Mustang 5.0 question - help!

[jerry]

So this is kinda, sorta, Bronco related? Please accept my apology for the miscategorization, but I need help.

Bronco is still a work in progress, and I had some training for work in Orange. Drove down this afternoon in my daily driver, 88 Mustang GT, spending the night because my class starts at 8 tomorrow morning.

Long story short is there's bearing on something going out. It cuts in and out, I'm inclined to think it's the smog pump because that's my kind of luck, but I'm about to head about out and look at the car and see if I can figure it out. Definitely coming from left side of engine; water pump, smog pump, idler, and alternator (it inow has a 3G) have been replaced.

If anybody knows a good independent mechanic I'd appreciate it - please PM me. I had enough confidence in the car to leave all my tools at home... Which obviously the car picked up on. haha!

Thanks!

 

[jerry]

Kinda sorta aspect of the question: when I was shopping for this car it was in the context of looking one I could drive a bit, then powertrain swap into my '70. There were a bunch of rode hard and put away wet ones for sale, but this car iwas was a one owner, low mileage (95k) and pretty straight, so I didn't feel right about doing it dirty like that. So it's been my daily driver for the last 5-6 years, has just under 150k on it now.

 

[ared77]

Maybe drive it to a nearby Advance, Autozone, or O'Rileys type place and borrow tool to remove the serpentine belt? Then maybe you could tell if the idler or something is crunchy. Or they may have something to help hone in on the noise white it's running?

Good luck!

 

[.94 OR]

Maybe drive it to a nearby Advance, Autozone, or O'Rileys type place and borrow tool to remove the serpentine belt? Then maybe you could tell if the idler or something is crunchy. Or they may have something to help hone in on the noise white it's running?

Good luck!

Like a 3' piece of 1/2" hose?

 

[jerry]

So I'm under a bit of a time crunch. Found an independent shop (Oranage Independent Autmotive). Drove up - a lot of air cooled VW's in the lot. Explain my predicament, they work on other things as well too.
Guy grabs his stethoscope - it's the air pump. Of course.

They're getting hard to get. I think I have one on the shelf in my garage... I'm trying to figure that out, plus the logistics.

They seem pretty decent, I'll let you know the outcome. If someone is in the Tustin area and wants to sell an air pump... You'd be my hero.

Again, appreciate you guys tolerating this thread. Thank you again.

Jerry

 

[spap]

I wonder if you Amazon a pass pulley to get you home and the worry abt when your smog is do.
or shoot IT with a ton of WD 40

 

[jerry]

Thought about lubricating it, but then I have to drive 150 miles home.
It is what it is. My dumb butt needs to remember to pack at least a pump next time. That's truely the achilles heel.

 

[EFI Guy]

Don't lubricate it! The internal vanes will swell up and lock it up solid. I really don't want to tell anyone to eliminate an emissions control device...but if there was something you could change that could turn your other accessories and not that pump until you can get home.......

 

[jerry]

Don't lubricate it! The internal vanes will swell up and lock it up solid. I really don't want to tell anyone to eliminate an emissions control device...but if there was something you could change that could turn your other accessories and not that pump until you can get home.......

Trust me brother, if I didn't have to smog it I would. (California for the win... not)
The car is fabulous otherwise - all original, including the cats. Runs great, awesome daily driver.
I'll hunt down another pump. I also have yet to inspect the check valves.
So about the evil smog pump... Anybody know a reman source other than Cardone? Their 32-291 not available anywhere.
Or, has anyone rebuilt one? Like, actually rebuilt and not "devaned" them? Looking for a source for the parts for that to see if that's a possibility.

 

[Wild horse 75]

You can get a shorter belt and temporarily bypass it to drive home.

 

[spap]

That’s good to know about them swelling up inside if you lube it, thought they were just phenolic plastic vanes Inside,

 

[surfer-b]

I think I may have one of those pumps, shoot me a Pm tomorrow and I will look, its yours if you want it and pay for shipping

 

[EFI Guy]

You can get a shorter belt and temporarily bypass it to drive home.

That’s good to know about them swelling up inside if you lube it, thought they were just phenolic plastic vanes Inside,

My understanding is that they are some sort of carbon/graphite composite. The graphite acts as a dry lube. But the material is very porous and it absorbs oils which causes it to swell up.

 

[jerry]

Good morning,

I thought about bypassing it to get home, but then didn't want to go through the potential fun of torturing my 37 year old cats. Trying to find replacements for them in CA would be be bonkers - because of course if it's a CA vehicle when you go in for your emissions check the tech verifies that your cat is CA certified (not 49 state).

Rented a car home. Took a day off work Monday to drive back with my replacement. I did also purchase the check valve... Talking with the mechanic at the shop, he gave me the ah ha moment that exhaust backflowing into the pump would probably be a bad thing too.

So in all the less-than-optimal things I do when working on vehicles... I do have some good news. My spare pump was where I thought it was - pulling it out it turns freely and makes a clean sounding "swish swish" sound. I aso remember that the fact it failed after purchasing the car led me to immediately find another one. I drove out to Carquest in Palmdale in 2020 to pick it up. Receipt was in the box - with the core charge + tax, was about $225.

Latest one from the eBay vendor was $324.75. List at O'Reilly is $314.99, "call to order". Napa has a similar "call to order" message, and Autozone did not list the part, and Rock Auto lists as "out of stock".

Again, I want to thank ya'll for jumping in and commenting / helping. Much appreciated!