Rattling noise from the water pump area.

[dbmcnew]

Hello, just found this site and have found lots of good info. I have a problem with my 2004 4.0 explorer. Rattleing/clacking noise from the front of the engine. I thought it was pulleys or tensioner arm but after replacing those and the serpentine belt I still had the noise. Then noise doesn't start right away but it seemed to start once the fan clutch kicked in so (of course) I thought it was the fan clutch. Changed that and the noise is still there. Now I'm thinking water pump. I have no leak (yet) and no chirping, but when I put a long screwdriver on the pump when the noise is present, it sure sounds like that is where it is generated. any suggestions?

 

[Sams01XplrSprt]

welcome

 

[BrooklynBay]

Welcome to this forum! I've moved your thread into the stock 2002-2005 section. Disconnect the belt, and listen for the noise. It might be the timing chain.

 

[lisfan]

welcome to the board
it very well could be the water pump. do you have any play in it? twist the fan , side to side
it also could a timing chain issue. how many miles do you have?
i would remove belt to rule out other drive items for a short time and listen for the noise if it istill
there i would think its a dreaded chain issue. i replaced my 4.0 at 78000 , it made no noise just shut off and grenaded the motor(bent valves etc). also check your crank pulley/ harmonic balancer for splittiing where the pulley itself and balancer are molded together
i hope you have better luck than me

 

[dbmcnew]

Thanks. Heres the full story. Everything was fine unitl I apparently got some bad gasoline which made the engine run rough. I got some injector cleaner, ran that through with a tankfull of good gas and the roughness cleared up but I think it must have caused the chain tensioner to go out of adjustment. (I hope). I'll try running without belt to see. Thanks again. Dave

 

[dbmcnew]

found it (I hope)

Thanks. Heres the full story. Everything was fine unitl I apparently got some bad gasoline which made the engine run rough. I got some injector cleaner, ran that through with a tankfull of good gas and the roughness cleared up but I think it must have caused the chain tensioner to go out of adjustment. (I hope). I'll try running without belt to see. Thanks again. Dave

Took it to a local shop and they tore the front of the engine apart. Said some noise was from water pump (replaced) but most of noise was harmonic balancer. 1000. bucks later, no noise! hope i didn't get ripped.

 

[BrooklynBay]

Thanks for the update!