92 timing belt replacement=noise?

[gjm4l]

I just replaced the timing belt in my 92 ranger and upon initial start up it starts and revs fine but there is a very loud rotational noise around the front of the engine? It did sit for about a week as I have limited time and tools, not to mention I had trouble with everything from getting the PS bracket to the belt itself off. I guess 145,000 will do that to you. I got it all put back together today. Cranked it up after finally getting it buttoned down and like I said it does fine so I'm pretty sure it timed correctly but it has a really loud rotational clicking noise? No clue what it could be from a timing belt change? The stock gauge shows it has oil pressure so I don't think the auxilary pulley/pump drive could be wrong and I don't think that it aligns to anything anyway?? Any ideas as to what it could be? I'm hoping I'm just special and I missed something.

 

[Bryan22]

time to start taking things back apart.

 

[4b316]

You got the right cog belt,right?I believe you should have a square not a round cog.

 

[Mforrest327]

He will have the round tooth belt. I just put a timeing belt on my '92. One thing to check before you start ripping things back apart is the alignment of your belt itself. Mine slide out just a smidge while getting the tensioner back tight and after I put it ALL back together and fired her up, I had the same noise. The belt had slide outwards just enough to where it was hanging over the edge of the pulleys by a 1/16 of an inch and it was hitting the cover. Took it all back apart, slide her on more and now she is good to go.

EDIT: I know this may sound stupid, but when you put everything back on did you put the fan back on? I made the mistake of bolting the pully back on and leaving the fan off. Come to find out really quick that the bolts are too long and WILL hit your water pump and WILL destroy it. Made a god awful scretching sound as the bolts would come around one by one and smoke the pump. Life lessons dont come cheap I suppose.

 

[gjm4l]

No it's back together correctly, I've been going over it in my head and I know that everything went back together right. I'll be pulling it back apart saturday afternoon and checking things as I go It's weird it sounds almost like a rod knock but it doesn't change pitch or anything if you rev it. It's definitely loud as I called a friend to see if he had any ideas and started it while on the phone and he heard it loud and clear on the phone with me sitting in the seat lol. I had the thought that maybe the belt was off a bit so I gotta check that too. I loosened the cover and moved it around and the sound didn't change so it's not that the cover, of course the back cover did explode into sections when I was tearing into it so maybe a piece got left behind but like I said the sound is constant and linear with rpm's. With my luck it probably lost a bearing or something catastrophicly senseless while I was persuading the crank pulleys to part with their natural locktite........ I almost wanna let the engine warm up and see if it changes but it would suck to have something come apart. Mforrest don't worry man I have my stupid moments constantly. Most likely I'll get on here after figuring it out Saturday and let everyone have a laugh at whatever stupid thing it was, or at least thats what I'm hoping and praying will happen. Wish me luck!

 

[Mforrest327]

Well best of luck to you. If the sound doesn't change with RPMs then im kind of stumped. Im sure its something simple (hopefully) but if it stays the same rather your at idle or on the throttle....then I dont have a clue. Im just about to pull mine back apart due to having some machine work done on head and a new cam and will be replacing all the little crap while Im waiting to get it back. Hope no new noise pops up when im done.

 

[gjm4l]

Thanks. One thing I did think of if it even matters is that when I lined up the marks before removing the original belt the crank mark was at 3 notches before the TC mark on the cover, truck was driving fine at least I think with it being several years since I've been with a lima 2.3's power? I'm replacing the belt after noticing more slack than I liked seeing. Maybe that would be like one tooth off? After reinstallation I verified TDC, crank keyway at 12 o'clock and according to the cover its sitting on the TC mark so idk if that could make the noise? I didn't think a few degrees off would cause valve to piston contact? or at least I hope not? Any ideas? Anybody?

 

[gjm4l]

FIXED. Well mostly. As I figured it was something simple. The crank sensor was hitting what it uses to get its signal, I can't seem to remember what it's called lol. Turns out while persuading everything to come apart I inadvertently bent it so it was smacking the sensor hard enough to make the bolts holding it in to work loose in the few times I had cranked it?!?! So i bent it back out as best I could it still just barely touches in one spot but since the sensor still works after all this I figured I'd try my luck cause I need the truck. I figure that when it goes I'll replace both pieces hopefully on down the line. Oh and I never knew the timing was out but now that it's fixed it runs like a top, still only 2.3 power but alot smoother with no stutters or stumbles like it had. Lol also found out by putting new serpentine belt on that I need a new idler assembly(noisy) and noticed that I should have changed the water pump while I was there and also with the truck sitting for almost 2 weeks I finally found the leak in the radiator (which is already bent from some accident before I owned it). So I now know the next steps for lil' red, I know that 2.3 timing belts are a PITA but I bet I can now do one in under an hour(if it's not the first belt change in 150k), and the loud noise was exactly as I expected something dumb I forgot to check for.

 

[Mforrest327]

Right on, glad you figured it out. I did the exact same thing when changeing my timeing belt, but luckly I had noticed it when I went to put it back on....it wouldn't go. My timing was off before the belt broke also and it would run....but thats about all i could call it. After the new belt, i fired it up and it still ran like crap. So while checking the timing marks again, i noticed that It had slipped a tooth while lineing the belt with all the pulleys. Loosened it, retimed it, and now she runs like a champ. I do have to take her all back apart though becuase i noticed about 2 days later that after tightening the belt up, i must not have had it centered on the rear pulleys because soon as she started, the belt walked herself all the way to the edges of the pulleys and is hanging over just a smidge. Its been one of those " I'll do it tomorrow" things but since she aint hitting nothing and its a female dog to do.....im going to leave her alone. I'll fix it when I take my head in to be rebuilt.

 

[gjm4l]

yep I've decided I don't like changing them. Let me know how the head work turns out.