think tensioner pulley is going out, plz help.

94mx3precidia · Post by **94mx3precidia** » July 12th, 2007, 8:39 pm

hey, yesterday night i heard a noise, its had to explain but to me it sounds like a bad bearing. anyways today i finally had a look and the noise( mostly at idle and midrange revs) seems to be comming from the idler/tensioner pulley. I think its comming from there its kinda hard to tell where the noise is comming from that far down into the engine.

i examined the pulley for play and it does move side to side and i can hear the play as well. Should there be any play in the pulley? seeing as how its under tension. I also tried taking the tensioner adjuster bolt off of the same pulley but i cant turn it at all, its rusted on there. ive tried using penetrant oils and its not working, im scared im either going to strip the bolt break it. any tips?

thanks for the help guys, appreciate it.

hgallegos915 · Post by **hgallegos915** » July 12th, 2007, 9:05 pm

Which pulley? the one near power steering os the one near alternator, I got both by the way in case u need one.

94mx3precidia · Post by **94mx3precidia** » July 12th, 2007, 9:52 pm

its the one near the alternator. dont worry about it man, i work at a auto parts warehouse and i get parts for pratically nothing. i just needto know the best way of getting this pulley off.

PATDIESEL · Post by **PATDIESEL** » July 13th, 2007, 10:12 am

In order the adjust the pulley you have to loosen the big nut in the middle of the pulley, then turn the adjuster bolt. (for either belt tensioner, PS or alt)
To remove just the pulley, loosen the large nut, then the tensioner bolt, remove the belt, then remove the large nut that you loosened first. The pulley and bearing will come off after you've removed he large nut.

94mx3precidia · Post by **94mx3precidia** » July 13th, 2007, 9:47 pm

thanks for the help guys. i did some more searching and i definately found the problem. Its the timing belt cover, is rubbing against the very bottom pulley i think its the crank pulley. i know its the cover for sure cuz when i get under my car i can see that the cover isnt completely on and when i push it out the noise gets really loud and i can feel it hitting the pulley and when i move it in the noise goes away. so my question is how labour intensive is taking the timing belt cover off and replacing it? do i need to take the belt and pulleys off?

I need to replace the cover anyways cuz the cover is beccoming warped and no longer seals completely. Tommorow ill have a look and access to a lift so i can really see whats happening, it might even be a loose bolt that supposed to hold the cover on, its just hard to see.

PATDIESEL · Post by **PATDIESEL** » July 14th, 2007, 5:50 pm

It would take a few hours at least your first time taking it all off, but is pretty simple. Replacing it is going to be a trick b/c you'll need to find a good one that someone is willing to sell. I don't think Mazda has any more of them and even if they do I wouldn't pay their price. Basically take the crank pulley (need a good air gun to take it off) and both tensioners and the water pump pulley and you have access. It is a tight fit for some of the tools, but a bit of patients and you'll get it done.

94mx3precidia · Post by **94mx3precidia** » July 14th, 2007, 6:02 pm

ya, thers barely and room, but i managed to find the exact problem. One of the bolt that hold the cover on, well the plastic cover that goes around the bolt had broke. i managed to rig a contraption so that the cover is held back on but i dont intend for it to hold forever, i just hope the locktight does :lol:

i know the junk yard near me has one 94 mx3, im notsure f its the 4 or 6 cylinder. Is there anyone on here parting out a 9 v6 mx-3 timing cover? If i do end up going to a junk yard its gunna be hardas hell taking the pulleys and what not off cuz i wont have an impack gun.

MoRf · Post by **MoRf** » July 14th, 2007, 6:14 pm

i have an extra k-8 engine laying around it bruned about 1L of oil a day so i dont think its going to be used again

ill check out the condition of the cover and let you know.

94mx3precidia · Post by **94mx3precidia** » July 14th, 2007, 6:16 pm

thanks man id appreciate it, id hate to pay mazdas price for a new one. would the k-8 fit the 1.8L DOHC engine?

PATDIESEL · Post by **PATDIESEL** » July 14th, 2007, 10:33 pm

The 1.8L is the K8, but any of the K series timing covers will fit. 2.5L or 1.8L K series that is, the 2.3 KJ will not work.

94mx3precidia · Post by **94mx3precidia** » July 14th, 2007, 11:40 pm

sryy man i didnt know, im new to this stuff. its my first car and im finding new things as i go along.

Morf, if u could let me knowas soon as possible that would be great, thanks.

PATDIESEL · Post by **PATDIESEL** » July 16th, 2007, 12:12 am

No prob, we all started from square one.

GL with the repair and good job finding the issue. Many here would not have been thurough (sp?) enough to find such a hidden rubbing.

94mx3precidia · Post by **94mx3precidia** » July 16th, 2007, 6:36 pm

ya man thanks. at first it sounded like the tensioner, but a cupple guys from work had a look and said that if a tensioner was going out it would be alot louder and it would start to wobble. So i went under my car ad had a look at the other pullys and they seemed fine but out of the blue my eyes just went towards the cover and i was like should that be that far apart? it looks like the timing cover? so i started my car climed under and pushed either way and low and behold it was the cover!! happy it wasnt something serious, guess im kinda lucky. except for the money ill have to spend on a new cover.

94mx3precidia · Post by **94mx3precidia** » August 9th, 2007, 8:05 pm

bump.

My fix job didnt work, i need a new k8 timing belt cover. PM me if you have one.

94mx3precidia · Post by **94mx3precidia** » August 19th, 2007, 3:35 pm

ok so i managed to get a tb cover, seemed to be in ok shape for being used. So i did the swap this weekend, i replaced my tb cover with another one and man was it ever a hell of a job! Im pleased though everything went well with no stripped nuts, although the one tb cover bolt near the engine mount was difficult to get to but i managed to get to it.

so once i got the cover off i could clearly see that the crank pulley was for sure rubbing against the cover, lol it almost rubbed right through. But i still hear a squeal and im not sure where its comming from. Im pretty sure its a bearing somewhere i have to get a stehcescope and find out were its comming from.

So ill post a pic of my cover a little later when photobucket isnt slow, let me know if anyone has any tips for finding noises like bad bearings. Thanks.