Possible oil leak near rad fan/bad drive belt or belts??

[aznpoopy]

Originally Posted by thatguybryan

My problem is that one day my 98 240sx base started making a "whoosh" noise when i would press the accelerator; it sounds just like an 18 wheeler/trash truck/large suv (the way it sounds like it sucks a lot of air in). I didn't think too much of it at first because I thought it wasn't my car.
I was wrong, lol.

The noise gets louder as the RPM's go up, and quieter as they go down. I had my brother press the gas a couple of times while I listened to the engine bay and it sounds kinda like it's coming from the radiator fan area.

The sound went away for a couple of weeks. However, it has now returned and everytime I drive/rev my car it makes the noise (I haven't driven it since it started happening). While I was out driving and it was making the noise, I heard a squeak like one of the belts. I investigated further, and if I accelerate hard it squeaks like a b****; it is definitely one of the belts squeaking.

this is a common problem. your fan clutch is seized. that big white fan is not supposed to spin 1:1 with the engine. the piece it is attached is called the fan clutch, which allows the fan some degree of freespin depending on how hot it gets.

when it gets old, it binds up, causing the fan to spin locked with the engine. since the fan is attached to the water pump, the water pump belt drives the fan. the fast spinning fan produces too much resistance for the belt, causing the belt to slip and squeal.

typical symptoms: whooshing sound, belt squeal at higher rpms.

to correct this problem, you need to replace the fan clutch. item #9 in this picture. parts stores aftermarket replacements. alternatively you can get a junkyard one off a 240, or get a new one from the dealership.

Originally Posted by thatguybryan

However, I cannot for the life of me 1) figure out how to get the belts off even with the FSM, 2) find any good descriptions (with pictures that is, I found the S13 belt replacement article but it doesn't show the pictures for some reason?? or even red x's??).

I searched this website up and down, google, and 240sx.org. I cannot find any decent information on how to replace these damn belts, lol. Am I missing something??? Can anyone help me out? I really would prefer to learn how to do this myself if possible to save some cash.

it's in the factory service manual, in the maintenance section. download the appropriate one for your car.
240sx FSM, Full Service Manuals, S13, S14, KA24E, KA24DE: 240SX Forum / 180SX Forum / Silvia Forum: Nissan Forums / Infiniti Forums - NICOclub

essentially the belts are tensioned by the alternator, power steering pump and an idler pulley underneath the car near the a/c compressor. the alt and ps swing outwards on a pivot and slide. the slides have an adjuster bolt. loosen that and push the accessory inwards towards the engine to loosen the belt. the FSM has pictures which show you where everything is.

Originally Posted by thatguybryan

Another thing (if this helps/just for general information), I looked where the big white radiator fan meets with the water pump I think it is? or whatever the fan connects to, and I see maybe a piece of a seal, and what appears to be oil all over the fan and the piece that is connected to it.

Could this be causing the noise? Does anyone know off-hand what this is called? (I'm sure I can find out if I search which is no problem, but if someone happened to know quickly I'd appreciate the help greatly!)

the fan indeed connects to the water pump. the seal you see is probably RTV sealant that squished out during install (quite normal). RTV is basically used all over the front of the engine.

it could be a leak from the front main seal getting splashed up, which is under the front crank pulley. to fix it you have to pull off the crank pulley.

if it's oil dripping down from the top, it's either the valve cover (which uses a gasket) or the upper timing cover (which uses RTV). upper timing cover only comes off after you have the valve cover off, so might as well do both if you are going to do it at all.

if you need an illustration, go to the FSM. look up EM section (engine mechanical) and find the break out diagram which shows the outer engine components. should be in timing chain sub-section of EM.

valve cover gasket and front main seal you can get from the nissan dealership. RTV silicone sealant can be found at your local autoparts store, about 5 bucks a tube.