wahh! grinding noise engine nose... - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

vstech · #1 09-30-2010, 09:23 PM

got to a stop light tonight, and my teal 82SD started making this HORRENDOUS noise up front. I kill it, and go looking. nothing external, oil level a tad low, but not a problem. water looks good. have wife start the car, and instantly know what it is, shut it off (love the kill switch!) the alternator front bearing is failing. I doused it with a touch of ATF, and drove home.

should I attempt to drive it 18miles to my shop, or leave it and get parts, with wife's car, and deal with all the hate eyes...

oh,
wife gets off to work at 6:25am... I don't usually get up before 7...

it made no noise after the atf bath. however, 2miles in town driving is a LOT shorter than 18miles on the interstate!
I KNOW what I should do... I can always call a tow if it fails at speed...
what would YOU all do...
vote now!
Thanks.

layback40 · #2 09-30-2010, 09:40 PM

Alt is no big deal.
If you have a spare at the shop, bring the spare home & replace it at home.
Not a big job, its only about 3 bolts.
I have replaced one on the side of the road when it seized up.

69shovlhed · #3 09-30-2010, 09:51 PM

fix it at home. it'll get way more expensive if it fails on the way to the shop.

Palangi · #4 09-30-2010, 10:03 PM

I had an alternator on a Chebby diesel sieze up on the freeway once. As luck would have it, I was right at an exit pointed at a buddy's body shop. I pulled into his shop and popped the hood. The damn alternator was on fire!!. I mean the %^@# aluminum was burning.

Too bad there wasn't a video camera around. Three guys taking turns spitting on the alternator trying to put the fire out.

We finally doused it with a gallon of iced tea.

macdoe · #5 09-30-2010, 11:06 PM

Cut or take the belt off first in case it seizes again, I only say that cause I had to do the harmonic balancer repair....on it's third one, and holding. Should be able to drive awhile on the battery anyways...it's diesel.

oops...I guess you would need to figure out how to keep the water pump turning .....I just remembered they share the same belt(s).

hmm. pour cold iced tea on engine every once in awhile.

vstech · #6 09-30-2010, 11:24 PM

Hmmm. that is a thought, I could get some 750mm belts, and just attach the WP...
the alt did not sieze, it just started making a noise my highly trained ears picked up as a sign of doom...

pawoSD · #7 09-30-2010, 11:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vstech

Hmmm. that is a thought, I could get some 750mm belts, and just attach the WP...

That'd be an easy solution. You'd only need one belt, it'd be plenty to run the water pump for 18 miles. Getting it on would be interesting, since there's 0 adjustment available between the crank and water pump....since the alt is the adjustment point.

vstech · #8 09-30-2010, 11:26 PM

they make those temp belts, with a screw in them,.. but I've not seen one in a decade...

MBeige · #9 09-30-2010, 11:29 PM

Happened to mine. Replaced pulley also along with a new 65A alternator. Pulley was new from dealer because it widened the hole in the pulley rendering it useless.

I know how bad the sound is. It's louder than the diesel clatter and is metal to metal scraping + rattling.

compress ignite · #10 09-30-2010, 11:54 PM

'Already risking wrath of "She who must be obeyed"
You do not need any more grief from Mr. Murphy.

vstech · #11 10-01-2010, 09:36 AM

I risked it and drove to my shop.
let it sit overnight with atf on it, then added some fresh to the shaft in the morning, drove straight there, keeping it under 60 most of the way. I arranged for rescue to arrive if I didn't succeed in the endeavor, but the trip was eventless. I'll pull the bearings out and rebuild the alt this weekend. or, I may just swap for another good one in my shop, and rebuild it at my leisure...

The wife refused to allow me her vehicle, she has today off, and needs to run errands, and is totally fearful of her STUFF/Papers in the car getting disturbed... she did call and check on my progress, so at least she had concerns for me...

tangofox007 · #12 10-01-2010, 10:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vstech

'll pull the bearings out and rebuild the alt this weekend. or, I may just swap for another good one in my shop, and rebuild it at my leisure...

From the sound of things, you should check with your wife and find out how she would like the problem handled.

macdoe · #13 10-01-2010, 01:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vstech

they make those temp belts, with a screw in them,.. but I've not seen one in a decade...

Explain this temporary belt for us younger folks, I have a good idea what you mean just by your post but please elaborate on how it works exactly and I wonder why you have'nt seen one in so long? I know I have never seen anything close to what you have explained but maybe just was'nt looking hard enough.

It might be something a person may want to have on hand in their vehicle just in case.
Maybe pulled for safety reasons, or just did not work very good?

tangofox007 · #14 10-01-2010, 01:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by macdoe

Explain this temporary belt for us younger folks, I have a good idea what you mean just by your post but please elaborate on how it works exactly and I wonder why you have'nt seen one in so long? I know I have never seen anything close to what you have explained but maybe just was'nt looking hard enough.

It might be something a person may want to have on hand in their vehicle just in case.
Maybe pulled for safety reasons, or just did not work very good?

Type "emergency fan belt" into your favorite search engine. (Don't all "younger folks" know how to do that?)

Here is a link, just in case your search engine has slipped a belt:
http://preparedness.com/emfanbelkit.html

Diesel911 · #15 10-01-2010, 05:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by macdoe

Explain this temporary belt for us younger folks, I have a good idea what you mean just by your post but please elaborate on how it works exactly and I wonder why you have'nt seen one in so long? I know I have never seen anything close to what you have explained but maybe just was'nt looking hard enough.

It might be something a person may want to have on hand in their vehicle just in case.
Maybe pulled for safety reasons, or just did not work very good?

The reason you do not see the adjustable Belts often is cost.
It is cheaper to keep some extra Belts in the Trunk.

Where they really come in handy is on Equipment that you would have to take apart in order to install a new Regular Belt. So the initial high cost of the adjustable Belt is offset by the even higher labor cost to take the Machinery apart. (Not to mention that when you start taking things apart your risk causing some other problem.)

As an example I have a Belt Driven Metal Cutting Lathe. In order to Change the Belt on it you have to dissemble the Lathe Head Stock.
Besides messing with the accuracy of the Lathe if you mess up taking it apart or assembling it; if you owned a Machine Shop the time spent changing the Belt on the Lathe would be better spent producing something that makes you money.

I think it would take 5-10 minutes replace my Lathe Belt with an adjustable Belt.

In the pics one type of adjustable V belt that uses segments that fit together; the one that uses the screws is not a bulky.
Not my Lathe in the Pic but you can see how the Belt runs into the center of the Headstock; the Headstock would have to come apart to change the Belt.

View Poll Results: HEyyyyy. what SHOULD I do? or what would YOU do?
Damn the consequences, drive it to the shop!	4	33.33%
park it and deal with the wife and get parts to fix.	7	58.33%
insert your own choice below!	1	8.33%
Voters: 12. You may not vote on this poll