Hi, I have an 04 Disco with 94,xxx miles on it, and recently noticed that it sounds like it's "chirping" a bit from the front end.. sounds like a squeaky bearing. Haven't replaced the serp belt, though I have had one in hand for 20K miles or so. I check it for wear, and seems there aren't any issues with it... no cracks, no wears spots, good tension etc..

I am just going to replace it, but wanted to see what folks were doing to isolate the bearing sqeak? obviously the first thing I will check is the water pump, but beyond that, any thoughts?

Also, any tricks on replacing the serp belt?

(I don't have ACE)

Thanks
J

 

You might try removing the belt and starting the engine, make sure it is cold, and only run it for a second or two. This will tell you if the noise is coming from something belt driven. If the belt has never been replaced, might as well do that while you are at it with 94k on the clock. When the belt is off feel the tensioner and other idlers to see what they feel like. They should turn easily, and will be some play, but they should not be real sloppy or hard to turn. An AC compressor clutch and or power steering pump both can also cause some noise, try turning on the deforst to engage the AC compressor to see if the noise changes or goes away, and if it is the power steering pump you can add some Lucas additive to it to help. Good luck with the noise.

 

cool.... I will give that a shot... if it's a tensioner belt, do folks generally just put a bit of oil on the bearing, or just replace (I am not sure if they are sealed or not...)

 

I've read where you can replace the bearings, but you'll have to remove them and hunt down the proper size. They are the cartridge style bearings. Might just be as easy to replace the whole tensioner...

 

Check out these links. I just replaced all that stuff and found the best pricing on it.
I think the large pulley on my tensioner was going bad. No more squealing.

Gates Tensioner Assembly + Pulley Parts Interchange 2000-2004

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