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[Dr A. 33 1.5IE]

Hello everyone,

Just today driving the car I could here a repeated metalic low whining noise. Initially I thought that here goes another shot rear wheel hub bearing. But rolling the car in neutral proved that the wheels are just fine.

The sound came and went with the engine's revs. A belt tensioner?

First thing removed was the aircon drive belt. Another short drive but the sound is still there.

What else could it be? Water pump? Alternator? the steering wheel pump?

What usually fails to look for it and does anybody have a way to check things before remoning all the belts from the engine?

Best regards
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1994 Alfa 33 1.5 IE Cat. 220.000Kms and still going strong!!! (Από την Αθήνα και τώρα στην Λευκωσία)

[gritsop]

Hi,

I had a whining sound coming from the engine bay which varied with the engine revs. Initially this sound was drving me crazy, searching for almost two months to trace it and hopefully a talented mechanic found it within seconds. This is the carbon canister valve which sits on the left side of the engine bay under the coolant tank. This however refers to the L-Jet IE 33s ... what engine management system does your 33 have?

This is the valve :





The membrane fails and the vacuum air creates a "whistling" sound and as vaccum increases (~ engine revs) then this sound is more apparent and annoying.

Hope this helps.
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Thanassis Gritsopoulos
1991 Alfa 33 1.4 IE
2001 Alfa 147 1.6 Distinctive

http://www.alfa-restoration.co.uk
Parts Shop: www.alfa-restoration.co.uk/shop

[Dr A. 33 1.5IE]

Hello Gritsop,

I have the 1.5IE with the Bosch Motronic MP3.1 system. Actually the sound is not air-produced. Is purely mechanical and I am almost sure that on hearing inspection it probably cames from the water pump. Of course my mechanic wants to eliminate belt by belt the component that produces the noise.

I hope that we will spot it because the sound gets a bit louder by the day. That's why I think is a shot bearing somewhere.

Does a careful tapping testing on the dynamo rotor and the steering wheel pump would give out the guilty part?

Thanks very much for your reply!!!
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1994 Alfa 33 1.5 IE Cat. 220.000Kms and still going strong!!! (Από την Αθήνα και τώρα στην Λευκωσία)

[gritsop]

Hi,

You may remove the water pump/alternator belt and check if the noise still appears. You may just fire up the motor for a few seconds to check about the sound.

Generally speaking water pumps can leak but with no apparent knocking but they can also start screaming as the rubber in the shaft dries out. There are also cases that the pump pulley shows play when pushed/pulled.

Hope this helps.

Regards
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Thanassis Gritsopoulos
1991 Alfa 33 1.4 IE
2001 Alfa 147 1.6 Distinctive

http://www.alfa-restoration.co.uk
Parts Shop: www.alfa-restoration.co.uk/shop

[Dr A. 33 1.5IE]

Hello again,

Yes you are right about the play on the water pump rotor. I haven't check the belt fot that but when checking the water pump belt in motion it seems that the pump pulley has a slight jumpy-tremor or whatever you can call it. The alternator and the steering pump pulley just spin around in a smooth motion, there is movement on the belt while they are spinning.

But I am still not sure that the sound comes from that.

The water pump pulley though on eye judgement seems like is not running as smoothly as the other pulleys.

As soon as I get any news I will post back the findnings.

Thanks
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1994 Alfa 33 1.5 IE Cat. 220.000Kms and still going strong!!! (Από την Αθήνα και τώρα στην Λευκωσία)

[Rosco]

Have you checked you oil level in your gearbox lately,? there is a rather large expensive bearing in there that relies on thrown oil from the rest of the gear box for lubrication.From memory its up the top of the gearbox, if that goes Im afraid that the gearbox has to come out, it makes a very winey noise when its gone and may account for your noise that your hearing. I paid about 80 pound to get a new one from italy as they were no equivalent bearings available in New Zealand. Its also a good time to do or swap sincromesh rings while you got the gear box out if in fact this is the problem.Hope you find the problem.

[Dr A. 33 1.5IE]

Hello Alfistas,

It was the water pump after all. I had replaced the pump under two years ago and I never thought that iot could go bad in such a short time.

Of course about a year ago the timing belts were replaced and if I am ot mistaken I have read in another post that replacing the timing belts it would be wise to replace the water pump even a recently new one because the pump because this procedure strains the pump bearings.

Also the spring bearing keeping the timing belt in plce, next to the water pump, was replaced.

Finally the engine sounds as it should without any funny noises.

The only trouble with the water pump is that it takes a lot of work to do it.

Anyway problem solved... until another one crops up.

Chears everyone for your interest.
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1994 Alfa 33 1.5 IE Cat. 220.000Kms and still going strong!!! (Από την Αθήνα και τώρα στην Λευκωσία)