98 Explorer 5.0 AWD $650 repair Bill - Not a pulley - harmonic sound?

[koda2000]

Oddly a compressor with clutch is not that much more than the replacement clutch assembly, but it's a lot more labor to replace the compressor. If my compressor is still working fine then I'd just change the clutch assembly as pictured above. It's quite easy to DIY. There's a lot of stress on the clutch bearing and the clutch itself wears down over time. The OE clutch tends to loose it's rubber silencers and rattle (the reason I replaced my first one) and the bearing eventually disintegrates (the reason I changed my second one).

 

[ELeBlanc]

Visited someone who knows alot about the vehicles and owns a 2000 5.0 Eddie Bauer. He said it was not a pulley or bearing sound. He thought it was a harmonic sound but couldn't place it. His one guess was water flowing past the thermostat with maybe a part or spring loose.

 

[Mbrooks420]

Wasn't there a video? If so in the video it looked like there was extreme play in that bearing. It should be rock solid.

 

[J_C]

Visited someone who knows alot about the vehicles and owns a 2000 5.0 Eddie Bauer. He said it was not a pulley or bearing sound. He thought it was a harmonic sound but couldn't place it. His one guess was water flowing past the thermostat with maybe a part or spring loose.

I think it is fair to state that he isn't a very good guesser. It's not water flowing past the thermostat. Whether he is correct that it isn't a pulley... I would not rule it out yet.

It might help if you made a video and moved the camera around so you can get an idea of sound intensity at different locations. Look at the pulleys, normally if a bearing is shot you will begin to see it wobble... soon enough if it isn't doing it already. If it weren't for you having to take it to a shop to do it, one thing I might have done was take the belt off and start the engine without it on. If the noise persists then it's not something belt driven. Also with the belt off you can grab each pulley and feel for play in the bearing or uneven/undue stiffness turning it.

Something else you can do if you're VERY careful, is take a hard object, like the handle of a wrench, and hold it up against each pulley while they're spinning (belt back on, engine running). The pressure on the side of it changes the load on the bearing, can change the sound it is (or isn't) making.

However there is much that can go wrong sticking things into moving parts and around a potentially, suddenly starting to spin, radiator fan. Like breaking or cutting fingers off.

 

[ELeBlanc]

Wasn't there a video? If so in the video it looked like there was extreme play in that bearing. It should be rock solid.

sorry. nope - no video

 

[96eb96]

JC is on the money.
Ok, this isn't rocket science.
When I have a noise like that, first thing I do is remove the belt and listen to the engine for a minute. Now you eliminated the belt drive system. Why don't all these "pros" know that? It is possible the new belt makes noise if it is an off brand. Is it a Motorcraft belt? Only other brand I use is GatorBack (now made by Continental). Try spraying the belt with some water, at least you can eliminate that.