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I just picked up a 93 SOHC 16 1.6. There is a weird grinding noise that starts up around 20mph and increases the faster I go. Gearing doesn't matter and no noise at low speeds/idle. I lifted the car up and got very little vertical play from the front wheel, but a decent amount of horizontal. What do you guys think it is?

Also, are there any decent writeups on how to do the timing belt?

I don't think the wheel nearing should have that much play, but then again the amount of play that's a lot mor me mifht be a little for you or vice versa.

It could be the differential, does the sound change at all with the RPM?

Also, timing belt on those things is really easy. If you go to mx3.com and look on the left for manuals, you can find the workshop manual for it. I can link it once I get home, there's also a tutorial on the v6 faq that says to mark the old belt and pulley so you don't put it on wrong, of you can't find it I'll link it to.ight when I'm home.

RobMinhas wrote:I don't think the wheel nearing should have that much play, but then again the amount of play that's a lot mor me mifht be a little for you or vice versa.

It could be the differential, does the sound change at all with the RPM?

Also, timing belt on those things is really easy. If you go to mx3.com and look on the left for manuals, you can find the workshop manual for it. I can link it once I get home, there's also a tutorial on the v6 faq that says to mark the old belt and pulley so you don't put it on wrong, of you can't find it I'll link it to.ight when I'm home.

I'm assuming bearing anyway, because I read an older post where the OP seemed to have a similar problem to mine. It's a 5 speed and the noise doesn't seem to be affected by rpms, just rolling speeds.

And the timing procedure is pretty the same as for the V6? Thanks for the reply, I appreciate it.

Also, I can feel some heat radiation from below the shifter (boot is off). Is that normal? Would a bad intermediate shaft bearing do that?

The timing situation is very different, the v6 post I mentioned had some tips to get the belt on properly. The manual on the main page has the b6 sohc timing setup and how to do it.


Heat radiation is because the shifter shits right overtop of the exhaust. If it's a short shifter or aftermarket exhaust it might be making contact too.

You could try rotating the wheel while the wheels are off the ground and you could most likely hear the bear if its bad. Mine is bad and I can hear it with the wheel raised.

While the car is on the ground, grab the top of the wheel with your hands, using a push/pull on the top of the wheel it should wiggle back and forth and or clunk. But it sounds like a bad bearing for sure.

Josh wrote:While the car is on the ground, grab the top of the wheel with your hands, using a push/pull on the top of the wheel it should wiggle back and forth and or clunk. But it sounds like a bad bearing for sure.

On the ground? I always thought you had to lift it to check. Anyway, I gave it a lift and a spin, and it definitely sound like the passenger side bearing went bad. Thanks for all the help guys. Ordering a replacement bearing now.

Yep on the ground. You can raise it up if you want. If you have not changed one of these before they are not fun at all without a press...

Josh wrote:Yep on the ground. You can raise it up if you want. If you have not changed one of these before they are not fun at all without a press...

I was planning on taking the entire knuckle off and taking it to a local shop to press out/in. My last car I had to use a slide hammer to pull out the hub assembly. Now THAT was a PITA.

I would suggest getting a hub as well its $23 bucks on rock auto and will save them a hell of a lot of time because every bearing that I have done, the center collar of the wheel bearing stays attached to the hub and is a PITA to get off!!
The part number for it is #930-550 its a Dorman part number. If you use it great, if not that's fine I thought I would throw it out there from my experience.

Tavman_1213 wrote:I would suggest getting a hub as well its $23 bucks on rock auto and will save them a hell of a lot of time because every bearing that I have done, the center collar of the wheel bearing stays attached to the hub and is a PITA to get off!!
The part number for it is #930-550 its a Dorman part number. If you use it great, if not that's fine I thought I would throw it out there from my experience.

lol already ordered that exact one, actually. Hopefully that'll help someone else reading this in the future.