bird chirp -- water pump?

Ok folks, help me out: I have a bird-chirp sound coming from some pulley up front (I think) and I'm needing some 2nd opinions on it...

I've been chasing an rpm-dependent bird chirp in cold weather for the last year or so. So far, I've changed:
1) belt, no change
2) tensioner, no change
3) idler pulley, no change
4) IAC, no change
5) resealed TB, MAF, etc. no change

The sound is not power steering whine. It is not affected by turning at all. It is however rpm-dependent. When I press the gas, the chirp increases in tempo. When I let off the gas, it slows, sometimes disappearing. That's why I think it's some pulley up front. It is not a u-joint, front or rear. It is not a ball joint. (I changed all of those, too)

Now, I'm considering changing the water pump. In the past in other vehicles, some of them very close (Ranger, Bronco II) I've had shaft bearings go bad in water pumps, and it did not sound like a bird chirp. It was a lower sound.

So I may be grasping at straws, but the only pulleys left are alternator, water pump, and power steering. I'm starting with the WATER PUMP. I guess. Does it sound like the water pump could be making the noise?

Rhett, it's been my experience that if the water pump bearings are bad enough to squeak, there's usually a leak at the weep hole.

An alternator chirp should have a relatively high frequency (of time between chirps), than would the PS pump, because of the different size pulleys.

The only thing I might suggest is listening for the chirp with a mechanics stethescope, or a short length of water hose.....

ROE

Runnin'OnEmpty said:

Rhett, it's been my experience that if the water pump bearings are bad enough to squeak, there's usually a leak at the weep hole.

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I will check the weep hole, I have been meaning to do that...

Runnin'OnEmpty said:

An alternator chirp should have a relatively high frequency (of time between chirps), than would the PS pump, because of the different size pulleys.

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It is a pretty high frequency of chirping, especially when pressing the gas...
letting off the gas the chirp slows down. Alternator pulley is a possibility.

Runnin'OnEmpty said:

The only thing I might suggest is listening for the chirp with a mechanics stethescope, or a short length of water hose.....
ROE

Click to expand...

I would use a stethoscope but, it only does this while I'm driving, and usually only when the truck is cold. Never while idling. And today, it did not do it at all! Like it knows I'm onto it, and is trying to act quiet and normal...

Runnin'OnEmpty said:

Rhett, it's been my experience that if the water pump bearings are bad enough to squeak, there's usually a leak at the weep hole.

Click to expand...

I went under there just now, and although I saw no coolant coming out of the weep hole (even when engine running for a minute), I did find coolant collected on the bottom of the fan shroud. It had to come from somewhere, and the weep hole is about 6" above that spot, roughly.

Do you think this is a pretty good indicator that the water pump is putting out thru the weep hole?

Or does the high frequency of the chirp make you think it's the alternator pulley?

just spray the belt with some wd40 or something when it is running and see if teh chirp goes away

I went under there just now, and although I saw no coolant coming out of the weep hole (even when engine running for a minute), I did find coolant collected on the bottom of the fan shroud. It had to come from somewhere, and the weep hole is about 6" above that spot, roughly.

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Ah ha, sounds like you've found the culprit, Rhett. Sometimes the coolant will evaporate around the weep hole, and can't be seen. The fact that there's some coolant underneath points to the water pump leaking, and probably the source of the squeak.....

I hope that's the source of the bird chirp. I have never heard a water pump do a bird chirp, it was always a lower-pitched noise, so this one kind of threw me. If it turns out to be the alternator pulley...well..I guess I'll find out soon enough.

It's the original water pump so it has 117,000 miles on it. I read another post here about water pumps going out at about that time, so...

This is a pic of the wet spot on the base of the fan shroud. Before I touched it there was even more green coolant there:

i have '94 sport and the same exact chirp as you described. it comes alive most often around 30-45 mph. when i throw my car in neutral after hearing it, it fades out. the past 4 months its gotten worse, and a little embarrassing. ill check all the things suggested in this thread.

ok

I put one of these in last night:, ah the joy of coolant baths. I will have to see if this ends the BIRD CHIRP on cold mornings.

i have the same bird chirp on my 97 EB 5.0. my neighbor and i got out this morning and we think its the power steering pump. not for sure though havent changed anything yet. let me know what u find out if u fix before i do

Well, it wasn't the water pump...the bird chirp was there again this morning.
Now what?? alternator?

tnstringbean said:

i have the same bird chirp on my 97 EB 5.0. my neighbor and i got out this morning and we think its the power steering pump. not for sure though havent changed anything yet. let me know what u find out if u fix before i do

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Might want to check your cam position sensor. These are known to develop a squeek.

performancenut said:

Might want to check your cam position sensor. These are known to develop a squeek.

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On a 94 it's called a crankshaft position sensor but same difference...good idea though, I believe the CKP rubs against the crankshaft damper...which could mean it could squeek...I'll look into it..

I'm still looking for an excuse to put a Limited (130 amp?) alternator on my rig though...

He is correct when refering to the Camshaft position sensor, it will develop a chip sound before failure, it is located at the back of the engineblock behind the intake. Try listening there

You can work the throttle by hand by removing the plastic cover.

have you tried a new belt you can see in the picture that the belt is shiny and most likely worn and also make sure your tensioner is working properly

Billy177 said:

have you tried a new belt you can see in the picture that the belt is shiny and most likely worn and also make sure your tensioner is working properly

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see post #1

alternators have been known .
to squeek as well.
However you 0.have alreday spent some $$$ and not found the problem, heck you have a whole new serpentine system on there now!

If you put some water on the pullies it might help get the squeek to occur while idling.
then you can pinpoint it.

The F-150 alternator is a GREAT upgrade for the 4.0L. 130 amp and bolts on, however you will have to do one tiny tiny wiring change, its really easy however. The voltage regulator inthe 130 amp unit gets its ground internally so you just have to loop the white/black wire I believe. It took me all of 20 minutes and the $180 alternator from pep boys has a lifetime warranty.

I had a chirping/squeal also and I did the 1,2 and 3 as you said in your first post and it did not fix my problem either...it really sucks trying to isolate a sound.. I then discovered that the clutch release bearing was the culprit

Did you find the problem?