Belt Drive Pulley Noise?

[Kenny]

I've got a pretty loud noise (sort of a howling) from the belt drive when I start up on a cold morning, it goes away after 10 minutes of driving. I'm quite sure it's a bad bearing in a pulley (I've ran into this before on another vehicle).
I started the engine with the belt off for a few seconds and noise wasn't there.. I've replaced the idle pulley and tensioner pulley and a new Gatorback belt because it was a cheap way to start diagnostics- no luck noise still there. So that leaves the water pump and the power steering pulleys (It really does sound like it's coming from the power steering pulley). Before I try and replace those, I was wondering if anyone has ran into this noise and how they managed to fix it.

A few more questions:
Anyone have any recommendations or otherwise for aftermarket water pumps (a good quality one)?
Can I replace the pulley on the power steering or is a bigger assembly that I have to get?

Thanks for any advice.
Ken

[thebear54]

My experience with water pumps...if the motor overheats or runs warmer than normal...it is probably the water pump.
Youshould also be able to tell if the power steering pump is going just by the simple fact the it will be harder in the steering dept.
My quick simple test for finding out where the noise is coming from: get a stethescope(or a steel rod) place it on the water pump and or the power steering pump near the bearings and put your ear to the other end of the rod...you will find out real quick which one is making all the noise.
Good Luck with that.
John

[Reg Hinnant]

I had something simular and it was the A/C comp pully starting to freeze up.