High pitched belt type squeal fixed on ZD30

Hey Guys,
I have just recently picked up a 3L GU Patrol. When I looked at the vehicle, i new it had a sqealing noise which I just put down to a noisy drive belt and tensioner. I have been a mechanic for the past 25 years, so you can emagine the language I used after I purchased a new belt tensioner and idler pulley, puting them on and still having a horrible high pitched squeal. I have done alot of reading about this problem and it seems alot of ZD30 owners are at thier wits end with this noise that sounds excactly like a squealing belt. Well after using a peice of hose to my ear, I pinpointed the problem down to the alluminium EGR pipe, ( runs from the EGR valve to the inlet manifold, drectly opposit the fuel filter, on drivers side ). Being alluminium, it is susseptable to warping, due to being mounted to a rather hot EGR valve. It was fine to look at, but when I removed the pipe, (4 bolts ) it had carbon on the surface all the way to the edge, ( this is the surface which is mounted on the EGR Valve, not the inlet manifold ). I put a straight edge on it and it had a definate .5mm warp in the mating surface. There is also a thin metal gasket which mounts between the two surfaces, so when the alluminium surface warps, it creates a small gap and when you give it revs and the EGR Valve opens and exhaust gas that escapes through the gap causes the thin metal gasket vibrate, kind of like the reed in a saxaphone, which causes the high pitched noise you can hear. Ive got a Mate at work with the same vehicle as mine, which was making the same noise and when I checked the EGR pipe, it was warped excactly like mine was.
My fix was to remove the pipe and use a flat file accross it and create a flat surface for the gasket to seal properly. I also used a light smear of Ultra Copper Hi Temp Silicone, which is also sensor safe. Worked like a charm and it made a new vehicle of them both to drive.
Judging by the amount of people having unresolved belt type noises with ZD30 engines, I suspect this may be a common fault.
Another way to diagnose this is to disconnect the electrical plug from the EGR Valve and see if the noise is still present. This prevents the EGR Valve from opening and prevents gas exiting through the warped joint. This will norrow it down to either the EGR Valve itself, or the warped EGR pipie mating surface.
Im not sure if you guys know of this problem, but judging by the forums, it should help someone out there. :)

Welcome to the forum mate and thanks for the info, as a zd30 owner it is something I will keep in mind..
Feel free to stick around, join in the convo's and have a laugh with us. Great to have another member aboard.
Also feel free to post up some pics of your new troll..

Fletcha

G'day mate - welcome aboard. Great people, information and laughs on here mate, so feel free to join in and make the most of it. Enjoy!!

Cheers Guys, Will do. Alot of good info on here.

welcome mate. join in and enjoy

Hi there,
I have a high pitch squeel every now and then too, but I got a petrol engine.
Any ideas.
Cheers
Tim

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Cadbury

Hi there,
I have a high pitch squeel every now and then too, but I got a petrol engine.
Any ideas.
Cheers
Tim

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Belts more than likely - is it when cold? Only when starting? Etc

Not it is every now and then hot, cold anytime.

Hi Piggymac,
Thanks for the information on this noise. I have it but only when I and going up hills and then not always, depends on how much acceleration it an doing. If I back off slightly it goes away. Anyhow, I need to book the patrol in for a service and I will get them to look at this specifically. Again, thanks.
Cheers,
Peter

Hi Peter,
Your symptoms sound very similar to mine. A quick check would be to disconnect the electrical plug to the EGR valve and see if the noise still exists. This is simple enough to do yourself. Mine made the noise on ecceleration and dissapeared when I backed off the throttle also. If I held revs at about 2500rpm in neutral it would make the noise aswell, but if the pipe is not warped as much as mine was, it may not occur in neutral, so best to take it for a spin with the valve plug off and see if it still squeals. (Doing this may cause the check engine light to come on, but it will go off when you hook the plug back up again). If it does still squeal, then it is more likely to be the belt/tensioner, or maybe even the alternator.
Hope this helps.

G'Day Piggy
bloody good post. much appreciated.
Col

Hi Piggymac, thanks for the info. I come over to Oz from UK every year and I bought my GU Patrol about 2 years ago. I too have the belt-type squealing but I cannot get it to do it when stationary. It doesn't do it on acceleration but when I get to any cruising speed it screeches like a banshee. However, if I push down on the accelerator or ease off, it goes away. I am not a mechanic so will have to get it seen too now I know what the probable problem is. I will get back and let you know if it works.

You might have a leaking manifold gasket it sounds the same
under acceleration
be interesting what you find

It was as piggymac said in his post. Followed his advice and managed to get the EGR pipe off and found that the lower flange was warped and it was visibly evident that exhaust fumes were letting by. Getting the bottom bolt of the lower flange off was quite difficult as there isn't much room to work in, only able to get the tips of 2 fingers to reach the bolt. After rubbing the flange down with lubricated emery cloth I managed to get it flat. I made sure there was liquid gasket on the surfaces and after a lot of swearing and cursing I managed to get it all back together again and to my great relief, on the test drive, the squealing had gone. Whoooppeeee!!! I would suggest that if anyone has an intermittent squealing sound, before spending megabucks on belt tensioners, alternators or pulleys, take an hour or so to strip down the aluminium EGR pipe, it may save you a lot of money

I get a squeal when I plant the foot around a corner, I think it's coming from the left hand front seat though, but not sure :) Welcome.

