canucklehe

I bought a 93 ES300 as a parts car but it starts and runs. It isn't too bad and low mileage so I started to fix a few things and thought about keeping it.

Previous owner told me loud noise under hood (like a bearing noise) was from alternator. So I pull off an alterntor at pick-a-part. I put it in and go to plug it in, and the plug is different. So I pull it out and took off the top of my old alternator (with correct plug) and swap that piece. It's actually the brushes and voltage rectifier assembly that I believe i swapped. I put it back together, install and same squeal is there, in same general area.

also noticed the alternator I pulled out has yellow grease pencil markings with "93 Lexus", so i think this alternator was already recently swapped. Are these alternators both basically the same, with different plugs (brushes) ? Is the plug switcheroo I did okay, or will the different alternator I switched plugs to ultimately cause issues? (good news is that both alternators work and were putting 14.5 V or so to the battery).

ALSO, previous owner told me he put in new CV. I started to pull it apart to re & re with my daily driver and boot is ripped grease puked out. NOT NEW (LIAR!!).

Same guy told me he swapped timing belt. When i look on timing belt cover, I see the sticker says it was swapped about 56,000 miles ago (I think dealer did it and put sticker on). It would have been premature to replace this belt, and I know this guy wouldn't do anything he didn't have to. LIAR again.

So I am wondering if maybe it's a timing belt tensioner or other pulley making this noise?? how do I isolate where the noise is coming from?

donbryce

Go buy an auto stethoscope. My first one was a yard sale doctors stethoscope with the disc swapped for a piece of antenna. Crappy Tire sells them http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/brows...tethoscope.jsp Slightly cheaper at Princess Auto if you have a store near http://www.princessauto.com/pal/prod...;s-Stethoscope

canucklehe

sounds like a special skill trying to listen to pulleys with a stethescope around spinning belt?

haha, I think I have shares in PA. (It's our version of Harbor Freight) .