Stright cut oil pump gears.

[Matt Vangaalen]

never heard of that before...  maybe post up a sound clip/vid of what it sounds like?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWMURnj9kgs&feature=player_embedded

Here is a link to member of DSMTuners.com awd95dsm this guy has the same symptoms as me.

I am still thinking the screeching we hear is the driven gear bouncing between block and case.

[Jordan Kruger]

If my car made that noise, I would park it till its fixed.     The timing cover needs to come off ASAP, for sure , 100%

Check for any obvious problems in there..   Maybe even throw the belts back on and run it without a cover and have another listen..

If you put a different oil pump in or front case, and you have THAT sound...   Ide be worried.

Every second you hear that, its making glitter in your oil supply....   not good.

[Brett Haviland]

did you do a balance shaft elimination??  It is common for the bearings on the rear balance shaft to wear out and the shaft will flap around in the block.  When it happend to me once tho, it didn't sound like that video tho.

I would try and pinpoint it with a stethascope if possible with the lower timing cover off... and run the engine without any assesory belts like jordan said.  (just make sure the balancer (crank pully) is installed so the belt doesn't walk off and wreck your engine.  Oh also dont run the engine for very long cuz with the assesory belts off the water pump wont be spinning..

Once you have that off you can CAREFULLY use a mechanics stethascope to pinpoint the noise.  Just be carefull to not let it get caught in the timing belt.

[Matt Vangaalen]

Balance shafts are out had the cover off and stethescoped the front case. Sound is most pronounced near the oil pump. Thinking the 6 bolt case was for the helical gears. They stopped straight cuts in 1990.

[Brett Haviland]

well what are u waiting for!!  get that biotch off of there and swap in another one!  (go with a mitsu front cover/oil pump, not a TOPLINE)

better sooner then later....

[Matt Vangaalen]

Mitsu put out a TSB regarding the straight cut oil pump gears. They only go with a 90 front case. Not just any 6 bolt.