Hi list:
I recently took the advice of a few listers and stuffed a couple of JC
Whitney motorcycle baffles in my free-flow exhaust system. Inane you might
say. Heresy for performaholics. Nevertheless, the end result is a solid 66%
reduction in exhaust on the highway without seemingly having affected the
performance to any great degree.
Alas all is not golden in this story. Now that I have reduced the exhaust
roar I can hear so many rattles and squeaks that it is truly amazing. The
most aggravating sound is at present a strange high-pitched rattle which
leads me to believe either the bonnet catch is loose, or the transmission is
out of oil. Checked the bonnet latch and it was loose, so there is hope for
tomorrow morning's ride. However the sound was an intermittent sort of "dry
shaft" sort of howling squeal, not unlike the bearing on an electric drill
when it gets old, so that I cannot believe that the latch was the problem.
Has anybody experienced this sort of strange dry screech from the under
middle of their TR6 while on the highway? Back off the exhaust and it goes
away. Accelerate hard and it goes away. No vibration in the gear lever, no
odd feeling in the clutch. Most odd.
The second sound that causes me to write to the list is coming from the rear
suspension. There is a great "creaking" sound coming from the rear springs
(or at least I think it's the springs) whenever the car hits a bump and
moves the trailing arms significantly. Fast or slow, she sounds like a
pogo-stick for an elephant, or more precisely the old screen door on the
giant's castle. These are springs purchased from TRF about 10 years ago
during the early days of the rebuild. The height is good, and all under the
car looks solid and well. However the creaking noise is loud and makes the
poor car sound like it's falling apart when she's on a bumpy street at 20-30
mph. It doesn't appear to be the shocks (which are new). It really sounds
quite a high, just-behind-the-head sort of creaking. Is this a known sound?
Did I forget some sort of shim at the top of the springs? I would love to
kill this one off.
Here's hoping the massed minds can help point me in the right direction.
Cheers,
Mark Hooper
1972 TR6
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