Sc Noise Question
 

The weather was unseasonably warm today so I pulled the qarage queen out and took her for her first drive of 2002. There is nothing like life above 5,000 rpm's!

Unfortunately I heard a noise that concerned me. Here are the specifics: '81 SC, 90k miles, humming/light grinding noise most likely coming from the front, duration was about 5 seconds per occurance, happened 3 times (once under acceleration, once under deceleration/braking and once going around a right hand turn), when it happened there was no loss of power or performance, all 3 times happened after 90 minutes of driving.

No matter what I tried I couldn't force the noise to be repeated. It seemed to do it purely at random.

Any thoughts, ideas or suggestions would be most appreciated.

Thanks for your help!

Doug

Could be a front wheel bearing. You may want to check the front end. Raise the front end and rotate the wheel and listen for unusual noises. Also, grab the top and bottom of the wheel and rock it back and forth see if there is any looseness.

If there is, I would pull the wheel and check things out. Other than that, the front brake disc could be worn - metal to metal and that could also be where the noise is coming from.

Steve

I'm with stormcrow - before I finished your post I was thinking "wheelbearing."

Emanuel

I"m thinking that wheel bearings can't be overlooked, but their noise is more consistant than a 5 second occurance every ninety minutes. I once had a noisy fuel pump down low in the front.............just a thought.

Thanks for the responses and suggestions.

I hadn't thought about a wheel bearing so I will check for looseness and play.

Are there any fuel pump tests that might shed some light on that possibility?

This board is the best!

Doug
'81 SC

Noah had a problem that seems similar to yours. Look back a couple of posts "I am going bannanas with this fuel problem". You might do what he did.

Steve

Find an empty streach of road! and put the car in nuetral, then turn the ignition key off - no so far that you put the steering lock on. This way you know if noises are engine and electrical related or like the guys said wheel bearings. Plus without that old SC engine rumbling away behind you, you may be able to figure out where that noise is coming from.

Bill '79SC.

Bill - great idea. Too bad I didn't think of this one today while I was out on the road. Hopefully I can try it next weekend.

Steve - Thanks for the thread suggestion. Fortunately my problem isn't as bad as Noah's but next time I run the tank down I will drain it, clean it and look at the filter.

Doug
'81 SC

I don't think it's a wheel bearing. More likely an electric motor like a fuel pump. I might raise the front and check the wheels by spinning them, wiggling, etc., but I doubt it's a wheel bearing. Was your fresh air blower on at the time?

Superman - no, nothing else was on at any of the times the noise appeared.

Zeke914 - did you ever solve your noisy fuel pump problem or did you just live with it?


Doug
'81 SC

Sticking caliper?