Engine not running properly - strange clicking noise!

[LucyBuchanan]

Hi all, I am a bit of a newbie when it comes to mechanics and the other day my old Morris Traveller 1000 started making these strange clicking/ticking noises. They get louder and louder the more I accelerate and the only way I have been able to quieten the noise so as not to draw as much attention to myself going through high streets is by rolling in neutral, even this does not rid the engine of the noise completely however.

I have here a video demonstrating the noise - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmvZ1eb ... e=youtu.be

If you know of anyone in the Wales, Carmarthenshire area that may be able to work on the old moggy please feel free to leave their contact details below as I would very like to get in touch with them.

[RobThomas]

Hard to tell from the video, although it is a good idea to film it before posting the question up here. Can you loosen the 2 nuts/bolts that hold the top of the alternator and slacken off the one below that adjusts the tension on the fan belt so you can slip the belt right off? Might be 9/16AF spanner size. That would help by ensuring it isn't the waterpump or alternator making the noise. It might also be a leak from the cast iron exhaust manifold where it bolts to the head. If you get a length of garden hose, about 4 foot of it, you can hold one end to your ear and probe the other end round the engine to see if you can find the general location of the noise. I'm as deaf as a post so can't help much more.

Cheers

Rob

Llantwit Major, near Barry.
01446 795489

[panky]

Sounds like a very loose rocker

[simmitc]

People have lots of different descriptions for noises. Something that has been fairly common recently is a blown head gasket, in which case, do not run the engine or you could do it serious damage. It could also be exhaust, dynamo/alternator, rockers, HT lead shorting to earth. However, if it's embarrassingly loud then my conern would be the gasket. Is the car lacking in power at all?

A simple test: Ignition off, in neutral, fit the starting handle and turn it over. Can you feel resistance on all four cylinders evenly as the handle turns, or is there a spot where there is less resistance? You could also remove all four spark plugs, place your thumb firmly over each hole, and again turn the engine using the handle. Do all four cylinders feel the same, or are two of them lacking in pressure?

[shoebone]

Great video but still difficult to assess where the noise is coming from ... hopefully not the bottom end. Is your oil pressure light going off as normal ?

[oliver90owner]

My advice is do not use it until sorted.

As in previous post, remove fan belt, to eliminate (or confirm) that as the driving force. Accelerating hard or do you mean higher engine revs? Whatever it might be, if not silenced by belt removal, will need some dismantling.

Could be anything - something catching the fan blades (which should be obvious) to a serious imminent engine failure.

[RobThomas]

With garages charging an arm an a leg per hour, have you thought of getting AA/RAC membership? We get it with Bank membership for about the same cost as an hour or two of labour and you still have something useful for the rest of the year.

[bmcecosse]

Sounds like very badly worn big ends to me.... Drop the sump and inspect them.

[RobThomas]

Bearing in mind that the very first thing you said was that you are a newbie (a helpful admission that assists us in guiding you towards your goal) I'd suggest that before spending huge sums of money on expensive stripping and rebuilding you follow the simple and practical advice of some of the Saturday posts on here and try a few basic tests that involve nothing more than turning a couple of nuts and bolts. I've left my phone number on the first message in case you wanted to have a chat on the subject. If you don't feel like playing with the nuts and bolts then a good wiggle of anything that touches the fan belt would be a good start, as Oliver sensibly suggests. Panky mentioned the rockers (Inside the big green cover on top of the engine) that are a bit like wiggly fingers that push on the valves. If you open the black cap on the top where the oil gets added then the noise of the rockers can be heard better. Worth a try! Simmitc had a good idea about the head gasket. If the ignition is switched off, the car left out of gear and the handbrake is left on then you can use the big starting handle to wind the engine round by hand. You want squeeeeze, squeeeeze, squeeeeze, squeeeeze in equal-ish sizes but if one goes 'Huff' and has no resistance then that has diagnosed your problem for £100 less than a garage would charge!

You are reasonably unlikely to do any damage by having a little tinkering session and it will give you an intro to Morris maintenance although, as Oliver mentioned, running it like it is at the moment could be doing harm.

[Gordi Smith]

I might be wrong (and a bit late...?) but at 15secs in the video you can see the top mounting bolt washer on the alternator rattling about.
Are the alternator mounting nuts tight?
If loose, it might be vibrating under the pull of the belt?

best of luck!

G

[JOWETTJAVELIN]

It's definitely coming from within the engine, but does the noise emanate from the top or bottom?

[bmcecosse]

Big ends- drop the sump.

[liammonty]

That sounds like something metallic (like the fan or the alternator pulley) making contact with something else metallic to me - definitely whip the fan belt off and run the engine briefly before you remove the sump! Even if it's not the cause, it will only take a few minutes.

I'd be surprised if big ends were knocking that badly at idle - and it sounds a bit tinny for big ends to me too. You may be lucky and find it's something simple.

[bmcecosse]

Yes - good idea - remove the fan belt. Sometimes the bottom pulley starts to break up and can make odd noises as it dies.