GoFastBroncos.com

So I started this in my intro thread but will move hereas was suggested for tech questions.

Had the motor out for a general reseal at 134K mi. Now at 146k mi. Motor still had factory hone marks clearly visible and bearings looked amazing so it was really just seals, new timing chain etc them back in.

Have been fighting a squeal at ambients below 60 since then. Most of the time it goes away after the truck warms but not always. Originally squeel was all the time at all temps. I read a tsb about ps pump pully location and adjusted the pully. Got rid of most of it but still nagging. Intro thread suggested checking dizzy bushing. How would I do this? Also any other thoughts on how on how to track it down?

Second issue is a perpetual small leak at the thermostat housing. Originally leaked a gallon a year. Now a gallon month. Have replaced the gasket, tstat and tstat housing.only thing i can think now is the intake manifold. Considering the edelbrock efi. Any thoughts?


Thanks again for the insight.

To check the distributor bushing, one can pull the belt and briefly run the engine. If the noise is gone, it is in the accessories. If the noise persists, it is somewhere else. While the belt is off, you should check everything for smoothness and play, and replace anything crunchy or wobbly.

You can also take a broomstick, or some such contraption, and apply one end to suspected noisy source and the other end up against thy ear. Noisy sources may be distributor base, water pump housing, power steering housing, and ac compressor (if the defrost is on). Do not catch the neck tie in the fan or pulley whilst they go round.

Little bit of snow slowing down the diagnostics.

I bet that last storm was a doosie for you. Have an aunt in Manassas and another cousin in Frederickburg and both got pretty buried in snow.

I read we got something like 34". Wishing I had some new tires but holding off till I can put on 35's.

Squeal definitely coming from the power steering pump pully area. Seems like the power steering pump has some play in the shaft. Maybe 1/16" in and out. Is this common? Any bolt on upgrades available?

The pump has a crush sleeve that can get damaged during pulley changes (prying of the pulley against the pump housing). It will result in the pulley riding out too much and usually tearing the a rib off the belt. The pulley shaft will have notably forward and aft movement, excessive thrust clearance per se. I have also seen discount pulleys that will not seat properly. You might measure yours and compare it to a known good pulley if you suspect there is an alignment issue.

The pulley itself is still the OEM. Pump is a cardone rebuild. I used a pully tool to swap the pully. Is th pully supposed to be flush with the end of the shaft? Further on? Didnt look before I did the swap. Belt looks a little worn on one side but friend who was helping me look at it didnt see which side it was before he pulled it off.

New belt was quickly wearing on the radiator side. Seems the pully needed to be pulled out on the shaft about 1/16 of an inch. Squeal seems to be gone.