I have a noise in my GU too . some days it may take 200 or 300kms to make this noise and other days 10ks down the road ,
if I put the foot down or back off fast the noise will go but if only very slow can almost make it sing . took it to dealer was told to keep driving untill noise is there all the time so easy to find.
I mentioned the Forum and the EGR that was a bad move the only thing he did then was prove that he was a wanka , He didnt have a good thing to say about the forum .
I will try unplugging the egr see if that works .

i have come across this problem about four times now seems to be common problem but sometimes a slightly different sound. you need to check the first exhaust manifold port for signs of black soot sometimes this is very hard to see get a good light and check over the whole manifold area they usually have a broken stud sometimes they look ok but there broken. because of heat sheilding it is very hard to diagnose. in most cases the manifold will need machining and recommend changing everything studs, gasket anything thats hard to get too.

Hope this helps sounds like a few of you have this problem.
Cheers Alex

Have a mate who has a 2004 ZD30 and has had that problem twice. Fixed by replacing the EGR at the local Nissan dealer at great great expense
He's going to spit chips when he hears how simple the fix could have been - maybe

g`day had quite a few probs with this car when i 1st bought it ..had a horrible noise when cold .sounded like a real metal bearing noise ,,nissan said turbo..so i had the turbo replaced at my cost ,still the same noise.took my original turbo to the diesel speciast an they told me the turbo was fine .$750.00 door stop now, the car wouldn`t get off the mark like it used to .realy lagging till the turbo kicked ~2200rpm ,i then took the car to this special about the noise he heard it and said "I know what that is " he went on to tell me it was a manifold leak at #1 they machined the manifold and bingo no noise ,,I swore black an blue this was a machanical noise it sounded like a destroyed bearing when cold (the misses was embarrassed to drive away from school (she`s a teacher)but alass i was wrong

Hi

I have this noise (silicone spray on belts etc tried and didnt work, the belts look fine)
Any workshop recomendation that can get this sorted for me in Sydney (Hills area but can go any suburb). The noise has gradually gone louder and lasts longer

Thanks

Hey 200 post up an intro and ask your question in a fresh thread
The intro is a courtesy thing that the forum asks of us all.

I would say your belt tensioner bearing is on the way out or your
clutch bearing on the alternator.
Check with a long screwdriver to your ear to isolate the sound.
Make and model would also help

Thanks Mate

Didnt realised I had not posted a intro - Will do

Could you please advise where the EGR Pipe is? Where can it be found?

Could be a boost leak too

I got lumbered with a Navara 2 weeks ago with a zd30 engine, the guy told me the noise at the front of the engine was just the belt squealing and handed me a new belt. after replacing the belt and the tensioner pulley the noise stopped for about 30 minutes then started again. If I spray anything on the belt the noise stops or is reduced to almost stopped, It is embarrassing to drive, the squealing is so loud, if I'm lucky after the engine has warmed up the noise is almost gone when the engine is idling. I have an alternator here given to me when I bought a converted zd30 about 2 years ago, so am going to try swapping alternators around to see if that make a difference as the alternator on the car is a higher amp one with a clutch and the other one is a stock alternator with a solid pulley. Any advise or suggestions would be greatly appreciated as I started hating the car after owning it for an hour.... Please help, all ideas etc will be tried to stop the squealing...

What brand belt and tensioner mate?

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Sir Roofy

You might have a leaking manifold gasket it sounds the same
under acceleration
be interesting what you find

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Some research for a mate his zd is making a bearing like squeal noise.
His mechanic was pointing to turbo but listening to it-----
leaning over the top of mtr the noise seems to be coming from top front of motor to me,
around above viscus fan coupling area & closer to manifold
I ? his fan belt etc he informed me makes" same sound without belt so the mech said", so rules out tensioner etc.
??Is the manifold gasket multi shim??.
I ask that as the squeal sounds bit like (best I can describe )a wind instrument reed humming to me.
Thanks any help much appreciated.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Robo

Some research for a mate his zd is making a bearing like squeal noise.
His mechanic was pointing to turbo but listening to it-----
leaning over the top of mtr the noise seems to be coming from top front of motor to me,
around above viscus fan coupling area & closer to manifold
I ? his fan belt etc he informed me makes" same sound without belt so the mech said", so rules out tensioner etc.
??Is the manifold gasket multi shim??.
I ask that as the squeal sounds bit like (best I can describe )a wind instrument reed humming to me.
Thanks any help much appreciated.

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Had a look tonight using inspection mirror up under No1 exh & can see what looks like soot around this area so think It's sorted.

Thanks for the info mate will look into mine

Thank you for this, I have this problem with my GU. I am going to try it out this weekend.

Fixed mine. thanks mate!

Fixed mine as well! I dropped a TD42 and in…[emoji38]


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