ADZ 1.8 engine bearing noise

[Rmachines]

Hi every one,  i have been away from golfs for a while, but have just got a Nice white 1.8L with the ADZ engine (90Bhp) Its only done 67k miles,  very well serviced, but there is a whining bearing noise from the engine as its revved, my old 75bhp engine did this, but not nearly as bad (with over 200k on the clock)  It still does it with the drive belt off.   It sounds like a whining alternator sort of noise... but its not.

Im pretty sure its coming from the distributor shaft driven from the cam belt, i guess this is the intermediate shaft?   Any one every had this before?   (same as the 8v gti block)

[Wayne]

Cam belt tensioner maybe.

[Rmachines]

After a bit of investigation ...  Knowing its got a newish genuine tensioner and is not anything driven by the drive belt..   I pulled the cover off, and had a listen with a screwdriver.  I noticed the bottom cam belt cover was rubbing the tensioner wheel, making the noise,  the worrying thing is both of my past golfs had also been doing this... common problem as that bottom cover never goes on the same again if its pulled off carelessly, and sure enough it had been rubbing the cover.  Not good, but at least it wasn't the belt rubbing !!!

[Wayne]

After a bit of investigation ...  Knowing its got a newish genuine tensioner and is not anything driven by the drive belt..   I pulled the cover off, and had a listen with a screwdriver.  I noticed the bottom cam belt cover was rubbing the tensioner wheel, making the noise,  the worrying thing is both of my past golfs had also been doing this... common problem as that bottom cover never goes on the same again if its pulled off carelessly, and sure enough it had been rubbing the cover.  Not good, but at least it wasn't the belt rubbing !!!

Good result you found the problem

[Rmachines]

I took the bottom cover off today to sort it out, when i noticed play in the tensioner, so to be safe i replaced it all with a Gates kit (looks like they recently changed the belt only)  So with a new one fitted, i noticed they tensioned it anti clockwise rarther than clockwise, hence catching the cover!   So, i did it all correctly, and although it sounds diffrent, its still whining, with a resonating vibraty whine at certain revs, comming from the cambelt area?   The belt is the correct tension?    Any ideas?   

[Rmachines]

Quick update.. stripped it all down, took the back plate off, ran the engine with just the belt spinning no bottom pulley, no covers ... still does it,  there is a bit of end float on the intermediate shaft, but sounds fine when turning it?!?   So wierd at 67k miles.

[Wayne]

I took the bottom cover off today to sort it out, when i noticed play in the tensioner, so to be safe i replaced it all with a Gates kit (looks like they recently changed the belt only)  So with a new one fitted, i noticed they tensioned it anti clockwise rarther than clockwise, hence catching the cover!   So, i did it all correctly, and although it sounds diffrent, its still whining, with a resonating vibraty whine at certain revs, comming from the cambelt area?   The belt is the correct tension?    Any ideas?   

Sounds like the belt is too tight.

[Rmachines]

Yea its that sort of noise, but since taking it off and refitting it, i have left it a little looser (as it imo it was a bit tight when the engine was hot)  I haven't had it hot since, but its the usual 90degree turn on the front stretch of belt when warm, slightly more when cold now,  personally im be happy with it,  never had this issue before and i have done a LOT of golf cambelts!   I may be proven wrong tomorrow when its warm and its gone away