Pulley noise

[Gaz mr-s]

My car has started making a rhythmic noise on tick-over.  I took it to a local garage mechanic have a listen & it sounds like it's from the right side & maybe a noisy pulley.
I haven't worked on the engine ancillaries before so unsure about investigating. He suggested maybe reducing the belt tension & rotating the pulleys to look for the problem.
Is this practical without a ramp?
Is there one that is more likely to be the fault?

[Tomo70]

I found the idle pulley was part of the problem for me with regards to noise. I went to toyota for the bolts but re bearinged the pulley myself.

Not particularly difficult jobs, but access is a pig.

[dan944]

Relatively simple job. Get a spanner on the tensioner and will likely need another hooked on the back for leverage. You can use this to take the tension off and whip the belt off. Once it's off you'll have access to all the pulleys.
I replaced mine as a whole unit but can't remember how much it cost. It can't have been that much because I'm pretty tight with things like that [emoji23]

Check the "how to's" as I think there's something in there for belt replacement

[dan944]

Also, what kind of noise? Could it be the chain tensioner? Again a fairly simple job.

[Gaz mr-s]

Difficult to put a singular word to it.  A bit of a scraping tick. Bear in mind the mechanic thought pulley.

[Carolyn]

Best to remove the belt and the plastic canister, so you can get your hand in easily.  This can all be done from the top.

For the belt, see:  https://www.mr2roc.org/forum/index.php?topic=59515.0

I would recommend that you use a six-sided socket on the tensioner.  Old and stifff ones can round off quite easily.  Also clean the cast 'nut' with some WD to get the oxide off, so the tool goes on easily.

You can just pull the hoses off the canister and pull it up about 20 mm and it comes out.  If it hasn't been out in a while, it might be a bit stiff.

Check pulleys for wobble and roughness when they rotate.  Nine times out of ten it's either the idler pulley or the tensioner pulley.

The comment that it could be a chain tensioner is a valid one, too.  I'd rule pulleys out first though, 'cos I'm cheap.

Have fun! 

[Gaz mr-s]

Cheaper the better!  Gearbox, flywheel, clutch, manifold, cat, ceramic coating, & painting all adding up!   

[Mikeymead]

I had this problem very recently and thought it might be a pulley, turned out it was the belt!

[Gaz mr-s]

Belt ordered then. 

[Gaz mr-s]

Belt replaced today, & noise gone.  Nothing glaringly wrong with the pulleys. The alternator was heavy to turn in comparison to the rest....normal?

The belt had a million small later cracks on the ribbed side, & a split in it about 20cm long lengthwise.  I'll guess that when this section passed round one particular pulley that that's what I was hearing.

It was a pig getting it over the last pulley. I used a long breaker to remove it, but using a shorter torque wrench with the ratchet action allowed greater movement on the tensioner arm.

Thanks for the advice folks.

[Carolyn]

Yes the alternator has much more rotating mass, so it will feel heavier.  It should be smooth and quiet, though.