Mettalic Loud Intermittent Clattering Noise!

[davecmr]

Anyone got any ideas, suspecting its the alternator.......

There is an intermittent noise either on idle or under load its a mettalic sound like putting a bolt in a metal tin and shaking it but its also quite loud. Deffo sounds like its coming from the alternator/oil filter housing area.

Not sure its going to be easy to find by just taking the belt off and spinning pulleys could it be the clutch on the alternator?

Have any Honda mechanics come across this type of noise before?

 

[davecmr]

I was thinking that its probably the bearings its quite an intermittent sound.

 

[Salim]

Dave got your pm, if its not the idler bearing and the noise comes and goes more like a clattering? noise It'll most likely be the clutch on the alternator. Its about £70 from honda.

After replacing my alternator, same thing happened to a friends and he had the clutch pulley replaced on it and its been fine.

 

[davecmr]

Cheers salim, yes the sound comes and goes and is a clattering sound my friend who is a mechanic said it was probably that when he listened to it.

I suppose its whether I spend the money on just the clutch or buy a recon alternator at £190+vat. Cars got 135k on it now so I suppose its down to how much life is left in the rest of the alternator.

 

[Salim]

Imo I would change the clutch, and maybe the front bearing which is about £15. depends whats been changed in the recon, its probably just the bearings and i doubt the clutch would have been changed.
So by changing those parts you will effectively have a recon unit anyway. For future the best thing is follow honda's tsb and use the shorter belt and do away with the idler pulley which is the likely cause of it, i haven't done that yet and may do in summer.

 

[davecmr]

I've got the shorter belt fitted as per the TSB. I'm going to ask my mate who works at a motor factors if he can find out from the supplier what they actually do when they re-con them. Not sure how straight forward changing the bearing will be.

I'd leave it till it actually dies but knowing my luck it'll be when we go to France in a few months time so it wants doing before we go along with rear discs and pads gonna get expensive me thinks.