98 5.0 explorer making whining noise.

[5OHxlt98]

I have had my explorer making a whining noise ever since I helped my buddy get his truck out of a mud pit. The my engine whines when idling and is at its loudest when I'm accelerating. After about 30 mins of strait highway driving it softens up and sometimes goes away. But when I get off and come to a complete stop and then accelerate again, it comes back. People have told me it is my power-steering but the noise does not happen only when im steering so that idea is out the window. I have also been told that it is a bad water pump, a bad alternator, and recently its been said to be an idler pulley with bad bearings. I'm hoping its a cheap and easy to replace idler pulley but I dont wanna mess around with anything until im sure.

Thanks

 

[Joe Dirt]

It's not out the window- the PS pump turns whether your steering or not. Ford pumps are notorious for the whine. Can you post a video of the noise?

Try spraying your idler, tensioner, and other pulley bearings and see if the noise changes.

It'll take some poking around to find it.

 

[Turdle]

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=161590&highlight=chirp

 

[shadowless127]

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=161590&highlight=chirp

Crap, you beat me to it.