Hey Guys,

So heres the deal: I got a 90 CRX with the d16a6 block rebuilt with a z6 crank because the spun bearing was babied back to the house but shaved the a6 crank. High compression pistons and z6 stock head, completely stock. I have been driving it for four weeks today (Tuesday) and it started whining like an alternator belt had dried out two weeks ago so I replaced the belt. Well I found that replacing the belt did not do it, and the symptoms got worse, alot WORSE. I was smelling a burning smell, it sounded like a turning mechanism was facing resistance, and the screeching noise was so loud I have to plug my ears to get close it without blowing an eardrum. I picked up another alternator this weekend and put it on Saturday. That took care of the screeching and burning smells, but a cold start would produce a five second max, deep toned whine. No problems until tonight, I down shifted turning left at a yellow light, only took it to high 2000s and it started screeching again... ALL THE EFFING WAY HOME. After a temper tantrum in the garage, I went out to try and figure out what it is. My father started the car and all it did was whine, had him rev it to 3000 while watching, nothing. I know it will come back because effing Murphys law is going to get the best of me. Anybody know what could be happening here?

 

can you crank it by hand?

 

Yeah I can do that tonight, and listen for a whine that way? Thats a good idea. I dunno if the squealing noise will occur at that slow an rpm, but I think maybe the whine will.... I have tonight off of work *thank GOD!* so I will jack the front end up and give it a try... It couldn't be any of the seals on the drivers side could it? I feel like it is coming from the block maybe even the cam gear, but it is just too loud to tell.... I'll try that out tonight and post up results... I will also add a video if I can get it to squeal, and one of startup...

 

Okay, I got a video, but there was no squealing, this just is a brief whine, shorter than normal on completely cold start. I will try to get another with a cold start when I get the chance...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2S7KdVPsCM

 

check the alignment of the alternator pulley to crank pully. how much deflection do you have on the alternator belt. is your belt to tight ?

 

yeah its possible your belt is too tight. you dont need to put all your weight into it while your tensioning it. common mistake.

 

or just take off belt, run the car on the battery and see if it squeals

 

Yeah I have replaced the alternator belt first, then the alternator which cut down on some of the squealing, but it still does it at start up and last night when I down shifted, which caused it to then squeal all the way home. Alternator is not too tight, have a good amount of downplay, and I double checked it before starting the engine after swapping alternators...

 

check your timing belt make sure there's nothing touch it? Is there a/c?

is it me or does your timing belt look loose from that video?

 

Yeah I get off in an hour and a half today. I am going home to check the exact same thing. I am also going to check the disc behind the timing sprocket behind the crank pulley. I wonder if I put it on backwards... I found another thread where they were saying that could have been the problem in the engine building thread. I will check my timing belt tension as well...

 

UPDATE: I took the alternator off tonight and it did not whine when I started it up. I got home from DC with my mom's car, and started the CRX dead cold first with the belt on there, whined like a b*tch. Removed the belt, no whine. Since I took the belt off, it did not whine when I started it up again to take it to the shop for inspection. Since they are inspecting it tomorrow, I am going to have them pull the crank pulley and check out the discs between the timing belt sprocket. If that does not work, I will try soaping the belt. I am beginning to think it is the crank pulley itself making all that noise... Any ideas fellas?

 

Man you can do that yourself, easy.

Make sure the belt you have is the right one, in terms of the right number of grooves. They make products that keep the belt from squeaking as well

 

Aight I am going to check out these belts... Its driving me crazy. That video above was a quick squeal, sometimes it goes on for a while...

How can I pop the crank pulley bolt off without a BEEFY inpact wrench? In the past, whenever I was rebuild/popping it off, I borrowed the shop's biggest impact for the night. This pulley does not have the keyed hole for the tool, and I have tried pvc piping for more leverage... Last trick I heard about was getting the engine hot and putting an ice cube on the bolt to cool it down fast (causing the metal to contract while the rest of the engine is still hot)... I have not tried that yet, but figured since the shop is inspecting it anyways, they can do it twice as fast as I can... Still trying to pick up tools, but money is TIGHT now...

 

I zip it off easy with my $70 harbour freight impact (600 ft lbs) and $80 compressor from there. But you could have someone step on the brakes and put it in 5th, try crank it off with a big breaker bar.

Or use a chain wrench to hold the pulley. Don't stick things in the holes in the pulley, I broke mine by doing that.

Heating it up could mess up your crank seal, so I would avoid doing that unless its last resort

Your crank pulley looks like this right?

 

Apologies for the late response. I took it for inspection the other day and the mechanic said it needs to be really tight. He tightened it up for me, and since then I have had zero problems. Weird right? I do have that crank pulley btw. Now its on to different problems...

 

are you talking about the alternator belt?

 

Yup. He said it really needs to be tight, and the new belts stretch so the noise if anything was from it being too LOOSE. Either way, its been almost a week and I have not heard that ridiculous noise since...

 

Wow talk about weird. Mine started squealing today after I changed the belt last week. It definitely stretched a bit