Greetings,

My old XJ6 once again presented me with a new problem just to keep me busy and spending some more $$.

This time right after starting the car a squeal was heard. Slowly it got really loud and then quieted down. Seconds later it came back.
It squeals erratically and intensifies with acceleration and the source seems to be on the front of the engine.

After the noise quieted for a while, I took it for a small 5 min ride.
That's when things got worse. Lost power on low revs. While pressing the accelerator the needle would rise in slow motion, but after rev'ing up to about 2000 it would gain power again.

It doesn't look like it's the belts nor fan.
Radiator is slowly losing coolant with no apparent leak but I think it's the radiator cap that's faulty as this was going on before these symptoms appeared.

Any ideas?

 

Perhaps two or more faults at once. Related, perhaps, or may be not.


My first suspect would be the belt's. Then what they drive. First on my list, the parasitic air pump.


Carl

 

New symptom...fuel spitting out of carb.
I would figure it's just a stuck float but given the dramatic sequence of symptoms, it makes me wonder...

 

the squeal could be the fan clutch or water pump, or alternator, or power steering pump starting to seize, assuming it is not a loose belt like Carl said. All those components run on ball bearings of one sort or another, and they give a squeal warning when they're going to freeze.

The carb spitting fuel: is it the AED (Auxiliary Carb) spitting fuel? If yes, they do that.

Carl, I did not mention the Air Pump since I don't know how "old" the car is and there is no info other than "old XJ-6", not all XJ-6 have air pumps.

 

I have Very recent experience with a SEIZED air pump, but on a Chevy 350. I can only assume the same results will be applicable to ANY engine so equipped.

Diagnosis involved loosening the belt(s) and trying to turn the component(s), whichever one(s) seem to be suspect. It is doesn't spin *Easily*, that's very likely the culprit.
(';')

 

yes, the famous Delco Air Pump, they seize and screech like crazy, when you least expect it. But so can any other seized component that revolves. Water pumps are a pita. I've had an alternator bearing seize in my Ford minivan. Talk about a screech!

 

Thank you all for your answers.

The car is a 69 Series 1 xj6 so I guess it has no air pump.

It spits fuel out of the float chamber's drain pipe and it happened right after I shut off the engine. It was draining continuously, I had to close the fuel feed line to stop it.

I will be removing the belts and try to figure out the source of the noise.

What I can't fit into the equation is the loss of power. It comes and goes at a seemingly regular pace (of a few seconds).

 

Well, diagnostic progress ! Great. Two issues as I see it.


1. Squeal. As Elinor suggests. see which belt driven device is less than free to turn. But, as Jose opines, the PS pump might not turn freely, yet be just fine. Residual pressure.


2. Loss of power. Fuel over flow suggests an over rich fueling. Poor power results. Sticky float needles or leaking floats, a possibility.


Carl