Redish Dust

[mathy221984]

Hey everyone,

Today I removed my timing belt covers and found loads of red dust coated on the the cam, belt, pulley and tensioner as well as the cover itself. I haven't been able to find anything that specifically states what this is from. I have read a few questions and comments on what it might be but no one seems to know.

Is it truly a mystery or is there someone out there whom can positively identify the source of this?

[MadeInJapan]

Maybe your car wants to become a "red block engine?" LOL

(AKA White Block Engine is the Aluminum Engines we now see from Volvo and Red Block Engine is the old cast iron engines that would rust on the outside)...
Yes, that is very very strange. Maybe some bearings in one of the pulleys (which are real metal) has gotten eaten up?

[MadeInJapan]

http://www.goldwingfacts.com/forums/2-g ... -belt.html

http://honda-tech.com/tech-misc-15/red- ... t-2860577/

This thread suggests the alternator pulley for Red dust:
http://www.lostjeeps.com/forum/phpBB3/v ... 0e&start=0
Either way, it seems I may have been right- some type of pulley with bearings and the bearings are getting eaten up... A symptoms of a bad pulley...I suppose it can happen naturally over time or if a belt is on way too tight (such as when a tensioner locks up and makes the belt pull around much harder)...

You might have been saved by the bell!!! Did you get in there because you are going to change your timing belt or for some other reason? I think if I were you, I would strongly consider doing it and I would certainly be tempted to replace pretty much everything in the belt's path unless you're absolutely sure the part is okay...check the water pump too...not sure if it would throw anything outwards (as to internal) but it could...just check all movement by hand once your belt is off! Certainly hope it's not your crank shaft, but then again, that should be lubricated internally although I suppose a bad seal (and if it was metal to begin with) seizing up could cause something like this as well...which means seals on your cam shafts as well. Any red dust outside of the timing belt area?

[mathy221984]

Hey everyone,

From the looks of it the red dust may have been from the water-pump bearing. Most of the red dust seems to be concentrated in that region and after removal it is evident that the bearing within the water pump is in fact nearly bad. I haven't split the water- pump bearing apart yet to know for sure but just an update for now. The pulley and the tensioner bearing are still good and clean after close inspection and contained no red dust.

water pump

[kcodyjr]

That picture is what it looks like when you narrowly dodge a bullet.

[MadeInJapan]

That picture is what it looks like when you narrowly dodge a bullet.

Yes- glad you got it in time. How many miles did you say was on this car?

[abscate]

Stumbled onto this thread from another one

OEM water pump failing after 6 years? Yikes