Hi All, my 4.4 has developed a rather annoying noise that can be heard on tickover. It sounds like a dry bearing or pulley something along those lines from the front of the motor, just wondered if those in the know could tell me if there are any usual suspects. Thanks Mick

Well, you would need to first diagnose the noise to the engine or ancillaries, so, if you perhaps first remove the fan, and run engine, listen, stop, then remove the serpentine belt, and run it for just a 1/2 minute while you listen, as there is now no decent water circulating. You can try and spin each roller bearing on the serpentine belt loop, to see if any are running a little noisy. You can do each one with some nylon cord back and forth, with some pulled tension to simulate it under load..You could find one of these is rumbling, perhaps the tensioner bearing, or water pump, hopefully not the alternator. If still rumbling without the fan and belt on, then it's the engine itself.
..great time to put a new belt on too.

Are you losing a little water?. Maybe the water pump bearing is letting by some water, and rumbling..
Take some pics of the way the belt routes... It's hard to remember how to put it back on. -really!

Last edited by johnboyairey on 14th Jun 2015 9:19pm. Edited 2 times in total

Or vanos gears.... There is nothing that can't be fixed with a hammer😜😜
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Do vanos gears get noisy ? I have a slight rattle from them on cold start but I presumed this was until oil pressure got there, I am convinced its from belt area like I said just wondered if there was anything more common than others.

VANOS can get noisy but it's a top end noise that sounds more like a diesel engine (plenty of youtube videos of it, just search 'VANOS noise'). It can go away after oil pressure builds up (in which case it's probably a failed non-return valve) or can be permanent (worn gears or seals).
You can get noises from the timing chain (rattles) when the guides break up again search Youtube for 'M62 timing chain rattle'.
Initial rattle is probably from the timing chain tensioner draining it's oil out and spring not doing it's job. Replacing the tensioner for an up dated design one is fairly easy.

Having said all that, if you are hearing what you describe as a bearing whine then that's what it probably is, follow Johns good advice above.