Morris Minor Owners Club

Hi All!
I was wondering if anyone can help me... I've got a 1958 Morris 1000 and yesterday it started making the most god-awful noise, a rhythmic metallic clanking emanating from just under the front seats. It is rhythmic, but not evenly spaced, if that makes sense, more of a pattern to the noise rather than a continuing beat. It doesn't make the noise in reverse, or when the car is just rolling without acceleration. It only makes it when I push the accelerator pedal, but it doesn't matter whether I push it hard or soft.

There's nothing dragging on the ground or hanging down, or out of place as far as I can see.

I'm going to top up the gearbox oil in the faint hope that that's it. But my dad reckons it might be a bearing going. Does anyone have any other ideas please?

Thanks!

Nell.

PS I forgot to say that the noise is REALLY loud - people were staring at me on the streets... very embarrassing...

I'm not familiar with the older mogs, but assume they have a silencer under the floor. Could be that the baffles have corroded away internally and are vibrating in sympathhy with the engine/exhaust gases. An easy place to start listening, anyway.

First check - is a wheel about to fall off ? Second check - prop shaft!

I bet the exhaust is clanging against the crossmember. I had trouble with a replacement exhaust that I just couldn't make fit and it would bang against the cross member making the most awful noise. You need a fair bit of clearance as it does move around a bit.

IIRC when the engine turns the block naturally wants to rotate. This will make the exhaust rise, and so could cause it to foul on the underside.

A poorly aligned system or very weak engine mounts (in fact, check that one hasn't suddently failed) or a mix of teh two could be the problem.

bash the exhaust with your hand and see if you can create the noise.........wheel bearings sound like a huuuuuuuuummmmmmmmm and tend to get louder has you get faster.....its faint when it 1st starts to wear then gets louder over time,jack each wheel and grab the top and bottom of the tyre and rock it and if their is play then the wheel bearing is gone or lose also spin the wheels some times you can create the noise if they have gone but generally if they are just started to go its harder to hear it

Yes, l;ikely to be the exhaust banging on the centre cross member under
certain conditions. Since it appeared suddenly then you should check the top engine steady which connects from the rear cylinder head stud
to a bracket under the battery box. This bracket quite often fractures
allowing the engine to rock more than normal. If that is not the culprit
then you may have to slacken the exhaust to manifold clamp bolts(2),wedge something between the exhaust and the cross member and agitate the exhaust to let it settle and then reclamp the bolts.

Nellie wrote:Hi All!
I was wondering if anyone can help me... I've got a 1958 Morris 1000 and yesterday it started making the most god-awful noise, a rhythmic metallic clanking emanating from just under the front seats. It is rhythmic, but not evenly spaced, if that makes sense, more of a pattern to the noise rather than a continuing beat. It doesn't make the noise in reverse, or when the car is just rolling without acceleration. It only makes it when I push the accelerator pedal, but it doesn't matter whether I push it hard or soft.

There's nothing dragging on the ground or hanging down, or out of place as far as I can see.

I'm going to top up the gearbox oil in the faint hope that that's it. But my dad reckons it might be a bearing going. Does anyone have any other ideas please?

Thanks!

Nell.

Hi Nellie

I had the same problem some time ago. I thourgt the problem was a worn u-joint in the prop shaft. The problem was a broken gearbox mounting rubber, so chek that out. If this is broken the propshaft hits the floor when you drive / accelerate, but in reverse it does not make any noise.

Regards
Svantemann
Denmark

Ah- ha - sounds like the best bet! But as so often happens - the original poster has not come back to report status!