I started my 2002 Ford Ranger 4cyl 5spd and it started making a horrible grinding noise. It doesn't seem to effect the engine or transmition. It still runs, drives and shifts but it is making a bad noise like a baring going out. I looked under the hood and the drive belt is still turning everything, but the noise seems to be coming from under the truck. Could it be a throwout baring or something?

 

First thing I would do is pop the belt off and start the truck. Don't run it long since obviously your waterpump won't be running, but if the noise is gone you've narrowed the problem down to one of your pulley bearings. A bad throw out bearing would be obvious since the noise would happen when the clutch is pressed and lessen or go away completely when the clutch is released.

 

Thanks for the reply. That is something to try. It is a terrible noise. It's wierd because it doesn't seem to be RPM related, same noise if the truck is at idle or higher RPM driving. Doesn't matter is the clutch is pressed in or if the truck is out of gear. And when the engine ignition is turned off then it makes a horrible noise as the RPMs slow down.

 

Okay, now it gets even more bizarre. I started the engine this morning and it was making the noise and then it quit making noise. I was looking at the front of the engine to see if I could figure out where the noise was coming from and it just stopped. Good news and bad news. Good news is it stopped, bad news is now I don't know where it was coming from. Could it be a fan clutch?

 

Just a quick update: I turned out to be the idler pulley. $25 part.

 

Good to hear it was an inexpensive fix!