1989 Lesabre Noise Driving me Crazy!!

[johnd89]

on mine (91) the bolt holding the pulley was very tight. it should have been some 100ftlbs (on yours is double that), but the mechanic couldn't untighten with the 400ftlbs air wrench. then he went fot the 600 one (!!) and that did the job...
you also need a puller (the one with three long screws).
on mine I had access from the side (remove wheel and mud cover).
it's a half an hour job if the mechanic has the aforementioned tools handy.

drop me a pm if you want a pic with the old pulley.

good luck

[leadalto]

Thanks johnd89 and HotZ28 for your prompt and helpful replies!

This forum is the best one I've found!

[Sterling52]

I have a 1988 Buick LeSabre and it started knocking like everyone is saying. It was the damper knocking, the rubber bonded into it had let go and this built in stop that it has does the knocking. Simple to check remove the serpentine belt and reach down an rock back and forth the pulley on the damper if it moves alot and it also makes that knock your talking about, then its replacment time. Its a $100.00 item at the parts store.

[leadalto]

Originally Posted by Sterling52

I have a 1988 Buick LeSabre and it started knocking like everyone is saying. It was the damper knocking, the rubber bonded into it had let go and this built in stop that it has does the knocking. Simple to check remove the serpentine belt and reach down an rock back and forth the pulley on the damper if it moves alot and it also makes that knock your talking about, then its replacment time. Its a $100.00 item at the parts store.

Exactly the same for my 87 Buick Park Avenue. I'm going to run it as is until it's convenient to get it fixed or the car craps out (whichever comes first). After replacing the PS pump (which was an innocent bystander), I was going to replace the water pump before I found that it too was not the problem. While trying to replace the water pump, I found that it was difficult to remove the (4) 6mm bolts connecting the pulley because there was not enough clearance between the shoulder of the pulley bracket and the bolt head to fit a socket. They have to be finessed by positioning the socket on an angle. Three of the bolts came off (with difficulty) but the 4th one was a bitch because the head was rounded. I replaced these bolts with an Allen head bolt and lock washers so that it wouldn't take me an hour to remove them the next time around.

[johnd89]

Originally Posted by leadalto

... While trying to replace the water pump, I found that it was difficult to remove the (4) 6mm bolts connecting the pulley because there was not enough clearance between the shoulder of the pulley bracket and the bolt head to fit a socket. They have to be finessed by positioning the socket on an angle. Three of the bolts came off (with difficulty) but the 4th one was a bitch because the head was rounded...

funny... I did EXACTLY the same when replaced mine (it was leaking) just before the balancer died!
it was chisel time...

[leadalto]

Originally Posted by johnd89

funny... I did EXACTLY the same when replaced mine (it was leaking) just before the balancer died!
it was chisel time...

I actually got lucky with the 4th bolt even though it was a bit rounded. I was about ready to cut a screw driver slot in the bolt head with my Dremel (a tool that is literally worth its weight in gold). I've had to cut slots in bolt heads on my pool equipment pump (not enough clearance for a socket). This probably was my own fault because the original bolts (which I replaced) may have had a blade screw head. Bad design in either case.

[cind3.8]

My 88 park avenue is doing the same thing. Took off the belt, started it up and still the noise is there. I'm gonna change the balancer. I haven't been driving it since noise started.