I looked and there is none!

Got the belt back on...

a local mechanic (from listening to it) tellls me that he thinks the water pump is going...and we open the radiator cap and the water is just sitting there while the car is running.just barely flowing...and this was after i drove about 10 miles to his place and left the car running..he listened to it and then popped the radiator cap..all while it was still running..and the water looks like it is at a stand still..........now why is my temperature guage not running hot..and can i change the water pump without messing with the timing...or would it be best to get the chain replaced while i am at it..thanks

Um, somebody correct me if I'm wrong here, but since you're driving something a little more advanced than a Ford Escort, I don't think you need to do a timing chain while you're replacing the water pump on these cars.

Actually, to be specific, that rule of thumb is for timing _belts_ rather than chains, especially on little cars whose "interference design" engines will grenade themselves if the timing belt breaks and the pistons then slam into the open valves. (e.g. certain Hondas & Escorts, among others)

-- Andy (whose great little ol' '86 K wagon chewed its way through three timing belts over the years with no disastrous side-effects)

that'* a relief...not for my rattling problem...as i said the mechanics say it sounds like the water pump is going out to him...it rattles when i start it up at idle...if i press on the gas the rattling goes away...it doesn't rattle at all while driving...so maybe that information could help someone diagnose my problem...


also before i talked to him I could have sworn that it was the tensioner..because I could see it moving around a bit I got a mechanics stethescope and still I thought the sound was coming from the tensioner....I put a rachet on the middle bolt of the tensioner and held it..it vibrated a lot..so I was sure it was the tensioner..however the belt was as tight as it should be..no slack.

thanks any help would be appreciated!

Hey, does it rattle when you're back at idle again _after_ doing some driving? I'm wondering whether you're hearing piston slap instead (which is annoying but not considered harmful, and goes away after the engine'* warmed up). If the noise persists beyond the first startup, then yeah, maybe a water pump or something is going.

Well, the tensioner is spring-loaded and acts as a kind of shock absorber to take up the shock whenever any of the pulleys momentarily seizes or snags. You will feel vibration in the tensioner, all right.

Well, again, that'* right, because it'* spring-loaded and its job _is_ to keep the belt as tight as it should be.

If you trust your mechanic, let him do the water pump (although I'm not sure I'd do _anything_ at this point, in the absence of any other symptoms so far).

Which pulley are you talking about when you say the bottom one? Are you talking about the engine? That one will not turn freely! But if you are talking about the A/C compressor, that is more of a concern.

If the tensioner is moving, is it moving up and down in the plane of the belt, or is it wobbling in a direction perpendicular to the belt?

Can you move the belt and cause any of the pulleys to turn simply by pulling it back and forth?

yes the bottom pully not the ac compressor...so i guess it is the engine one..the one under the motor mount.

the tension has a slight wobble to me but it'* not jumping or anything

i can turn the belt with my hand when it is on all pullies..not sure how far it would go as i have not tried a complete turn with it

thanks

Well, the tensioner may be going bad, but I would suggest you have somebody experienced find that rattle for you...

Nothing seems obvious.

Mine is exactly the same, rattle when starting also when idling... press the gas pedle and it stops, when driving with the transmission in gear, i let off of the gas and it starts to rattle. its not tick tick, its more like a rattle rattle clunk clunk typa sound

Check out this thread about a vibration and the fix. This might be your problem.

http://www.bonnevilleclub.com/forum/...pic.php?t=6749