first outing and find birds in engine |
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David F
Platinum Member Joined: June-11-2004 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 1770 |
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Posted: June-11-2007 at 9:27am |
Well, after carefully winterizing a perfectly running (and quiet) engine last fall, I awaken it to find a nest of birds settled in. 30 seconds after starting her up (yes in the lake) for the first time, a failing bearing type squeal set in. Other than being noisey, it did not ruin our day, but I kept a close eye on the gauges...everything stayed normal.
My immediate thought was the raw water pump (that spent the winter on a warm shelf). So when I returned home yesterday evening, I pull the pump and tore it down. To my surprise, the bearing rotated freely and did not seem to drag or have any axial or radial play. Hmmm, maybe the noise is the circulation pump or alternator. Something I will check out this evening. Or, maybe the raw water pump bearing will squeal even though it "feels" fine. Any thoughts? PS: The noise is not a belt noise. |
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TRBenj
Grand Poobah Joined: June-29-2005 Location: NWCT Status: Offline Points: 21169 |
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Did the RWP alignment look ok? Maybe if it was a cocked a little, it would cause some uneven load on the bearing. I assume you checked the belt tension (both belts)?
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M3Fan
Grand Poobah Joined: October-22-2005 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 3185 |
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Have you dialed in the general location of the noise?
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2000 SN GT40 w/99 Graphics/Gel
2016 SN 200 OB 5.3L DI https://forum.fifteenoff.com |
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David F
Platinum Member Joined: June-11-2004 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 1770 |
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No, the pump alignment was good and the belt was tight enough. Like I said, it was not a belt noise.
Without a screwdriver or other listening device, I could only listen for the location of the noise and I thought it was the raw water pump, but noise location can be deceiving. This evening, I am going to fire the engine up without the Raw water pump installed and see if the noise is gone. |
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woodyelc
Senior Member Joined: February-17-2004 Location: orlando Status: Offline Points: 378 |
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SOUNDS LIKE DRY PACKING IN THE STUFFING BOX, CHANGE IT OUT AND THE NOISE SHOULD GO AWAY
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woodyelc
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David F
Platinum Member Joined: June-11-2004 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 1770 |
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Nope, no way. If that were the case, noise would not be present in neutral...it is.
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Tim D
Grand Poobah Joined: August-23-2004 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 2641 |
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Alternator bearing?
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Tim D
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David F
Platinum Member Joined: June-11-2004 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 1770 |
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Yep, very well could be. I did not get a chance to work on it last night. The raw water pump just spins too well. I am leaning toward the alternator. I may be able to tell just by spinning by hand. I let you know what I find.
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JoeinNY
Grand Poobah Joined: October-19-2005 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 5698 |
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Don't be surprised if you cant tell its the alternator just by spinning it by hand, I just pulled one last night thats squealing at low rpms and seizing and slipping at high rpms and you would never know it spin it by hand.
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David F
Platinum Member Joined: June-11-2004 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 1770 |
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I don't doubt that at all. Hopefully mine is obvious once I zero in on it. Now, I just need to find the time.
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Barracuda
Moderator Group Joined: November-17-2003 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 998 |
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David- this may sounds kinda funny, but I've used the stethascope method to locate pesky noises before. You can improvise one with a piece of hose and just hold it up to your ear. Then take the other end around all the areas you suspect- may help pinpoint where the noise is orignating from.
Good luck -Brad |
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David F
Platinum Member Joined: June-11-2004 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 1770 |
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Yep, that method works well and I already have an automotive stethascope. Still have not investigated further. If the noise is still present with the raw water pump removed I will use the stethascope to pinpoint the location.
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David F
Platinum Member Joined: June-11-2004 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 1770 |
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Well, it only took me 2 months to find the time and clear weather to work on the boat again. Also, because we wanted to use it. Anyway, I ran the engine with the raw water pump removed and everything was quiet. What I did notice was that there was an excess amount of belt dust on the engine and bilge. So, I inspected the belt and it looke a bit worse for wear, but not terrible. I reassembled the raw water pump and bolted it on. Presto, the noise was gone.
My theory is that the belt must have rolled over in the pulley grove. Used the boat for a couple of hours without any unusual noise. Just wanted to put an ending to the thread. |
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