Mystery Noise front of engine

[glend]

I found the KJ CRD making a God awful racket when I got out of it this afternoon after driving back from Brissy. Over 800kms with no issues, and I could not hear the noise over the stereo (Hotel California) etc. The noise is coming from the front of the engine and my mind automatically jumped to expensive or terminal conclusions. I jumped online and found some old LOST threads about something similiar. I did the Aux belt off test and the noise disappeared, Eureka! Playing around with the pulleys it seems the vicious clutch heater is the problem, the pulley ring has alot of side to side play, generally sloppy. The rest seem fine, no play anywhere else, and alternator pulley was great. So now what? Do I just live with it sounding like an old Peterbuilt or should I try to replace that viscous heater unit, or can the clutch alone be replaced? We don't really need that thing in Australia.
I am going away again at the end of next week so I doubt I can source a replacement before then. Any suggestions?

[BeagleCamper]

I had a horrible noise from front of engine that I too thought was viscous clutch heater as that where noise seemed to emanate from but turned out to be bolt holding serpentine belt pulley under viscous clutch had loosened & rubbing on inside of pulley. Just suggesting you closely check that pulley too.

[cmohr]

Hey Glen, that doesn't sound good, if there's play, means that maybe the bearing is failed, might go for a while, but when it goes, you will loose the serpentine belt and be dead in the water so to speak.

I don't know if my old 2.5lt has one, I can check tonight, not sure if it would fit though. Any wreckers in you travel plans, maybe pick one up before or on your next trip, so as you have at least a part with you, just incase.

[glend]

Thanks cmohr. In the light of day continued digging into it this morning. I decided to test properly and removed the fan and fan clutch so I could get to everything and check all the pulleys carefully. The belt tensioner is fine, and I still have an original in my spares box (it was replaced once when I replaced the belt). I found the Alternator pulley was frozen, it does not decouple when turned the opposite way and will not spin freely. It moves the alternator shaft either way when turned. I popped the cap and found it full of the red dust everyone warns about.
All the other pulleys spin freely, and I am thinking that while there is a little play in the viscous clutch pulley if pushed side to side, it does spin true without wobbling, so it might be ok.
So I have gone ahead and ordered a new alternator (which comes with a mounted decoupler pulley), on the basis that is is easier to swap out the whole alternator than try to remove the pulley. And the whole alternator with pulley cost only $50 more than Jeep Konnection wants for the decoupler pulley alone. Its from an Australian supplier, so I hope it arrived before I have to leave on next Thursday morning for an Astronomy camp out beyond the Blue Mtns.
I might look at trying to rig up a decoupler pulley removal tool and use it to save my present alternator as a backup.

[cmohr]

Ahhh yes, that red dust IS the bearing worn away, I see it often in the machines I run, never a good sign, It's not rust, it's the metal rollers or ball worn away. Usually, it's not long and they completely disintegrate.

Hope your alternator arrives soon,shouldn't be too hard for a man of your skills to pop in .

Astronomy camp, sounds like fun,

I need to get out soon to do some-more myself, Clearer skys needed, looking forwards to winter, atmosphere seems a lot clearer, and finding places in "the dark zones" is fun. .

Here's one from a while ago . There's a few more there if you click on the image

[IMG]_IMG3501 by King cmohr, on Flickr[/IMG]

[a-frame81]

If only the noise that was coming from the front of mine was the alternator. Nope, AC compressor died in the middle of the last summer. Not my idea of fun when it was a consistent 35+ Degrees in the Nation's capital.

That's on the list to repair after the gearbox on Thursday and the rear upper control arm next month.

[cmohr]

I don't know if the AC comp is the same between 2.5 and 2.8 models, AC worked a treat in my old KJ, I'm currently wrecking it.