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Strange intermittent clanking noise - ideas?


SvenDriver

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I'm occaisonally getting a weird clanking noise from I think the rear of the car. It sounds like the noise you make when you hit a cold chisel with a hammer - heavy metal against metal. It has a frequency of about 1 clank per second. It was happening when parked with the engine running and clutch down. It also occurred occaisonally when driving at different speeds. I had a look underneath the rear axle but couldnt' see anything lose.

 

40th Aniv. with 1.8K

 

Ideas ?

 

Edited by - SvenDriver on 3 Jan 2003 19:12:35

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Clutch Thrust (release)bearing perhaps on its way out ? (See archive there is loads on this). Loose front pulley ? (again archive) or perhaps a loose flywheel (unlikely). It seems strange that you say its at the rear when stationary as there is nothing that moves at the rear when stationary, thats why I would still look at the engine to start with.

 

Edited by - Graham Perry on 4 Jan 2003 06:39:15

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My mechanical knowledge will shine through here *smile*

 

I had a look under the bonnet. I found the engine. On the front of it at the base is a large pulley. There was no play in it. Alternator pulley likewise had no play in it and the belt itself all looked correctly seated.

 

Now my engine has a plastic cover on the front face - I presume this contains the flywheel ???

 

Looking at the nose section is it fair to say that it is held in place by two spring clips that need a 1/4 turn counter-clockwise on the screw head or something to release them? I'm assuming once this is off I can gain access to all the front of the engine and can then remove the plastic plate to check the flywheel.

 

My perception of the noise origin is probably due to having the roof on since a lot of noise can now crawl through the boot. Like you I do not believe it can come from the rear of the car since with the clutch down nothing can be spinning at the back. The fact that when the noise occurs it has a fixed frequency and can occur when the car is stationary forces me to think it must be on the engine.

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Sorry to disappoint you the flywheel is at the other end of the engine. Come on really no one can know so little about their car, your having a larf , I hope !

 

Try checking the ali plug cover, its on top of the engine in the centre of the cam cover with Caterham cast into it. The fixings sometimes work loose giving the noise you describe.

 

 

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I truly am that ignorant of cars. Until recently I have been a high mileage boring business car type driver. I had a simple arrangement with a local dealer. I gave them a broken car and my wallet. They gave me a fixed car and kept the contents of the wallet. This worked well with a fat wallet.

 

The 7 is my first 'play' car. Until now as long as the total number of engines in a car was 1 that was all I needed to know.

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I'm in Bristol about 2 miles from M32/M4 junction. My number is 0117 9564377 (Mike). I think the next RLM in Bristol is Tue week.

 

Next time I blat I will listen some more. I may just go roofless and buy a hat.

 

Noise is intermittent which makes it tricky ☹️

 

(This morning I openned the post and found a Golden Ticket for Silverstone *biggrin* *biggrin* *biggrin* )

 

Edited by - SvenDriver on 6 Jan 2003 14:05:58

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Check (or get someone to check!) the tightness of the bolts on the alternator. I have had experience of this creating quite a lot of noise if it is not tight. It is held onto the block by two bolts - make sure they are both still there.

 

Trying to get out of the garage

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