Started the race car today, horrible noise from the engine bay

[alexapps]

Hey everyone,

After some help/advice if possible.

I have been building the race car for the past 5 months or so the car has seen very little running. Its been started a couple of times each week but it hasn't really moved apart from moving it from the drive to the garage.

Anyway long story short, I started the car today and I was greeted to this horrible noise.

The engine was changed around 5 months ago (it was taken out of my road car) and it was in perfect running order. Its had a all new fluids (engine, gearbox, power steering, brake, coolant).

The noise is occasionally present at idle, but it can be triggered (and made worse) by depressing the clutch.

I have had a read through the forums, and the symptoms seem to suggest the clutch thrust bearing has gone. But for some reason I have it in my head that the noise is coming from around the AUX setup.

I tried to capture this on video, so I help this helps convey what Im trying to get across above.

[youtube]YCikKAOPeMU[/youtube]

I really hope I'm not going to be in the position of pulling the engine out again. Typical really as I was hoping to get it out on track towards the end of this month for its first shakedown

Any help, experiences etc is greatly appreciated

Thanks
-Alex

 

[Chi]

Sound's like a belt squealing. . Or a dry pulley. . Nothing else to add

 

[sbridgey]

I'd check the aux belt tension.

 

[alexapps]

Sound's like a belt squealing. . Or a dry pulley. . Nothing else to add

I'd check the aux belt tension.

Thanks for the replies guys, I quickly checked the tension earlier and it seemed 'ok' but ill recheck it.

Does it sound anything at all like a thrust bearing? (really hoping it isnt).

-Alex

 

[Cub.]

Check the aux belt is on the right way. If it's on the wrong way (very easy mistake to make) it can run on the plastic housing on that side of the engine.

Check my project thread as we made that mistake on mine, but noticed before we fired it up.

 

[alexapps]

Check the aux belt is on the right way. If it's on the wrong way (very easy mistake to make) it can run on the plastic housing on that side of the engine.

Check my project thread as we made that mistake on mine, but noticed before we fired it up.

Fred @ BTM did the belts on this engine so I would hope they are not on the incorrect way.. joking aside, unfortunately I know that this isn't the issue as Fred noticed someone had done that previously as the cover had been rubbed away in parts!

Really wish right now that the car was road legal as I would like to take it on a quick run to see if the noise clears up. I keep thinking it may just be a result of the car being sat for around half a year.

 

[Cub.]

No worries, if Fred did them, I doubt it's a belt issue.

How old was the engine, when was the last time it ran before you put it in?

 

[Tony Hunter]

Alex, I don't want to scare you, but when we built the race car, we put the old engine out of our old car (which was running perfect btw), and had this sort of noise.

It turned out to be one of the crank thrust washers had slipped, you could actually pull the flywheel backwards and forwards. We had taken it out to fit a new thrust bearing in the clutch, as we thought it was that.

 

[alexapps]

No worries, if Fred did them, I doubt it's a belt issue.

How old was the engine, when was the last time it ran before you put it in?

Engine was out of a 75k 2003 cup, I had the car just shy of two years I think before it was sacrificed to build the race car.

The engine was taken out and put in around 4 months or so ago, was running fine when it was taken out, and then was running fine when it was put into this shell (started up and was sat idling).

Its only today that its started making this horrid noise. But its been fine and ran fine for the past 4 months since being fitted.

-Alex

-Alex

 

[alexapps]

Alex, I don't want to scare you, but when we built the race car, we put the old engine out of our old car (which was running perfect btw), and had this sort of noise.

It turned out to be one of the crank thrust washers had slipped, you could actually pull the flywheel backwards and forwards. We had taken it out to fit a new thrust bearing in the clutch, as we thought it was that.

GULP.

 

[Tony Hunter]

Ours ticked over fine, it only made the noise when the clutch was depressed, hence us thinking it was the clutch bearing.

 

[matt91]

tipped any fluid on the aux belt? i had a noise like this on my cup manage to get a bit of petrol on the belt, left mine to run for 30 mins and the noise went

ahh just read that it gets worse if you press the clutch, am out.

 

[alexapps]

Ours ticked over fine, it only made the noise when the clutch was depressed, hence us thinking it was the clutch bearing.

I guess ill have a dig around in the bay tomorrow again, not sure how I could really check for the same issue without pulling it to back to bits.

Llandow or bust comes to mind right now..

 

[alexapps]

tipped any fluid on the aux belt? i had a noise like this on my cup manage to get a bit of petrol on the belt, left mine to run for 30 mins and the noise went

ahh just read that it gets worse if you press the clutch, am out.

Its very possible, Brake fluid has been changed and my old man went to town with brake cleaner, wd 40 etc (not running any arch liners) so I wouldn't rule that out as a possibility.

Another thing that I should perhaps try tomorrow, just leave it ticking over on the drive for 30 minutes or so.

-Alex

 

[alexapps]

Thought it worthwhile to update this for anyone else who has this sort of issue in the future.

Whilst loading the car onto the trailer yesterday, the clutch let go, with it fully depressed the car was still moving under its own power.

So by process of elimination, it looks like the clutch failed. But under the advice from Tony Hunter above, I will also be checking the flywheel for movement as it makes sense to do so when its all apart.

Shame it let go just as the race car has literally just been finished, but on the bright side at least its gone now on the drive and not on the first outing.

New clutch and gearbox refurb @ Agency Transmissions is on the cards.

-Alex

 

[Tony Hunter]

I know it's a sh1t Alex, but at least it's gone now. Yes and see if the flywheel will move backwards and forwards while you've got it out.

 

[Jamie86]

And use new flywheel bolts!

 

[Tony Hunter]

But of course.

 

[alexapps]

Correct me if I am wrong (which is highly likely) but as I am not going to remove the flywheel, is there a need to replace the bolts?

First time ever changing a clutch so apologies if the above is nonsense

 

[Tony Hunter]

Private joke Alex, don't worry.

 

[alexapps]

So thought it would be worthwhile posting some pictures up as we got the engine and box out of the car this morning.

Here is what we where greeted with:

Not quite the same scale of destruction as the burpspeed box..... Tony Hunter, but it gave it a good go.

-Alex

 

[Tony Hunter]

Lol, at least thats an easy fix.
I've got more bit's than you...