Having managed to shoehorn myself into my trials special, and driving by buying narrow Puma driving shoes, I’ve been trying to run in the rebuilt engine with local shopping runs.The engine runs well, and I am getting better at the double declutch.However as I accelerate there is a loud tapping noise, which I can negate by backing off the throttle.Today, leaving a side road the tapping became very much worse, a cacophony, of loud tapping,I did wonder if I’d picked up a stick and had got stuck in a wheel,slowing it was obvious this was not the case.I also thought maybe the fan had broken off the engine.Stopping and checking proved both wrong, I then moved off, slowly and the noise was gone? Back home I pulled out the seat base, and checked for loose items, the only possible cause I can find is the carrier for the torque tube, which has a fair amount of sideways movement, which makes the type of sound I am experiencing.My question is, should there be an amount of sideways movement in this carrier, also how do you lubricate this item?I’ve bought Doug Woodrows manual, but cannot see a lucrication chart for the 7.Can and should the carrier be adjusted, and greased? I’ve added some pictures of the carrier,the bolt head I’ve highlighted in white,is there a greasegun attachment I need ? Can the carrier be adjusted? Thank you in advance for your advice, Peter
All my cars have a grease nipple where you have the white bolt, with a hole in the floor tunnel for access.
There is a plate covering the hole. Grease regularly with chassis grease.
Spex
Yes, I saw that from the manual,the bolt head I’ve highlighted with white when undone looks like it’s a channel for grease.As a trials car, the carrier looks to have a hard life, with mud etc. Do I replace with a nipple ?, but should it also have so much movement? And does this part create a tapping noise if left un lubricated ? Thanks Peter
As already suggested a grease nipple will be useful, but originally the threaded plug you have was standard, see http://archive.a7ca.org/wp-content/uploads/PL_888B.pdf Greasing was done by temporary fitting of a grease nipple, I believe. Also the two bolts through the sides of the housing locate the castellated adjustment ring; by removing the bolts you can take up the play if any. Also the ball joint at the anchorage should be adjusted to eliminate play, and well greased. Do not make these adjustments too tight; particularly after tightening the ring take it back to the next location where the bolts can be replaced. Other ponts to examine are the rear universal; it can get a bit noisy if wear is excessive. Also the fabric coupling at the front needs to be in good condition. If the car has not been subject to regular maintenance in your hands examination of all the transmission adjustments and correction of any major play will give improvement.
The ball joint usually goes bonk on drive take up and reverse. At just balanced drive at speed it can vibrate in time with propshaft revs triggered by inherent slight unbalance. The ring tightens markedly as the lock bolts are tightend. It must be free at extremes of torque tube travel which usually requires toleration of play in the normal position. If the ring has run out of thread the female part can be machined back.
There seems scope for felt or nylon insert plugs etc. Anybody experimented?
Not sure what you mean by side movement. The whole torque tube head can be forced laterally. The large shperical asembly is seldom so loose the can be moved noticeably sideways relaltive the inner. There is nothing stopping it rotating as part evident in photo. Can persistently settle out of postion,. Perhaps in extrme can contact somewhere and convey vibration from the drive shaft
Thanks all for your advice, I’d say the movement sideways is between 1/2 ,and 3/4 of an inch, with a loud tap as it hits either side.I also noticed that after centralising the carrier the car was easier to push in the garage? So am fairly sure that this is the cause of my problem.As the car was built 30 plus years ago, and has been VSCC trialed for most years since, I’ve attached a shot of the car in 2012 competing in the Fellside Club Northern trial, you can see the amount of mud,which I’d imagine wo’nt have helped the carrier!So I’ll douse it with penetrating oil hopefully undo and clean,I doubt there will be enough adjustment left to take up the amount of play there is, and suggest a piece of rope? And a good grease may help? Thanks again Peter
The movement you describe is way beyond my experience. Since the torque tube is fixed rigidly to the axle I can't imagine how such movement has developed.
If the knock varies after you have stopped and restarted it could be the handbrake touching the Universal Joint if it still has the original fabric joint. Pull the handbrake on one or two notches and see if it is still there.
