I hate mystery noises.
Ever since I reassembled Earl Burner’s engine, there has been an odd rotating noise that sounds like a bearing wearing out. Yet I didn’t want to start blindly replacing everything.
Stethoscope to the rescue. After probing around with it, I managed to hear the mystery noise while locating the probe on the timing belt cover. While I can’t quite reach the area of the tensioner (which is just below and behind the engine mount pictured here), it was loudest while probing the area in front of the water pump.
So yeah…probably the water pump. And you know what that means. It’s as much work as replacing the timing belt.
This water pump, plus the timing belt and tensioner, were replaced just 10,000 miles ago the first time I had the engine apart. It was a name brand timing belt set, but the water pump was not manufactured by Aisin, who is an OE manufacturer for Honda.
Luckily the Aisin pump is only about $37. It will probably take me a few hours to replace, but I’d rather do this now than have the water pump go bad and freeze up, or start rotating off-center and throw the timing belt.