Noise Reduction

[markw]

I want to reduce the noise levels in my 1098 Traveller and was thinking about fitting sound absorbing material under the carpets (there's none there at the moment), on the inside of the front bulkhead and on the floor beneath the load area. Above 50 mph the engine and drive train noise make converstation a bit strained and my kids also refer to the Morris as 'Dad's noisy car'. I'm not looking for Rolls Royce silence, just a bit of an improvement. Mechanically the gearbox and final drive are ok. Is this worth the effort or should I put up with the racket?
Mark Ward

[wibble_puppy]

hi markw (you aren't mark wahlberg by any chance are you?? )

two alternative tips from my inexhausible fund of near-knowledge:

1. Install a good stereo and play very loud music

2. Try and analyse exactly which part of the car the noise(s) is coming from. It would be a shame to spend money on under-carpet felt only to find that the noise is coming from eg the doors, engine bay or bulkhead.

3. If the noise is coming from the stereo, or the kids, then turn it, or them, down.

juliet xxxx

[Multiphonikks]

Trawl your local carpet specalists. I found a place in Bristol on Gloucester Road which sells thick underlay made out of recycled tyres etc. Of course, you'd need to fire-proof the stuff to go in under the bonnet and the firewall.

It'll probably be cheaper though than stuff custom cut for a mog, but of course will require more work from you

Nikki

[Packedup]

Engine and gearbox noise - Get some sound deadening on the bulkhead and transmission cover. You can buy the stuff for the bulkhead by the sheet, but as far as I know it's not cheap! And would also be a nightmare to fit on the engine bay side. Best off getting some thick interior stuff and doing the inside side of the bulkhead, and the cover.

I try to use as little of that stuff as possible, to the point where if the car didn't originally have it, it doesn't get it. Acts far too much like a sponge the moment any water gets in, and then starts nice rust patches in awkward places

Might be worth looking for some of those bitchumen type rectangles, they'll help reduce a bit of road noise and might cut down the engine/ gearbox noise a bit. And so long as they don't lift once applied, there's not so much of a rust wory, in my opinion

[markw]

Thanks for the advice everyone, a loud stereo is out of the question - the boy racers going past my window sharing their music (at least I think that's what it is) drive me nuts and I'd hate to join them.
I think I'll try to put sound deadening material on my side of the bulkhead and over the transmission as the noise is engine and road speed related. I've got to replace the front parcel shelf anyway so that should give me good access to the bulkhead.
Mark Ward

[Willie]

It is a fiddley job and the results are never as good as you expect
unless you can do the ENTIRE inner or outer area of the bulkhead,
which is virtually impossible. Obviously a layer of sound deadening
over the floor and gearbox cover will help but do not bother to buy
the specially tailored mat which is available to stick to the underside
of the bonnet. I found this made no discernible difference.
Don't forget to sound deaden BEHIND the battery with some sort of
acid proof matting.

[millerman]

I'm restoring a Traveller and considering spraying the inside of the roof, side panels and cab with body "Schutz" to mdeaden sound.
Has anyone tried this or similar methods to reduce noise?

[jonathon]

Body Shutz is normally only used as an underbody protection. You would be better off using a good stonechip spray, i.e 3M brand which will insulate, reduce drumming and is over paintable.
When we built Moose, see wwwminormania.com we covered nearly every inch with Dynamat, an excellent noise absorbtion material, there are cheaper versions of this product and it is also available in a can to spray into those awkward areas. The spray version builds up to a 2mm layer.
The normal sound deadening sold by the likes of Newton Commercial offer very little in deadening sound, and we have used a company formally known as BJ Acoustics now Noise Killer for better products. You will pay more than the normal cheap products, but the difference is amazing. The best of their products is called a Space Layer, which is a foam sandwiched by a rubberised type of material, naturally these products are bang up to date regarding fire retardation etc.

[Willie]

MARKW...looking at your pic it suggests that you may still be
running on cross ply tyres?? If so then a change to radials will
remove an unbelievable amount of road noise.

