spitfires
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Re: Strange Engine Noise

To: Jjcousins@ra.rockwell.com
Subject: Re: Strange Engine Noise
From: "ralph.jannelli" <ralph.jannelli@cwix.com>
Date: Thu, 08 Apr 1999 14:45:37 -0400
It's in your owners manual if you have one, it should also be in the Haynes
manual. Basically you put a few drops of oil on the center post (after
removing the rotor) and there should be a small hole in the breaker plate
which also get a few drops of oil.
This may not be your problem but is related - I had one of the centrifugal
weights come loose from its normal position. It would rub on the inside of
the distributor housing when accelerating. I had a strange noise I could not
place either. After about two years I found out what it was when the
distributor housing was sliced in half from the rubbing. Came off as clean
as if I had done it on a lathe!!!

Ralph Jannelli

----- Original Message -----
From: <Jjcousins@ra.rockwell.com>
To: ralph.jannelli <ralph.jannelli@cwix.com>
Sent: Thursday, April 08, 1999 12:40 PM
Subject: Re: Strange Engine Noise


> Uhhh, no.  Should I?  And how do I do that?
>
> Is that in the Haynes manual?
>
> -JC
>
>
>
>
> "ralph.jannelli" <ralph.jannelli@cwix.com> on 04/08/99 12:37:46 PM
>
> To:   John J Cousins/Cleveland/RA/Rockwell, spitfires@autox.team.net
> cc:
> Subject:  Re: Strange Engine Noise
>
>
>
>
> Have you lubricated your distributor lately ?
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: <Jjcousins@ra.rockwell.com>
> To: <spitfires@autox.team.net>
> Sent: Thursday, April 08, 1999 10:52 AM
> Subject: Strange Engine Noise
>
>
> >
> > Can anyone offer any ideas on this, please?
> >
> > Background: I have rebuilt my 1977 Spitfire in the last 3 years.  I
didn't
> do
> > ANYTHING to the engine as it ran well when the car was in shambles, so I
> just
> > went with it.  I drove it all last year for ~1000 miles.
> >
> > First Clue of problem:  All last year (and now) when car was warm, i.e.
> been on
> > highway or 45mph for a while, when shutting engine off and engine was
> cycling
> > slowly to off, it sounded like, for the last few turns of the engine, a
> really
> > RRR. RRR, RRR sound with each turn of the engine.  Sort of sounded like
> your
> > teeth grinding, but more metallic of course.  I put up with it and it
> still does
> > it.
> >
> > LATE last year, and now.  When cold, at certain LOW RPMs (like
1000-1500)
> a
> > rattle sound almost EXACTLY the same noise as the above described noise
> happens.
> > It will go away when RPMs are increased.  But comes back at the same
range
> of
> > low RPMs.  The noise, also would cycle - last for 1/2 second, then off
for
> maybe
> > 3 seconds - then repeat.  (Was not directly related to engine turns).
> When car
> > gets warm, this seems to go away (that is, after driving down a long
> street, and
> > then stopping, it didn't seem to do it anymore). Then, when the car
shuts
> down,
> > I get the noise on the shutdown like above.
> >
> > It really sounds like metal not having lubrication somewhere and sounds
> like its
> > coming directly from the engine.  Could there be some lubricant needed
> somewhere
> > - not just oil in the engine?  I just changed the oil before my first
> drive a
> > couple of days ago.  It didn't have any effect.  How about the mating
> between
> > two surfaces somewhere?  Flywheel?  I don't know anything much about
> inside the
> > engine/tranny (obviously).
> >
> > I have NO clutch or shifting problems at all.  I know the car is running
> too
> > rich and need to fix this ( I think - judging by the smell of the car).
> Did I
> > damage something by running too rich all last year?
> >
> > HELP??
> >
> > John (1977 Spit)
> >
> >
>
>
>
>
>


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