Morris Minor Owners Club

Hi,

The pickup is doing my head in! I hate rattles with a passion but for a few weeks and a few hundred miles we have had a clicking noise. The noise sounds much like something in the spokes of a bike and happens when driving or coasting, in gear and when coasting in neutral with the clutch up. When I depress the clutch a couple of seconds later it stops but when I lift the clutch it starts again. It happens in all gears and although it does increase in speed it tops out at 3 clicks per second.

Anyone had a similar issue? I’m guessing it something clutch related rather than gearbox or diff but could be very wrong. Anything else I should be looking for?

The wheel bearings are all new and the exhaust leaks are fixed. I’ve isolated and stopped all percussive rattles in the engine bay and underneath.

Many thanks

Andrew

Without knowing all the details of your drive train, real top speed (assuming, here, you mean the clicking rate is a maximum at top speed) and how you calculated/measured the click rate….. my first suggestion is to exchange the fronts with the rear wheels to see if there is any difference. 3Hz seems a bit less than my initial thoughts on the issue.

Could the prop shaft, its UJs, (or debris caught in it) be catching on something? Wiring, brake pipe etc?

Thanks for the replies. From the cab back has recently been completely overhauled, I have checked the wiring and fuel lines aren’t rattling at all and there’s nothing stuck in the UJ.

The drive train is standard saloon rather than pickup. Ie. A different diff for better cruising speed.

Discussion’s with a few local owners have lead me to the clutch linkage and bushings as the next place to check. The noise stops when the clutch is pressed suggesting a potential rattle may be being damped.
The other common suggestion is the clutch release bearing.

I’ve got somewhere to start next time I’m with the car. Hopefully I find it soon as these squeaks, rattles and noises really irritate me.

Many thanks

Andrew

I was speaking to a chap who rebuilds original clutches recently. He said a common problem with the currently available new clutches is that the nuts come loose. The new carbon release bearings are also problematic. If you feel brave and athletic, take the rubber bung out on the opposite side to the fork and peer in with a torch whilst an assistant operates the clutch. My bell housing was missing the bung at the top and the opposite side to the clutch operating fork and there was no end of rubbish in there when I took the engine out.........In fact I think small animals had made a house in there....

Stephen