Happy summer everyone. Haven't been here in a while, but I just acquired a new problem with my 94 Formula.
Last year I did a lot work to fix some rough running and hesitation problems my 'Bird was having, and managed to get the old girl running beautifully. In large part due to great advice I found here on this board. Thanks for being such a great forum!
All was well until May this year when some chowder-head hot-footed it out of a parking lot, while looking back over his shoulder for oncoming traffic, instead of in the direction his car was going, and drove into me head on. There was enough damage that it would have exceeded the threshold for considering it a total loss, but thanks to some arm twisting of the body shop guys and the appraiser, I got them to back out enough of the mechanical repairs to keep the number just below the "total" trigger. I figured I could handle the mechanical repairs myself. Minor stuff really except for the brake line which runs from the proportioning valve to the rear axle.....that was fun. It had been corroded anyway and when I hit the brake pedal in the accident, in an attempt to push it through the floor, the line burst. Didn't matter anyway, since I was actually using the other guy's car for brakes.....LOL.
Anyway, after getting all the body work done I decided to have the rest of the car repainted as well. My black 'bird looks nearly as good now as when she was new. Getting some of the parts for the body shop was quite an odyssey though, and the car was tied up for a whole month.
Life has been too easy since my Formula was fixed so I guess it was time for a new problem:
Today, when I started it up it suddenly made a nasty "grinding bearing" noise. I think it's a belt driven component, and I tried to use the stethoscope but I can't say for sure which device it is. All the components sound loud through that thing! I am suspecting the compressor though. There is a variation in the travel of the pulley that is so tiny, but I can even see it with these old eyes, and the sound changes whenever the clutch engages. Tried a little WD around the shaft but that didn't change anything.....(didn't really think it would....).
Tommorrow I'll get it up on the ramps an yank the serpentine off. I should still be able to start it up and run it for a few seconds with no harm, right? If the noise goes away, I'll know it's definitely one of the belt driven devices. While the belt is off, I can work the pullies by hand to check for noise or slop.
Does this sound like a reasonable way to diagnose the problem? Any other ideas will be greatfully considered.
If it turns out to be the compressor, I know I'll have a few more questions, so I hope you folks won't mind.
Thanks in advance.
Last year I did a lot work to fix some rough running and hesitation problems my 'Bird was having, and managed to get the old girl running beautifully. In large part due to great advice I found here on this board. Thanks for being such a great forum!
All was well until May this year when some chowder-head hot-footed it out of a parking lot, while looking back over his shoulder for oncoming traffic, instead of in the direction his car was going, and drove into me head on. There was enough damage that it would have exceeded the threshold for considering it a total loss, but thanks to some arm twisting of the body shop guys and the appraiser, I got them to back out enough of the mechanical repairs to keep the number just below the "total" trigger. I figured I could handle the mechanical repairs myself. Minor stuff really except for the brake line which runs from the proportioning valve to the rear axle.....that was fun. It had been corroded anyway and when I hit the brake pedal in the accident, in an attempt to push it through the floor, the line burst. Didn't matter anyway, since I was actually using the other guy's car for brakes.....LOL.
Anyway, after getting all the body work done I decided to have the rest of the car repainted as well. My black 'bird looks nearly as good now as when she was new. Getting some of the parts for the body shop was quite an odyssey though, and the car was tied up for a whole month.
Life has been too easy since my Formula was fixed so I guess it was time for a new problem:
Today, when I started it up it suddenly made a nasty "grinding bearing" noise. I think it's a belt driven component, and I tried to use the stethoscope but I can't say for sure which device it is. All the components sound loud through that thing! I am suspecting the compressor though. There is a variation in the travel of the pulley that is so tiny, but I can even see it with these old eyes, and the sound changes whenever the clutch engages. Tried a little WD around the shaft but that didn't change anything.....(didn't really think it would....).
Tommorrow I'll get it up on the ramps an yank the serpentine off. I should still be able to start it up and run it for a few seconds with no harm, right? If the noise goes away, I'll know it's definitely one of the belt driven devices. While the belt is off, I can work the pullies by hand to check for noise or slop.
Does this sound like a reasonable way to diagnose the problem? Any other ideas will be greatfully considered.
If it turns out to be the compressor, I know I'll have a few more questions, so I hope you folks won't mind.
Thanks in advance.
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