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Thread: Help with Turbo Caravan strange noise

  1. #1
    boostaholic Turbo Mopar Contributor Lee'sdaytona's Avatar
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    Turbo Caravan strange noise

    Hello everyone,
    I need your advice on my 89 Turbo Caravan. It is stock, except for the Garrett Turbo 1 turbo in place of the mitsubishi turbo, I've been running for years. The van has almost 230,000 miles on it, a recent head gasket within the last couple of years, also had the A520 transmission rebuilt by Ed. Not too long after the transmission job, on an extremely cold day, I started to hear this noise off and on while driving. I thought this might be something spinning in the transmission that shouldn't be spinning (Like a bearing that the outter race was not holding tight in or something). Ed didn't seem to think so. Now the problem has gotten worse and more often. I even heard it once when I started the car in the driveway, not moving. So that lead me to think maybe my timing belt tensioner was shot, as I didn't replace it with the last timing belt. No luck after installing the new one. I took off the A/C belt thinking maybe that tensioner was the culprit.... Can you listen to this video and offer advice? You can hear the sound around 16 seconds and again at 25 seconds.
    Any help is appreciated!

    https://youtu.be/T3xy2qKYQbk
    Last edited by Lee'sdaytona; 01-30-2021 at 11:04 PM.

  2. #2
    Super Moderator Turbo Mopar Staff 135sohc's Avatar
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    Re: Help with Turbo Caravan strange noise

    water pump and alternator are both solid ?

    throw out bearing on our transmissions is always spinning whenever the engine is running but if failing they usually sound like marbles in a can constantly.
    1994 Shadow Sedan. 2.2 N/A, A568 400,000 miles. "the science experiment"
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  3. #3
    boostaholic Turbo Mopar Contributor Lee'sdaytona's Avatar
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    Re: Help with Turbo Caravan strange noise

    Quote Originally Posted by 135sohc View Post
    water pump and alternator are both solid ?

    throw out bearing on our transmissions is always spinning whenever the engine is running but if failing they usually sound like marbles in a can constantly.
    The alternator was replaced with a Nippodenso unit back around 2012, I'd have to look up the exact year... and the water pump I replaced about two years ago. Throw out bearing was replaced with the transmission rebuild. None of this means that one of them isn't failing....

    Do any of you think this is the noise of an engine bearing going bad? Intermediate shaft bearing, rod bearing, cam bearing?
    Basically Im hoping this is something easy like an alternator and not major engine bearings...I'm becoming hesitant to drive it as I don't feel like getting stranded. I've had AAA tow me like 3 or 4 times in the past 4 years.

  4. #4
    Rhymes with tortoise. Turbo Mopar Staff cordes's Avatar
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    Re: Help with Turbo Caravan strange noise

    I couldn't get much out of the sound. If I had to guess, I would say a bearing in a pulley, the alt, etc. I don't think that's a bearing in the engine.

  5. #5
    boostaholic Turbo Mopar Contributor Lee'sdaytona's Avatar
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    Re: Help with Turbo Caravan strange noise

    I know sounds are so difficult especially on video. However, what you hear in the video is exactly what it sounds like. Good to know we are thinking its not an engine bearing....
    -Lee

  6. #6
    Garrett booster
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    Re: Help with Turbo Caravan strange noise

    Hmmm hard to hear. Is there fluid in the power steering pump? Mine was low and made crazy sounds. Filling it up fixed it.

  7. #7
    boostaholic Turbo Mopar Contributor Lee'sdaytona's Avatar
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    Re: Help with Turbo Caravan strange noise

    Quote Originally Posted by Fenderbass View Post
    Hmmm hard to hear. Is there fluid in the power steering pump? Mine was low and made crazy sounds. Filling it up fixed it.
    I'll have to check that. There are no leaks that I am aware of, and that entire system was replaced within the 15 years I've owned it. Plus the wheel is easy to turn as it should, but also a fluid level check is easy enough to do.

  8. #8
    Hybrid booster
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    Re: Help with Turbo Caravan strange noise

    Pull off all accessory belts and check for the sound. You can run it for a few minutes without the water pump without worry.

  9. #9
    turbo addict
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    Re: Help with Turbo Caravan strange noise

    I've heard alternator bearings sound like that. Periodic noise especially when cold. I agree with Eazy426 pull off the belts and see if your noise goes away.

  10. #10
    boostaholic Turbo Mopar Contributor Lee'sdaytona's Avatar
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    Re: Help with Turbo Caravan strange noise

    The noise doesn't happen often enough to run without a water pump....but I could do without the alternator for a few miles.... I'll try that....

  11. #11
    turbo addict
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    Re: Help with Turbo Caravan strange noise

    Quote Originally Posted by Lee'sdaytona View Post
    The noise doesn't happen often enough to run without a water pump....but I could do without the alternator for a few miles.... I'll try that....
    Only problem with that is waterpump and alternator runs off the same serp. belt.

  12. #12
    turbo addict TopDollar69's Avatar
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    Re: Help with Turbo Caravan strange noise

    I had bad bushings on my cooling fans cause an intermittent grinding noise while driving on my 89 Caravan. It drove me nuts for months until I finally figured it out. I even replaced the transmission because I figured it had to be related to the van moving down the road. The fans on my van would growl when the wind would blow through them at speed when they weren't running. When I removed the motors and inspected them, I found the bushings were totally shot. After installing a set of good used fans from my parts van the noise went away. I recommend oiling the fan bushings if they are still good as a preventative measure even if that doesn't end up being your problem.
    84 Laser XE TII A555 89 Caravan SE TIV A568

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