Alright, so I have changed the oil/filter, added coolant, replaced engine cooling fan motor, put old battery in (to get from school parking lot to home...drained yellow top...long story), put the yellow top back in, hooked my system back up for the long 15 minute ride to school , and one question. I still have the old wire hub caps, when I drive it makes this sound...kind of like someone on an excercise bike going really fast, but a lot louder of a sound. Well, I took all the hub caps off, drove it around...and it still makes the sound. What else could it be? It rides and drives fine.... :?

TOC Admin
Brando

Ok, I went to the local Buick dealer last week to order a key for my hubcaps. He said "Whatever you do dont brake them, he said that the pre 1987 wire hubcaps (mine) are worth $125 each", and that they are very strong. He said that my locks on the hubcaps are made of metal where the ones on your car have plastic locks so they brake. He also said that those make "every sound imaginable". The problem probly is that the part where the lock mounts to the wheel is probly still on there (on my car its a silver cone shaped thing that is between the wheel and the cap, attached via that lug nuts. Anyway I went to that dealer to get a hubcap key and for $17.30 I got a new/old stock one shipped over night. -The end

A Whiirrring sound? does it change pitch when making slight turns L&R maybe your tire's tread is feathering-(swap the tires side to side) if you take the palm of your hand and place it on the outer edge of the tread move it forward and back and if it feels like the it "cuts" into your hand in one direction and not the other than you are def overdue for a rotation! (dont worry allot of cars have this problem!).
there is a possibility that rust has built up on your rotor and it is making that sound,-- but check your tires first and post back and see if it helps!
(if you just swap the front side to side it will make a defferent sound until the tires wear the feathering off! id recomend doing this and moving them to the back and the rea tire straight to the front-see if they arent feathered too!-also remember that an alignment (most checks are free but they may want you to buy something-most of us mechanics are honest folk but a few bad apples out there hurt us all!) can help your tires live a good long life!
Post back to let others know if your tires were the issue, i'll check back ok.

Well, having listened to the sound a little more....it actually sounds more like a clicking noise, metal against metal....could it be some bearings? It's driving me nuts. Another problem, the engine makes a squeaky sound....it comes from the belt area and when it happens the tensioner moves a little. Is it just the belt or maybe the tensioner? The engine also starts to idle roughly when it starts this squeak. It's not a high pitched squeak.

TOC Admin
Brando

Further explanation, the sound is more of a grinding sound...when I turned the wheel on the left front side I noticed it made a grinding sound (this is when I replaced the front right brake line). Is this normal? I'm guessing not and I am guessing that the wheel bearings will need to be replaced in it. I'll do some further tests tomorrow. As for the belt squeaking, I guess I'll replace the belt and hope it works fine after that. Otherwise, any other ideas?

TOC Admin
Brando

on your L/F wheel (with grinding sound) it is a possibility that your right and it is a wheel bearing-how long has it been going on for and has it gotten steadily worse? if your near or over 100k miles it's very possible if, you jack it up and remove the wheel and pull the caliper/pads off real quick and slap the wheel back on and wiggle it up and down and it actually moves then it is definatly the bearing. but sometimes (when the bearing isnt completly toast) you actually have to loosen the axle/shaft nut (this is responsible for holding the axle to the hub but it also preloads the bearings) to have the bearings give you axial play.

another way to check is befor you pull the wheel/s off with the jackstands under the front start it and put it into 1st gear and let your wheels spin (BE CAREFULL AT THIS POINT!-A FRIEND IS GOOD INSURANCE!!) now take a long (1.5-2 ft long and place the tip on the knuckle close to the spinning CV joint (be carefull!) hold it there and then put your ear cannal to the end of the handle---if you hear a grinding sound (at this point the tip is really close to the bearing inside the spindl/knuckle) then you need bearings! you may want to do this test with the brakes (caliper/pads) off so you dont hear a "SCHOOOFing" sound as the pads lightly brush the rotor.
I hope this helps with that issue. (a clicking could be a rock in your tread!)
your belt noise is either a worn tensioner/belt that is made evident by you rough running engine (maybe a tuneup/etc/etc) if you replace your belt before you throw the new one on (rec drawing a diagram if the factory one isnt present) grasp the tensioner and pull the arm in and out perpindicular to the arms tensioning motion-if it moves a fair bit then the tensioner is posibly rubbin metal on metal (the plastic bushing has worn away)
post back and let me know if any of this helped, i'll keep my eyes peeled!

I'm going to do some tests, I was actually thinking of jacking it up and listening to it. Thanks very much for the help so far, you're a great addition to this site!

Work will commence tomorrow.

TOC Admin
Brando

no problem dude i'm glad i could help!

yes Turbocharged400sbc you are a very good addtion to the site i think my wheel bearings have been going bad they constantly squeak when i am driving and not squeaking when i apply to brakes so i know its not my brakes..... i am going to check my car also....you rock dude. Is there any way to tell if your belt tensioner is going bad cause in the past 3 years i have replaced 2 water pumps, 1 alternator 1 (soon to be 2) harmonic balancers. I think my tensioner is too tight thus making the rest of the pullies break. any advice?

wheel bearings tend to make a grinding sound- hate to say it but.... your squeak is probably your brake pad sqeakers! when they are just starting the sqeaking will go away when you hit the brake because the pressure dampens the sound (like sound dampner material for a stereo!) if you pull them apart i'm betting that one of your pads is worn enough to do this-check your caliper slides if they are stiff you will need to remove the rubber and grind away the rust that accumulates and causes the rubber to "crimp down on" the slide bolts. hope this helps with that problem.
Now for your tensioner issue you will need to get a belt tesion guage and check it against factory specs but if you look at my prev post-"grasp the tensioner and pull the arm in and out perpindicular to the arms tensioning motion-if it moves a fair bit then the tensioner is posibly rubbin metal on metal (the plastic bushing has worn away)"
-the harmonic DAMPER (it doesn't ballance anything-it dampens (cancels) the crankshaft twisting harmonic vibrations produced during each cylinders firing-but i digress this is getting into the physics if an Otto cycle engine) is actually a common problem with these engines-you may be better off getting an aftermarket one. your alternator is probably due to a stereo/lights and accesseries that it has to power-a bigger (higher amp rated-even a stinger/mean green=>aftermarket) one would help reduce the load the belt has to drive.
Check the tensioner out and maybe replace it and get a good belt (Goodyear-etc) and see if this helps. I have had issues with "cheap" aftermarket water pumps (dont know enough of your vehicle to really comment) and my shop now exclusivly installs AC Delco ones (deallers have them as well as some aftermarket parts stores-check around!)
Hope that i could help you some but I dont like getting into too much detail without being able to stick my eyeball on it-and see how it is.
have fun, Schlim----> Schlimthecarguy@comcast.net

Today I got the new wheel hub/bearing assembly installed. Just need to put the rotor, caliper, and stabilizer bar back on. In the process I broke the front end link for the stabilizer bar so I got some polyurethane bushing ones. The rubber bushings were cracked and bad anyways so it's time to replace both.

TOC Admin
Brando

Finished up today, got the front stabilizer bar polyurethane bushing links in, and put it back together and she runs great now....no more clinking/grinding sound.

TOC Admin
Brando

yeah the sway links love doing that to ya! not too much problems? glad it worked out fer ya! now i wonder how justin is doin?
schlim