Monday, November 10, 2008 - 02:29 pm, by: James Cahir(James987)
Could it be the fan or water pump pulley? I had an R31 that made a similar noise, I ignored it and drove down the street. A minute later there was a loud squealing and a cloud of smoke from under the bonnet, and the engine died. Turns out the water pump had seized which stretched and snapped the fanbelt, jamming the belt in between the fan and radiator shroud. Fun times.