I "tuned up" the '51's 235 today with new plugs, points, condenser, rotor and cap, and when I started it up it had a whine to it, which wasn't there before. Nor has it ever had that sound. While I was under the hood, before I started it up, I shot some Belt-Ease on the fan belt. Maybe that could have caused it, but I don't know. Anyway, as I listened to the engine run, I noticed the belt was a little floppy at the vertical section on the left, so I turned off the engine and tightened up the belt (pulled out the generator a few hairs). It was snug, but still had some deflection. Well, I started it up again, and now it has some chattering, sort of like a bearing going bad. I grabbed a cut off broom handle and listened to the water pump, but it was just ticking like the engine, or at least it sounded quiet to me. Then I tried the generator and it was about the same, maybe a little louder ticking.
The water pump has been of the engine since I bought it 6 years ago. At that time, the seller, who was an elderly gentleman that was a shop owning mechanic from decades back, told me the '56 235 he replaced the 216 with, was professionally rebuilt and had about 2-3k on that rebuild when I bought it. It's just turned over 30k. I'm assuming that since it had 2020 miles on it when I bought it, and the new speedo is stamped a few years before I bought it, that the mileage is in line with the engine overhaul. So, it may need a pump, regardless.
I rebuilt the generator a few years ago with parts from Ken Warner at Classic Generator in Texas, but I didn't have a press to get the forward bearing out, so maybe I'm hearing a generator bearing? I don't even want to think about the crank! Anyway, it's not loud, but it wasn't making any noise before I tightened up that belt. Any body have any suggestions or similar stories that might give me a hint of what to look into first?
