Continuous grinding noise while engine is running

[Rob Zombie Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Rob Zombie]

Hello guys,
I hope you had a nice Christmas.
I have a problem with my 99 90 series 3.4 petrol prado atm.
When I'm starting the car, there is a strange grinding like noise from the engine bay.
There are no other symptoms beside that. The noise seems to be staying constant, not depending on acceleration, speed or temperature.
The fan bracket, the steering pump and steering rack are new.
Does anyone have an idea, what it could be?
Have a happy new year and a great weekend.

[Atjan Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Atjan]

My mechanic neighbour picked up on a noise in my Prado's engine a while back. In the beginning the workshop guys thought it was the water pump, but it turned out that both the AC compressor and viscous coupling to the fan was buggered. +$2k later the problem has gone away and I now sport 2 new bits to my 20year old car.

[Rob Zombie Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Rob Zombie]

Thank you,
it didn't get worse, so I just ignored it for a while.
I just went for service the other day and asked the mechanic about that?
He found out, it's the ac compressor and said that I can leave it till it dies or I'm selling the car.
Will leave it then, aircon is still working fine