to put in my 2 cents worth on this. From what you described as the screeching noise at 5K RPM, I'd suspect that the serpentine belt was slipping. Probably wouldn't hurt to replace that. Of course, it could have been squeeking because the idler pulley was binding. Sometimes the balls inside the bearings develop minute flat spots on them. Occasionally, they shift so the flat spots are rotating within the race, hence the whirring noise. The bearing also binds slightly because of this. They usually rotate back to their normal orientation and the noise stops. Maybe this is what's causing your problem. Just my opinion though......

Welp, after a few months, the noise came back with a vengeance today. This morning it was faint, but later on, after my drive home, I went to run some errands. Started her up, and it was louder than ever. I revved the engine, and when it dropped back down it almost died, twice. I noticed that the sound seemed to pulse in time with slight but visible bouncing of the tensioner. Since its only $35, I'm going to pick one up tomorrow and see if I can replace it. Perchance, does anyone know what size torx it takes? I'll have to go down to Sears and buy a set; I want to make sure I get the right range.

I am having a similar problem. However, at low RPMs the nose is almost imperceptible but it gets louder as the RPMs increase.

I understand that it could be the alternator or the water pump. But has anyone seen any of the engine main bearings going off?

Well, its a T40, but sonofabitch... I can't get it off. I started with a 1/4" drive ratchet, but I couldn't get leverage. Went to Sears and got a 3/8" drive T40 and it won't fit in there with either my ratchet or breaker bar. The thing is now partially stripped, and I'm looking at having to pay a shop just to get the damn thing off.

Damn I'm pissed. Why couldn't Ford use a regular hex bolt in there?

So home mechanics either 1. Take it to a Ford Dealer, 2. Get pissed off, 3. Keep inexperienced people out, 4. Make you spend more money on tools

Geeze, thanks for the help Wanna buy me a set of low-profile ratchets?

Autozone's GreatNeck tools are cheap price, and cheap quality, and that lifetime warranty requres that you mail the tool to the company... But they do the job most the time! Or invest some money at sears and get some craftsman! i usta break em on purpose to get newer lookin tools

I am using Craftsman. 90% of my tools are. The problem is that if I use the smaller 1/4" ratchet I have to use a regular hex torx bit with an adapter; it doesn't fit perfect and I have no leverage. If I use my 3/8" ratchet I have to use a big ole' torx socket and it doesn't fit at all. Either way there's not enough room between the head of the bolt and the strut tower. The strut tower now has the marks to prove it and so do my hands

I don't have a huge variety of tools only because I'm mostly poor and most of what I do have was gifted to me. When I can't do simple jobs like this because I don't have the right tools I get really frustrated. Heck, when I did my idler pulley all I had to do was buy a decent set of Craftsman metric wrenches... Took me all of 20 minutes.