I have a meziere 300 pump installed on my 02 ls1 motor and it started making a noise that sounds like lifter tick in other cars. I took the belt off and the sound went away. I know the pump is electric but should I be worried about the noise?

 

Belt off, pump on and is silent? If its the idler pulley, can you spin it manually and here the noise? Something contacting the idler pulley on the water pump? If it is the idler, you should be able to tell when you free wheel by hand. Never heard a bearing sound like a lifter tick though.

 

The belt off the car when you spin the water pump pulley which acts as an idler pulley, it doesn't spin freely. It binds up and makes a noise spinning it by hand. With the belt driving it, It ticks and changes with rpms. I am wondering if this is something that people have encountered with these pumps at all? I have read a ton of good reviews on them which is why this noise baffles me a little.

 

I wouldn't run an idler pulley (in this case the it's part of the EWP) that doesn't spin freely. Email Meziere and have them contact you about it. How many kms or hrs on that pump roughly?

 

I would say probably 300 hrs or so. It does spin but once you hit a spot every revolution it makes a noise and binds just a little. Is there a way to route a belt for alt and ps without touching the water pump?

 

I would be tempted to take the pump off, and see if I can take the idler apart and inspect it for a bad bearing, or at least see if I could find exactly which spot is binding and why.

I don't know of any water pump bypass kits for the serpentine belt, but there may be some out there.