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Can I remove the power steering belt and run the engine, only long enough to discover if the pump, pulley is the source of the spinning, crunchy noise from that front pulley area ?

Replaced the alternator. Removed the a/c compressor belt. Listened to both the water pump and power steering pump with a stethoscope without either one sounding obviously damaged.

The noise is loud enough to know it is not o.k.. It can soften with heat (?) engine running, no dash warning lights, no problems with engine temp, steering feel. Guessing fan clutch possible but that belt, assembly will take removing the radiator (?)... to try the power steering pump first.

As long as it's not shared with the water pump or alternator you can remove it for as long as you want. On an m30, it has its own belt iirc.

Thank you for the prompt reply.

Who cares, I am replacing the starter first. Horrible noises compared to the '79, even thought it," Works." Hoping there's an outside chance the drat thing is the cause of the battery draw, that no fuse or relay pulling found.

Just for drill, the instructions for replacing the starter in Chilton's, Haynes, the factory site with worthless photos, are ridiculous as always. No chance the real process will be anything but inventing tools for access, patience and not giving up. I mean without removing the engine.

I'd run it for a few seconds to isolate a noise, as long as the block is full of coolant and air purged you have a little time before the thermostat opens. My money is on your water pump!

That starter is no fun, you will be threading your arms under the intake to feed sockets with an extension. Disconnect battery ground first! If you dont have one, a mirror on a stick is a good tool to have to get familiar with the area. 17 mm I recall. 2 fasteners. Sometimes there is an engine bracket too. Depends if it was put back on?