Hi all. im a newbie. I have a 01 3.0 Auto L.L Bean Outback with a loud noise in the front end. I thought it was a wheel bearing. Change them an axles,still there. getting worse. I think its a left side output shaft bearing. I think its on the ring gear? not sure. all fluids good. any help would be great. thanks.

check tire wear for any unusual wear pattern. Tires can cause noise.

two known noise makers on the H6.

 

1/ the tensioner pulleys on the front accessory belts are known to make noise as the bearings age.

 

2/ BUT i bet your noise is the power steering pump.

does the noise change as the engine speed changes?

 

the hose on top of the pump, from the fluid reservoir, has an o-ring that ages. and the pump sucks in air as it operates. this causes noise. but i'm surprised a mechanic couldn't isolate this.

 

i would get a mechanics stethoscope, about $5 and listen for the noise all around the engine bay.

 

it took me a while to find my noise source, '01 H6, w/ 157k miles. i only heard it as i started off. once going 20mph? the engine / road noise would drown out the noise. but a $0.50 o-ring and 15 minutes corrected the problem.

I've seen a few where the carrier bearings (the ones on the front diff) make noise and need to be replaced. Verify that the noise is coming from the front diff housing before you tear the trans apart to replace them. If you have a mechanical mind, they're not too bad to do but a press would need to be used to remove and install the bearings onto the carrier assembly.

I belive its the carrier bearing. just wasn't sure if it could be done without taking out tranny. I can do it if there is no special preload or anything. cause I dont know what any are on it. I'm sure tolerances need to be right on.

Once I remove the transmission, remove the front diff housing, then I take the preloaded caps off the sides and count the amount of turns while I'm unthreading it. I put them back in the same spot and have never had an issue *knocks on wood*.

 

The carrier takes a bit of Tetris work to remove it from the housings once the caps are off, then press the old bearings off, new ones on and reinstall.

I think i read in an older post were you have to pull the tailshaft? I think it's to get the pionion gear off? i saw a pic on ebay of a front housing an the pionion is along shaft with the gear at the end. Also is a 4cyl the same as a 6cyl? the housings i mean. can you bolt a 4 cyl ring an pionion tranny housing to a 6cyl tranny?an have it bolt to the engine?

Upon looking harder an changing front diff.fluid. I found a bad wheel bearing. I changed the passenger side wheel bearing and my noise went away. The bearing never moved but you could feel it,when i took the hub off the inner side looked fine. Must be the outer one. I had another hub so i set that one up to put on. Thanks for all your help.