Also crayon is very good for de squealing v belts if it turns out that's the noise
Can't wait to hear the final diagnosis.

Everyone has been validly concentrating on anything to do with belt / bush alignment and Garth with the cam belt tensioner, but here is some more thoughts:

Since you have K-Jet mechanical fuel injection this opens up other possibilites.
1. tighten the 3 bolts that attach the throttle body to the manifold.
2. the airflow sensor plate / fuel distributor relationship to the injectors - as we know what a screech a crap injector can make. For people with k-jet a cheap stethescope is very revealing as fuel flows around the system, and the injectors themselves are a good listen, and in my experience extremely rare that all 4 injectors sing the same tune.
3. Hows the engine running - nice and smooth?
4. Is there an oil leak from the front crank seal?

Then its over to the wheel bearing and dragging brake depatment.
After a run do both brake discs have about the same temp emitting from them? (dont physically touch them).
Is there a brake pad hot resin smell from one disc?
Jack up the front - do both wheels rotate freely? Grabbing the wheel top and bottom and rock - is there any or excess side play in wheel bearings?
The list goes on.....

Manual gearbox/clutch or auto?

You mention (and please don't tell me my power steering pump is knackered....) usually they grumble and click more than screech.
Garth;97272 wroteJust remove fan alternator belt and start the engine as you sad recoed alternator I'd be surprised if that's the source of the noise
After removing the belts for alternator and water pump/fan the screaming has gone away completely so I guess that has eliminated the PS and brought it down to one of those two aforementioned accessories, if it had anything to do with anything under the timing belt cover then it would still be there after taking the belts off the aforementioned accessories according to my powers of logic. It isn't the belts themselves as I've swapped them out for new and the sound didn't change (originals were cracked and on their last legs), I guess it could be slippage on the pulleys but the tension was correct and the pulleys were deglazed and aligned properly...
Anthony;97281 wroteCan't wait to hear the final diagnosis.

Everyone has been validly concentrating on anything to do with belt / bush alignment and Garth with the cam belt tensioner, but here is some more thoughts:

Since you have K-Jet mechanical fuel injection this opens up other possibilites.
1. tighten the 3 bolts that attach the throttle body to the manifold.
2. the airflow sensor plate / fuel distributor relationship to the injectors - as we know what a screech a crap injector can make. For people with k-jet a cheap stethescope is very revealing as fuel flows around the system, and the injectors themselves are a good listen, and in my experience extremely rare that all 4 injectors sing the same tune.
3. Hows the engine running - nice and smooth?
4. Is there an oil leak from the front crank seal?

Then its over to the wheel bearing and dragging brake depatment.
After a run do both brake discs have about the same temp emitting from them? (dont physically touch them).
Is there a brake pad hot resin smell from one disc?
Jack up the front - do both wheels rotate freely? Grabbing the wheel top and bottom and rock - is there any or excess side play in wheel bearings?
The list goes on.....

Manual gearbox/clutch or auto?

You mention (and please don't tell me my power steering pump is knackered....) usually they grumble and click more than screech.
Thanks for the detailed breakdown Anthony, I don't believe it can be related to fuel injection, brakes or wheel bearings etc as the sound has completely gone once the belts were removed (to alt and water pump) and the car emits the sound whilst stationary. I'm going to hook up a short run of v-belt (I've got one of those adjustable jobbies with segments) first from the alternator on its own and then the WP on its own and will report back tomorrow, cheers Porkchop

PS it's the manual version with electric OD
Wp failure as described is quite common

That said it could just be belts
Or it could be groves in the crank pully

Thwre was also that time that i whitnessed a b23 crank pully explode and put a dent in the bonnet
@VolvoHordz has more details on that one
The pully made horrid squeeking sounds before it went for some time
Jeez that's not very comforting!! Anyway back with an update, I removed all belts from all accessories and naturally - no noise. I then reconnected the alternator using an adjustable linked v-belt from it to the crank pulley and still no noise! This made me think that obviously if I hooked up the water pump on it's own using the same technique then I would hear the screeching sound again, and nothing, zip, nada. It was hard to get the tension up to the same level with the WP as I couldn't adjust the pulleys but it was spinning the fan around quite ok and there was no obvious slippage. I then put the two matched Contitech belts on and the noise was back! Got my younger son to turn the car over and alter the revs whilst I squirted the belts with a spray bottle but it made absolutely no difference to the noise level - it was just as bad as before. I'm still not convinced that the belts themselves are the culprits as the water spray should have had some effect.
I've now taken the water pump off as I've had a Hepu one sitting around waiting for a moment like this but now I've run into a snag. the steel coolant-return pipe is completely corroded at the flange where it goes into the pump and is basically unrepairable, I've contacted Ash with the intention of sourcing a new one but for some reason I have a gut feeling that this might be one of those difficult to obtain parts at least in Oz.....will report back.
Another thing I want to clear up is that the old 'mushroom' seal on the top of the water pump I took off is as flat as a pancake as is the surface it mates to (see photo) I presumed that there was a corresponding concave area on the casting on the head to take the shape of the seal but it is dead flat, I'm on my third head on this car is this normal?? The LH seal is the old one..
Yeah that's normal. They just smoosh together. Add some RTV.
Philia_Bear;97346 wroteyou located in Vic?
I'm in Tas unfortunately, it basically makes getting hold of just about anything that little bit harder!


jamesinc;97358 wroteYeah that's normal. They just smoosh together. Add some RTV.
Thanks James, it must be at least 6-7 years since I did one of these on an old 79' 244 sedan that I used to own so I'm a bit hazy on the details (it had the B23 motor fitted not long before it died so it matched current car)...
now, considering locale, have you had a good look for a Tassie Tiger in there?
I'm at a point in this operation Snoopy where I'm not feeling remotely in good humour! :(
Funnily enough, I have a squealing in my v70....
I am sure all the usual culprits have been addressed, just like you have been through, I even pulled the Campbell tensioner off known good parts car, off the one to replace, was distracted and put same one back on.... then after putting good one on, yep, squeal still there.
I know what you mean....
5 days later
It's a b***h that's for sure Snoopy!! I'm hoping that one of our enlightened members can tell me how the hell to get the bolt for the coolant pipe bracket undone, it's the one under the exhaust manifold and as far as I can tell nearly inaccessible by any normal means. I'm just about to look for a larger mirror of some sort to try and get a better feel for the scenario. I had the Pulsair pipe cut off under there when the heads were swapped and it and the exhaust give no clearance and no visibility, I am buggered if I can work out how to get a socket or ring spanner onto it....(btw I have to remove the aforementioned pipe because its end was completely corroded where it entered the WP, dammit)
Took the round shaving mirror off its mount in the bathroom and this gave me the means to wangle a succession of sockets and extensions onto the bolt head and after two hours of cursing I have finally gotten the pipe off, not fun.