yes yes another annoying question from the new guy
 

ok another question, seems i do this a lot... i should know everyhting by now.

anyways, i have an oil leak from the front of my engine, i have talked to the mechanic who used to work on my car and asked him if he knew where it was coming from. he said that the guy who owned it before me and one of his friends did the water pump and timing belt together... oddly enough i have a reciept for it though, but he said the didnt change some seals, dont remember which ones and thats where he thought he remembered the leak coming from. today i got under the car and looked for myself. and the oild leak is coming from the lowest pully on the front of the engine, i think thats the water pump and something else that the timing belt is connected to. when i started the car and looked at the timing belt from under the car it vibrated a little every few seconds. the timing belt is in very good condition. i was wondering if i should have this all redone or just have the belt retensioned and just put oil in it whenever it is needed and wait till i need a new timing belt. when i was under the hood i also saw this aluminum looking bar that goes above the radiator that i dont know what it does, its vibrating a little and makking a the things that hold it are making a rattleing noise that i can only hear when i have the hood open, should i worry about it and what is it?

that u again!

Your description is a little "fuzzy." It is difficult to determine exactly what you are describing because unless you remove the covers you cannot see the timing or balance shaft belts. This leads me to believe you are actually describing either the power steering or the Alternator/A.C. Compressor drive belts.

How about posting a picture or two?

If you don't have a digital cam do a search for pics and just repost them.

(I do think, however, that a cam should be in everyones tool chest)

i *think* what hes saying is that the water pump belt is vibrating. If you havent, Now is a GREAT time to check fluid levels. maybe even change the oil.

That still doesn't work for me. The only belts you can see with the covers on are the power steering (small 'V' belt) and the Alternator/A.C Compressor (Wide "Poly-ribbed" ) belts.

The 'aluminum bar' above the radiator sounds like the linkage for the headlights.

Pictures will clear up the confusion.

Hm, while we're on this topic, anyone know what size the power steering pump belt is? I'm too lazy to jack up the car, pull off the belly of the car to get the size of the belt.

well i did take pictures, but the cable for my camera is missing in action :-( and i know what, i think that porsche944 is right, i just looked under the hood, the aluminum bar is the linkage for the headlights. and i never noticed that there were covers on there before... oops. well the oil is coming from lower most wheel that the wide belt goes around and the lowest wheel that the thin belt goes around. and its the wide one that is shaking.

Is the oil coming from the center lower pulley and is an inch or so wide? I suspect the front crank seal and if thats is the case, yes re do the entire job. This is why when it is said to replace everything to do just that! Doing the belts and pump and not the seals is grounds for another round of timing belt work. But it sounds more like a crank or balance shaft seal is gone!

The aluminum bar is most likely a power steering tube running from the rack to the pump. The return and cooler line run under the xmember, around the radiator and in front right corner of the fender by the ps fluid tank. Look at the lines and see if that is the same one you see. Take a cable wrap and secure it. But it is not a major concern. Sman