cliff.b

Ok, yes I agree that could well be a reasonably simple way of proving what sort of issue I am dealing with. Good idea 👍

That's what is confusing me Pete and why the flywheel bolt thing sounded plausible. But why would that only be noticeable when hot? Whatever it is, I think I need to get more knowledgeable people to listen to it when it is making the noise.

Yes, that's a good idea. But first I think I should try and get some opinion from people who know more about this sort of thing than I do as it might just hide an issue that should be dealt with.

Mike, I might see if I can make that. What time do people start getting there? A blast down the A14 getting there should warm it up nicely.

I don't know the history of this engine but before I heard this noise I felt it was in good condition. Not aware of any smoke at all and very low oil usage. The oil pressure is good when cold but has always dropped when thoroughly hot. It is pretty much the same now as it has always been. Changing the oil last week raised it very slightly. So I'm wondering, if the main bearings were good but just one big end was on the way out, would that drop the oil pressure noticeably? I have no experience of this stuff in practice but just trying to think it through.

That's a good idea. I will get one 👍

Hmm. If that was the case, how would it likely develop?

That's what I was wondering, but unsure how that would explain the symptoms. Would a bearing be quiet when oil is cooler but noisy when it gets hotter & presumably thinner? Unfortunately, this is outside of my experience.

Yes, would think it was well warmed up but it was quite a slow "pootle" with the heater on and the temp gauge was well below halfway. After the traffic and putting my foot down for a few miles it was just about in the middle of the gauge, where it normally is. Think I need someone that knows about these things to hear it when it's making the noise, which was the idea today, but the car decided otherwise 😒

Had an opportunity for a drive out today with other classic car owners so decided to go and see if anyone had an opinion about my cars noise. But when I started it, I couldn't hear it. So drove to the meeting place, about 20 miles away with the second half at speed up the A1 so we'll warmed up. Lifted the bonnet, people gathered around and it was there but barely audible and the consensus was "nothing to worry about". So spent the next 2 hours or so pootling 60 miles or so around the countryside, then stuck in traffic through St Neots followed by an enthusiastic drive towards home. Car driving beautifully but when I stopped, the noise was back. Wondering if it was because the traffic and then putting my foot down made the car hotter which somehow brings on the problem? If so, what could explain that?

I will take a look in our local one. The only trouble with investigating the "middle in Lidl" is that I often find something else I didn't realise I needed 🙄

I should have bought one when they were in LIDL recently, or was it AlDI 🤔

Just briefly back to thrust washers, the engine data in my Haynes manual says crank end float of 4 to 8 thou for the early engines and 6 to 14 thou for the 1500. Can anyone confirm if that is correct as I haven't seen a mention of a difference elsewhere?

Might need to buy one.

Yes, one pipe in front of the other

I tried to do that yesterday but couldn't shift the nut, even though it's only been on there a few months. If I take the starter motor off I will jam the ring gear somehow and try again.

The manifold is standard but I'm not certain if the downpipe that connects to it is. When I was underneath checking if anything was knocking I looked at the sump with a view to removing it and I don't think it would be a problem. But how many times have I said that over the years 🙄

I have a gauge fitted. No idea how accurate but the pressures seen hadn't changed recently, but they are a little higher overall since I changed the oil on Tuesday.

Hmm, yes, I decided removing the starter while the engine was running probably wouldn't be a good idea so was thinking more bump starting it rolling down the drive. As for dropping the sump, it's not so much the complexity of the job as me lying under the car on my back working on it. Maybe I could manage it 🤔 Based on the fact that the pulley but fell off and the number of other things I have found loose on the car, I would not be at all surprised if it's a flywheel bolt. I will try and get some further opinions on the noise before taking the gearbox out though.

Yes, makes sense, but I have now tried it and it doesn't seem to make any difference. I will take the starter off when I get time and see if that reveals anything. Also, if I can start the engine without the starter fitted then it might be clearer where the noise is coming from.

After fitting the new nut the original clonking stopped. It now sounds similar but I'm convincing myself it's from the rear of the engine. Loose flywheel bolts could make sense and the crank nut isn't the first thing I have found loose on this car. Just it's not an easy thing to check, but at least I can do it myself. Not sure I'm up to lying under the car with the sump off these days 🤬

Doh, that's balanced out Pete's comment 😟

Excellent. One less thing to worry about 👍

That sounds possible. It moved rearwards by pressing quite hard by hand.

Ok, you had me worried for a moment. What about the "centralising" bact to a zero position after being pushed in either direction? Is that normal? Any examples I have seen in YouTube show it moving and staying there, although they were always about excessive float.