Do water pumps make noise?

[KOPBET]

Tap, tap, taping noise from the front of the engine that increases with RPMs. This is a '96 LT1. Not injectors, not tappets but an obviously frontal emination. Not audible at idle but is at about 1500 and up. Is this normal or a precursor to disaster?

Thanks, and happy Mom's day to all you CAC moms out there.

 

[tkrphxr]

I am not sure about the LT-1 engine but you might want to check the harmonic balancer on the front of the crank. I have never had a water pump make that kind of noise. Just mho. Good luck Charlie

 

[Mad-Mic]

yes they can make a noise from the bearings going up. get a stethescope and check it or a rubber hose and put one end to your ear and the other on the water pump.

good luck

 

[Jack]

I'd look to the others' suggestion ... but don't overlook the timing chain set. If it's a factory roller cam ... there's a retainer behind the cam gear. Dunno about your motor ... but if there's a distributor running on roller cam ... the cam will tend to push forward as rpms climb ... thus need for retainer or cam button ( for retro-roller). Just a guess ... maybe timing set is being pushed into cam cover?
JACK:gap

 

[KOPBET]

Thanks to all. I don't know just yet what I will do except maybe get a long shank driver and listen around trying not to get myself snagged up by the rotating man eater.

tkrphxr, what did you mean exactly by checking the harmonic balancer?