3vze cam bearings seizing?

dusktugdawn · 07-29-2007, 09:02 PM

I have a dry bearing noise on the top front of the engine... the dry spinning goes in and out. previous to this i had a high pitched bearing noise from the same area after a hard rain and thought i got dust in the cam bearings. does this sound possible or does anyone have any experience with this? would this noise be more likely my timing belt tensioner?

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Blurr · 07-29-2007, 09:24 PM

sounds more like one of the timing pulleys. there aren't ball bearings on the cams so it is definitely not that.

any idea when the timing pulleys were last replaced?

dusktugdawn · 07-29-2007, 09:42 PM

not sure about the pulleys... the belt was recently replaced, within the past 4000 miles. could it be that the new belt is more firm that it wore out the pulleys? the engine has 229k without a rebuild... not sure on records previous 214k.

MudHippy · 07-29-2007, 09:45 PM

Same noise turned out to be both timing idler pulley bearings on mine, the water inlet and the tensioner. Not that I didn't initially panic I think it was my cams too, I did but it wasn't. Someone had put a new belt on mine before I bought it without doing the pulleys, could have been done then, I wish at least. New belt won't hurt the pulleys unless they're goin' already.

locked stock 84 · 07-29-2007, 09:50 PM

It sounds like belts to me!

MudHippy · 07-29-2007, 09:51 PM

Another possibility.

dusktugdawn · 07-29-2007, 09:51 PM

most likely a result of the new belt being of a different tension?

dusktugdawn · 07-29-2007, 09:52 PM

i hear the noise more from behind my timing cover... most likely my timing pulley and idler.. I would suspect, thats why i initially thought it was the cams

MudHippy · 07-29-2007, 09:55 PM

The tensioner is designed to keep the belt at a consistent tension. A bad tensioner, or improperly installed could put extra stress on the pulleys. What I meant was if they hadn't been inspected thoroughly when the new belt was put on they would be on the way out regardless. As was the case with mine. The water inlet is a job to replace, so I can see not wanting to replace that one. The other is pretty quick.

dusktugdawn · 07-29-2007, 09:59 PM

the water pump was recently replaced, does that include the inlet?

MudHippy · 07-29-2007, 10:24 PM

No, the water pump also has a pulley that the timing belt rides on though, it drives the pump.

07-29-2007, 09:24 PM	#2 (permalink)
Blurr Registered User Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Orange, CA Posts: 306	sounds more like one of the timing pulleys. there aren't ball bearings on the cams so it is definitely not that. any idea when the timing pulleys were last replaced? __________________ 93 4Runner - 3vz-e. bone stock, HG job done in 8/07. 2001 Sequoia SR5

07-29-2007, 09:42 PM	#3 (permalink)
dusktugdawn Registered User Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 9	not sure about the pulleys... the belt was recently replaced, within the past 4000 miles. could it be that the new belt is more firm that it wore out the pulleys? the engine has 229k without a rebuild... not sure on records previous 214k. Last edited by dusktugdawn; 07-29-2007 at 09:45 PM.

07-29-2007, 09:45 PM	#4 (permalink)
MudHippy Registered User Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: The Realm Of Fecal Cohesion Posts: 2,014	Same noise turned out to be both timing idler pulley bearings on mine, the water inlet and the tensioner. Not that I didn't initially panic I think it was my cams too, I did but it wasn't. Someone had put a new belt on mine before I bought it without doing the pulleys, could have been done then, I wish at least. New belt won't hurt the pulleys unless they're goin' already. __________________ Sonoran Steel Early IFS Truss Your IFS is SPINELESS without it SonoranSteel.com I'm Cuckoo For YOTA Trucks! Last edited by MudHippy; 07-29-2007 at 09:49 PM.

07-29-2007, 09:50 PM	#5 (permalink)
locked stock 84 Registered User Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Northglenn, CO Posts: 167	It sounds like belts to me! __________________ My rig: slow 84 longbed 22r, locked in the rear, headers, bed riddled with cancer, and mt 31's Have locker, will travel.

07-29-2007, 09:51 PM	#6 (permalink)
MudHippy Registered User Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: The Realm Of Fecal Cohesion Posts: 2,014	Another possibility. __________________ Sonoran Steel Early IFS Truss Your IFS is SPINELESS without it SonoranSteel.com I'm Cuckoo For YOTA Trucks!

07-29-2007, 09:51 PM	#7 (permalink)
dusktugdawn Registered User Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 9	most likely a result of the new belt being of a different tension?

07-29-2007, 09:52 PM	#8 (permalink)
dusktugdawn Registered User Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 9	i hear the noise more from behind my timing cover... most likely my timing pulley and idler.. I would suspect, thats why i initially thought it was the cams

07-29-2007, 09:55 PM	#9 (permalink)
MudHippy Registered User Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: The Realm Of Fecal Cohesion Posts: 2,014	The tensioner is designed to keep the belt at a consistent tension. A bad tensioner, or improperly installed could put extra stress on the pulleys. What I meant was if they hadn't been inspected thoroughly when the new belt was put on they would be on the way out regardless. As was the case with mine. The water inlet is a job to replace, so I can see not wanting to replace that one. The other is pretty quick. __________________ Sonoran Steel Early IFS Truss Your IFS is SPINELESS without it SonoranSteel.com I'm Cuckoo For YOTA Trucks! Last edited by MudHippy; 07-29-2007 at 09:56 PM.

07-29-2007, 09:59 PM	#10 (permalink)
dusktugdawn Registered User Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 9	the water pump was recently replaced, does that include the inlet?

07-29-2007, 10:24 PM	#11 (permalink)
MudHippy Registered User Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: The Realm Of Fecal Cohesion Posts: 2,014	No, the water pump also has a pulley that the timing belt rides on though, it drives the pump. __________________ Sonoran Steel Early IFS Truss Your IFS is SPINELESS without it SonoranSteel.com I'm Cuckoo For YOTA Trucks!

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