Strange sound, timing chain?

M

Mercury

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Louisville, KY, USA
Hello!

1999 Jeep 4.0 manual. It started making a weird sound a few days ago. Today I pulled the serpentine and started it so I record this sound. It seems like it's coming from the front, lower down, maybe around the harmonic balancer. My buddy thinks it's the timing chain, wanted to confirm it before I started ordering parts. Could I get some more input?

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WeMqOWFJnYAjv5V6pSIaC5V0HQQ5WvMe/view?usp=sharing
 
macleanflood said:
Hard to tell. No harmonic balancer... it's just a crank pulley. And odds are yours is twenty plus years old and the rubber is cracked and compromised.

-Mac
Click to expand...

This. Check to see if the crank pulley wobbles. Also check the timing cover for scoring from the pulley rubbing on it.
 
Ahhhh, got the term wrong, then. Someone called it that on a video.

Alright, so see if it wobbles. Should I try turning the pulley at all? Which way do I turn if I do?
 
Mercury said:
Hello!

1999 Jeep 4.0 manual. It started making a weird sound a few days ago. Today I pulled the serpentine and started it so I record this sound. It seems like it's coming from the front, lower down, maybe around the harmonic balancer. My buddy thinks it's the timing chain, wanted to confirm it before I started ordering parts. Could I get some more input?

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WeMqOWFJnYAjv5V6pSIaC5V0HQQ5WvMe/view?usp=sharing
Click to expand...

Its a metallic scraping sound.
Do an inspection of the harmonic balancer to see if the rubber that is sandwiched between the hub and the balancer is dried out.
Sounds like the harmonic balancer rubbing on the timing chain cover.
 
CharlesHS said:
Its a metallic scraping sound.
Do an inspection of the harmonic balancer to see if the rubber that is sandwiched between the hub and the balancer is dried out.
Sounds like the harmonic balancer rubbing on the timing chain cover.
Click to expand...

I'm looking but I really can't tell what I'm supposed to look for. The pulley/balancer isn't wiggling at all. Do I need to pull this in order to inspect?
 
Mercury said:
I'm looking but I really can't tell what I'm supposed to look for. The pulley/balancer isn't wiggling at all. Do I need to pull this in order to inspect?
Click to expand...

Inspect the area from below looking for silver particles that will indicate the harmonic balancer has moved rearward and is rubbing on the timing chain cover.
 
CharlesHS said:
Inspect the area from below looking for silver particles that will indicate the harmonic balancer has moved rearward and is rubbing on the timing chain cover.
Click to expand...

There's a lot of grease around it, looked for silver shavings and rubbed my finger around the outside, couldn't locate any silver shavings.

powerstrokeunleashed said:
Is oil coming out at the crank pulley?
Click to expand...

Yes! Grease and oil, apparently.

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CharlesHS said:
In the rear of the pulley there appears to be shiny scuffing which indicates rubbing against something.
Click to expand...

Okay, so there's rubbing, then. Would that indicate the timing chain being bad or just the pulley and/or harmonic balancer?

Thank you. Thank God there's something there I can see and fix. I'm tired of chasing gremlins.
 
I'd definitely say it's the balancer! Like others said it's shiny. It wouldn't be shiny if it wasn't rubbing!
Replace it before it breaks off,it happened to me......which lead to many other things 🙃
 
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Mercury said:
Okay, so there's rubbing, then. Would that indicate the timing chain being bad or just the pulley and/or harmonic balancer?

Thank you. Thank God there's something there I can see and fix. I'm tired of chasing gremlins.
Click to expand...

The timing chain is all housed inside the timing cover its behind the balancer,you'll need to get the radiator and ac condenser out the way !
I'd recommend to put a new timing cover gasket and seal for the balancer since you're already there!
Screenshot_20240729-144256_Chrome.jpg

The timing cover is the silver part on the left and on the right is a slight glance of the timing chain& cam sprocket
 
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You will need a puller for the pulley, which can be borrowed from most auto parts stores and a crank pulley which may also be listed under damper or balancer.

The next question is how deep did it cut into the timing cover?
 
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Once you remove the harmonic balancer/hub as others recommended; replace the timing chain cover hub seal and DONOT attempt to press on the new harmonic balancer using the existing hub bolt or you risk the chance of stripping out the internal threads of the crankshaft.
Use a piece of all thread or cutoff bolt along with a nut and a fender washer to press the balancer hub onto the crankshaft.
 
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D's Jeep Wrld said:
I'd definitely say it's the balancer! Like others said it's shiny. It wouldn't be shiny if it wasn't rubbing!
Replace it before it breaks off,it happened to me......which lead to many other things 🙃
Click to expand...

D's Jeep Wrld said:
The timing chain is all housed inside the timing cover its behind the balancer,you'll need to get the radiator and ac condenser out the way !
I'd recommend to put a new timing cover gasket and seal for the balancer since you're already there!

The timing cover is the silver part on the left and on the right is a slight glance of the timing chain& cam sprocket
Click to expand...

Oh the Jeep isn't driving again until I get this fixed. It's my baby, I'm not risking it 😊

JKP said:
You will need a puller for the pulley, which can be borrowed from most auto parts stores and a crank pulley which may also be listed under damper or balancer.

The next question is how deep did it cut into the timing cover?
Click to expand...

I've found some balancers on Amazon and Rock, don't recognize most of the brands so I'm looking up reviews. I"ll take recommendations if anyone has any.

How bad is "too bad" to reuse the cover?

CharlesHS said:
Once you remove the harmonic balancer/hub as others recommended; replace the timing chain cover hub seal and DONOT attempt to press on the new harmonic balancer using the existing hub bolt or you risk the chance of stripping out the internal threads of the crankshaft.
Use a piece of all thread or cutoff bolt along with a nut and a fender washer to press the balancer hub onto the crankshaft.
Click to expand...

Okay, so I need to order a balancer and the gasket for the timing cover. Rent the puller tool from an autoshack.

I don't quite follow what you mean with your last advice. Would you be able to clarify that? I take it you mean don't use that center bolt that I can see from the front to press in the balancer, so I'll avoid that, just not sure with the rest.
 
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