[MikeNash]

Thanks Mark for starting this - my Traveller's got the same problem. I scrounged a noise meter which gave the following at steady speeds. 20mph 70dBA, 30mph 72dBA, 40mph 78dBA, 50mph 80dBA, 60mph 82dBA and 70mph 85dBA. (All speeds are true. And on a previous diff the noise was about 2dBA higher.) I'm no noise expert, but it seems to me that its made up of two components. The first is irritating rattles such my steering rack and varying noises like the whistles from my quarterlights. These aren't loud but they interrupt speech so radio talk has bits cut out but does'nt affect music so much - you know the missimg bits anyway. The second part is continous and grows with speed, coming from the engine, road and backaxle and it just erodes everything.
I'm working on the first set 'cos that's easier!
Re the latter source, I think its going to be difficult. If you go down a steep hill in neutral and at idle the noise only drops by a couple of dBA even tho' it sounds different. So I suspect most of it is deep pitched body booming. Something like Dynamat in large sheets will be necessary but its about £5 a square foot here! (At Halford's.) And the roof might need it too. Anyone know a cheap source or equivalent?
A thought; have you got the ordinary aircleaner on with its spouty intake?
That helps on the engine noise. I suspect the aincleaner wrapped in Dynamaty stuff might be worthwhile. Also the bonnet lid; my Peugeot 406's lid was so loaded it was hard to lift. On my Traveller you can see the lid "panting" on bumps. Regards, MikeN.

[MikeNash]

Another thought; we all balance the front wheels 'cos the they remind us, but don't forget the back ones. As they rotate at very slightly different rates the imbalance goes slowly in and out of sync causing thrum that comes and goes. That was another source of drumming on my Trav. MikeN.

[Cam]

Is this worth the effort or should I put up with the racket?

I'd just put up with the racket, personally. For me, I don't mind the noise as it's all part of driving an 'older' car. If the noise is excessive then there is something at fault which should be rectified. If nothing is at fault then the noise level is normal for the car in question.

Another thought; we all balance the front wheels 'cos the they remind us, but don't forget the back ones.

Do people only balance the front wheels then? I have always balanced all the wheels, and assumed everyone did the same! If you don't balance all the wheels, then it makes things difficult when swapping wheels around and as you say it makes the rear wheels vibrate which causes noise and premature wear of the associated components.

[Peetee]

I spent ages insulating the bulkhead, floor, underseat and rear panel of Joe. The bulkhead was by far the hardest part; access made it difficult to measure up and stick the stuff in place and the numerous wiring holes etc are a pig to get right. I've pretty much wasted my time because I havent succeeded in filling every area (a bit like fitting double glazing and leaving one of the panels open on the catch). I also used the cheaper rubber crumb underfelt instead of jute and rubber - mainly because having used this stuff before it's a pain to cut and the fibres are very unpleasant. Ideally you should fit the stuff as complete sheets and cut the holes for the wiring etc in situ, but for the life of me I can't imagine how on earth you could do this. Moreover you still have open areas like the gearstick aperture that transmit noise. Also fit too much or too thick and the carpets are a nuisance to replace especially around the pedals, wheelarches and seat fixings.
The moral of the story is use the best carpet underlay you can get hold of (Combilux Royal is one trade name) and do the job 100% - or don't bother at all

[plastic_orange]

Just buy ear plugs - I really should wear them on my bike, but usually don't. All my mates do, and I've been told i'll damage my hearing.
My V8 minor is actually quieter at speed than a standard minor, but it has a load of sound insulation everywhere including the roof. A major snag with underfelt etc is that most Minors usually leak (surprisingly my V8 one is totally dry), and the felt doesn't half hold water.

Pete

[MikeNash]

Yes! That's it! You remind that about a month ago a Landrover went passed here with the driver wearing eardefenders. Well we all know wot Landies are like, but then I saw an Elise with the driver wearing lightweight earphones. How do you do connect them up to the radio, etc for occasional use? Surely there's impedances etc that have got to be similar. Is it easy? Puzzled, MikeN.

[Cam]

Mike, the owner might have had a personal stereo...

[MikeNash]

Oh yeah, hadn't thought of that. But surely 'phones must still be possible to connect up to a car radio/CD etc. I'll have to have go.

But re the original question, we've to find a cheap source of those sheets stuck inside doors and under bonnets etc. Anyone in the trade able to give us a clue? MikeN.

[Cam]

Oh yeah, hadn't thought of that. But surely 'phones must still be possible to connect up to a car radio/CD etc. I'll have to have go.

It IS possible to construct (and buy I think) a unit to match the impedance of the radio to yor headphones. Careful though as if you get it wrong you might well damage either/both!

[MikeNash]

Mark, had a go at asking about what seems to be called "sound deadening kits". Not seen the material, but seems to be about a quarter of an inch thick and has a peel off sticky back. Halfords can supply a sheet (order number K-80-10) that's 80cmx109cm for £29.99. A local suuplier (JK Motor Factors, Picket Piece, Andover) has a kit of four A4 sized sheet for £19.99 +VAT. All seems expensive.
Anyone got a better price? Regards, MikeN.

[jonathon]

The company we use is Noise Killer,(I'll look up the number at work tommorow), they sell the same material in 54" rolls at a very good price. Will post again tommorow.