3.2 Mondial cam bearing

Water pump belt has a habit of making noise, maybe you are familiar with that noise, but if not, spraying a bit of water on that one belt while the noise is occuring will tell you if that is it. Mine did it and scared the daylights out of me at first.

 

I think it's a lack of oil circulating on the cams thing. Mine occasionally does the same clackityclack and it's on the front bank and on the belt side of the engine. Mine goes away after a minute or two once I think the oil has a chance to get up there. No biggie I think unless the experts have some knowledge about why this happens. Doesn't seem to be an issue if I warm up the car properly prior to driving her.

 

Change your A/C belt. The A/C belt has a plastic fiber core to it and when they get old they make a clattering sound....sounds just like a bearing going bad (but thankfully isn't).

 

My freshly serviced Mondial 3.2 makes the same noise sometimes. - Oil in top of motor or lack of I should say. Try reving the cold motor to see if the noise ends sooner ie gets more oil in the top of the motor on to those cam lobes and valve spring buckets.

Joe Frazar

 

We had a simiiliar problem this past summer and it was the bearing on the AC clutch. After awhile it didnot disapear and became a constant noise. Just another possibility. Lost

 

Mine did that and it turned out to be the idler pulley on the water pump. A 1.5 hour $45 fix, SO I HOPE IT WORKS FOR YOU!

 

RULE #2.5 of Mondial ownership...if you hear a strange new sound, diagnose immediately and repair as necessary. Waiting to see what happens is only fun....if its not your car

FWIW, I've never heard valve chatter on one of these engines when cold, unless something is awry. However, I have seen and heard of bearings and belts that make sounds when cold and go away after a few minutes.

Jay,
I would get that sound checked out.

 

Joe F, Is your sound also on the front bank closest to the belt? Check please when you startup next time.

Joe Z, I drove the car all over the place today and tonight. I drove it to work this morning. Clacked for 1-2 minutes when I first got in her this morning, then did not happen again when I drove her home from work, during the pit stop at home to change, nor during any of the subsequent engine startups at the soccer field, after dinner at Chipotle, after the stop at the ice cream stand, nor at Sears, and nor at the gas station.

That's a ratio of 7:1 no clacks to clackityclack in one day. Every time my car clacks, it's in the morning, and usually on a brisk morning. You can certainly attest to the seemingly endless below 40 nights we've had. You know I'm in constant training for the Frosty Ballz! And we know you car doesn't do this because it doesn't see daylight until the outdoor conditions are 74 degrees with 28% humidity and the planets are aligned and there is a full moon! I think you're paranoid,........ but so am I! I will call Mike Monday to see if this is his experience. But I'm also mailing you some Valium! lol.

 

Mine sounded like a coffee grinder. When I pulled the right rear wheel off I could see the lower cam drive gear rotating in an elipse. 44,000 miles, as I recall. The bearing was shot. Engine out.

If the sound is more like a snap, snap, snap, its just cold belts that are stiff.

 

Hi

Mine made the same sound and I sprayed some belt conditioner on the belts and it was gone...pretty common. I think if it were something major, it wouldn't go away. try it!

Mike

 

I also got clack-clakc-sound, in QV
It souds like bearing is going bad, as it make clack-clack sound for time and fades away, like bearing getting greace again as ti is dry.

I haven't look (or used that car for some time) it, but my understanding is that sound comes from lower cam drive bearing, can anyone confirm?

Odd, that 308/328 do not have this sound or do they?

 

Yes and yes. Jack up your car, remove the right rear wheel and the wheel well (cover) to access (view) the right side of the engine. If it as bad as mine was, you will see the lower cam rotating in an elipse, rather than perfectly around. Hopefully, it's just stiff auxiliary belts like Jonathan's.

 

Belt conditioner might do it temporarily. If you want a longer term fix then replace the belts. One of the belts (believe it's the AC belt) has a plastic core and over time the plastic hardens and cracks....causing a horrible clackity clack sound. Surprising, but true.

 

I think this may be it. Good news. Jay