I have an '87 Max with 68K miles that has a engine whine I haven't been able to diagnose. The whine increases directly with engine speed, and happens in all gears, neutral and park. It is the same at all engine temps. It started while my Dad owned the car at about 64K miles, but I don't know much more. A factor is the trans has had a problem going into gear due to worn shifter linkage bushing, so it may have been driven in low(er) gears and at a higher rpm a while. The trans checks out with good shifting after the bushings were replaced. With a stethoscope the whine does not sound like it comes from the trans.
I have been all over this engine with a stethoscope and the whine is louder on the front side of the engine. But the noise transmits through the whole block. Here what I have done so far: Run the engine with ALL accessory belts removed (ac, ps, water pump, alt, idler pulley etc). Replaced the t-belt twice with a new idler pulley, the 2nd time was to correct the over-tight t-belt job from the dealer. Checked for the correct t-belt tooth profile installed. Check the distributor for noise. Check the t-belt cover for rubbing on the t-belt or pulleys. Check the crank pulley for rubbing. Check noise at the cam bearings and pulleys. Any ideas?
