Fast Marina Magazine

Hi, it is just an unrythemic clatter. I am thinking maybe a faulty clutch?? Any ideas? It's a 1.3.

Philip,

Could be lots of things, help us a bit mate;

1. Does it happen when the cars is stationary and the engine revved to above 3,000 rpm?
2. If when rolling, does it happen in every gear or only some gears?
3. Does it only happen when the clutch pedal is depressed?
4. Where within the car does the noise seem to come from - undser bonnet, gearbox tunnel, from behind ?
5. What sort of clatter is it? e.g. metal on metal, metal on ??????, loud or quiet, high or low pitched, can you feel as well as hear it?

Sorry, it does it both in neutral and in gear clutch up or down. It is coming from the centre front under gearstick engine area. It sounds like a train running on a rough track. It's just a mechanical loud but low pitch clatter at first I thought gearbox. The release bearing is noisey but makes a different noise occasionally squealing when pulling away and whines when you put your foot on the clutch. It only makes this clatter above 3000 rpm it doesn't change pitch on overun or accellerating resting your foot on the clutch briefly makes no impact on the noise either.

Sorry, it does it both in neutral and in gear clutch up or down. It is coming from the centre front under gearstick engine area. It sounds like a train running on a rough track. It's just a mechanical loud but low pitch clatter at first I thought gearbox. The release bearing is noisey but makes a different noise occasionally squealing when pulling away and whines when you put your foot on the clutch. It only makes this clatter above 3000 rpm it doesn't change pitch on overun or accellerating resting your foot on the clutch briefly makes no impact on the noise either.

It does it stationary or when moving which eliminates the prop and back axle.
It does it when in or out of gear, which eliminates the gearset, except the input shaft and bearing.
However it does it when the clutch pedal is up or down so that eliminates the input shaft as the clutch disconnects the drive to the gearbox
The noise is only above 3,000 rpm, so not clutch cos that would make a noise all the time.

For my four penneth, it doesn't sound like the clutch itself to me (other than what you say about the release bearing - but that could also be the spigot bearing), so some more questions.

Is the engine oil topped up to the right level?
Have you changed the oil recently - anything in the old oil (e.g. metal filings in the sludge)?
Is the radiator topped up to the right level?
How tight is the fan belt?
Have you recently adjusted the timing?
Have you recently adjusted the rockers?
Does the oil pressure warning light go out when you start her up, does it stay out in normal driving?
Does the charge warning light go out when you start her up, does it stay out in normal driving?
Does it make the noise when cold as well as when warm?

Answers to many of these questions help to eliminate things, I hope that I am wrong but it sounds like it might be engine main bearings to me, anyone else want to chip in?

Just to add to Chris's comments,

If the noise is there when stationary, can someone else rev it whilst you listen under the bonnet or under the car?

Brian

Good point from Brian, get a length of thin hose/tubing, stick one end in your ear and use the other end like a stethoscope and track it down by pointing the open end close to various parts. It could be something like alternator/dynamo bearings, brushes, water pump etc.

MIND THE FAN!!!!!!!

Hi all, I have got to the bottom of it. The fan belt was rediculously loose. I have never ever heard a loose fanbelt make noises like that before. Thanks for all your help. I bet you lot are sick of me already.

Philip,

You're welcome, I'm just glad it was nothing more serious.

Yes me too, thanks. Just been for a drive. Miles better. Is there any common issues causing a Marina to suddenly decide to spew petrol out of the filler for no apparant reason?

Breather pipe blocked or kinked.

Philip wrote:Yes me too, thanks. Just been for a drive. Miles better. Is there any common issues causing a Marina to suddenly decide to spew petrol out of the filler for no apparant reason?

Going round a left-hand corner rather quickly........

Just a small point, grease the front suspension, particularly the trunnions frequently to save yourself trouble in the future.

Brian

No petrol cap?

Seriously though, there is a rubber hose that runs up from the top of the petrol tank, which is there to vent the tank as you fill it. On early cars it just vents onto the road from beside the fuel filler, on later cars, they put a joiner into the fuel filler neck about 2" down from the top. The pipe can perish and if you are replacing it use petrol resistant piping only (not heater hose) as anything alse will rot out quite quickly.

On the early cars, under hard cornering the petrol can slosh up this pipe and run out. On any car a perished pipe will do the same thing. Drive round some left hand bends at speed and then check the rubber pipe from underneath for petrol dampness. Also in rare occurences, the top surface of the petrol tank can have rust holes, so on cornering you get a horrid petrolly smell and a pool of petrol if you pull up as it runs down to the ground - fire hazard, what fire hazard.

I borrowed a Mk3 Estate some years ago that had this problem and it nearly suffocated me from the drivers seat, even with the window open. Also explained poor mileage.

Thanks. I have discovered there is no sealing washer on the cap. I think it's a combination of this and I may have overfilled it.
Grease the trunnions? Are they the nipples at the bottom of the front hubs? Any other grease points? I'm putting it on a ramp at work tomorrow! Shall I take some pics for you all to laugh at me? I have found the online mot history for it's last five years of tests. It's had a lot of welding by the sounds of it. Hopefully done well. Oh yeah, osr door won't open handles still springy any common faults?