Faint ticking

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Willem
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Joined: Wed Jun 30, 2021 11:32 am

Faint ticking

Post by Willem » Sun Aug 22, 2021 6:48 pm

I have just returned from Mallory with COA550 and have noticed a faint ticking, not the clock, not engine or gearbox related, just when moving forward or rear, in fixed or free wheel and the frequency changes with forward speed. When in free wheel reverse does not engage and just ticks, having never worked on or with free wheel does the cable need some adjusting?
She behaved beautifully, an easy 55mph on the motorway and A roads, an absolute joy to drive, we did raise the roof and fitted the side screens to improve the aerodynamics a bit, 170miles in all, still have a quarter of a tank left, will amend this once I have the MPG after a fill up.
Lots of people admiring her (as is only right and proper).
Any suggestions will appreciated.
Willem
Rover 12 Tourer, 1936
Range rover L322, 2009

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luli
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Re: Faint ticking

Post by luli » Sun Aug 22, 2021 8:07 pm

Jack the car and spin the wheels by hand. That will help you locate the problem.
Yes, better adjustment of the free wheel cable can help. There is an adjuster behind the dash board.
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Willem
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Re: Faint ticking

Post by Willem » Sat Aug 28, 2021 1:25 pm

Thank you for your reply Luli, I have had a go at the wheels, all seems well, the one thing that sounds vaguely like the ticking noise is that there is a fair bit of play in the O/S king pin, this is something I have never played with before, looking in the workshop manual the new bushes need to be "reamed" to size. I think I will have a chat with a neighbour who has a Morris Oxford to see if he has any experience doing this job, anything to do with steering needs to be done properly in my book.
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Re: Faint ticking

Post by luli » Sat Aug 28, 2021 4:44 pm

Have a look here: https://wp.me/pXLKy-1F
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TonyG
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Re: Faint ticking

Post by TonyG » Sun Aug 29, 2021 1:36 pm

Hi Willem,

Just reading this thread. No surprise your car cruises well as it is fitted with a higher ratio rear differential I believe with modified half shafts. Probably something in the paperwork from David about this but I do recall him telling me he had done this to allow better A road cruising.

I could be wrong but I don’t think the freewheel works in reverse. I don’t use mine, although Luli did question me on that when he came for a spin and it’s something I must get to grips with!

King pins are not too difficult to replace but you need a reamer to get a perfect fit. In case you are unfamiliar with a reamer; basically it is a cutting device that goes through both the bushes to ensure they are aligned and removes a small amount of material at a time until the pin will fit. If the play is up and down, rather than back and forth (when moving the top and bottom of the wheel), it may just be the washer at the bottom of the yolk that needs replacing. King pins were common place on Ford Transits and LDV Sherpas when I did mine in the early 80s but, although most of these disappeared 20 years ago, it shouldn’t be hard to find a small garage with suitably skilled and equipped mechanics who can do the job. Your car is fitted with Luvax, so worth checking that the king pins are actually getting the required lubrication. If not the system will need investigating. Failing that, replace the feed pipe with a grease nipple and pump with grease, then put the feed pipe back on.

That said, I’d be surprised if a worn king pin made a ticking noise and certainly not one that would vary with speed as it would be bumps etc that would cause wobbling of the hub, which you might feel through the steering. More likely might be a wheel bearing and I wonder if the play you think is in the king pin is actually in the bearing? Just a thought. If it is a front wheel bearing then you may get away with re-greasing and tightening the bearing, which is easy to do, or you may need to replace it. Once apart, the bearing will have a number on it that any decent bearing supplier can compare to modern equivalents. Meteor or Viking will be able to supply them though. The workshop manual should detail changing these and the bearings. Its been six years since doing mine and I can’t remember if there are left handed threads or not on the stub axles, but worth being mindful of the possibility if something won’t undo!

Good luck and hope that helps a bit.

Tony.
Tony Gilbert

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Willem
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Re: Faint ticking

Post by Willem » Sun Sep 19, 2021 10:37 pm

I went out today to Madresfield court today a and a neighbour came along for the ride, when I mentioned the ticking noise he thought that it might be the speedometer internals meshing together, this might well be the case as the noise does emanate from behind the speedometer and varies with the speed of the vehicle. I'm not sure it is either possible or a wise idea to take the speedo apart so I will live with it and as long as it doesn't get any louder, leave it be.
As for the king pin, I have received a new king pin set from Meteor and was wondering if there is a hiring facility to obtain an adjustable reamer to get the accurate fit required or is it a case of biting the bullet and buying one, in which case I will make it available for others to use.
fuel average so far, max, 25mpg, min 20.4mpg, between full tank fill ups, not bad.

Regards, Willem
Rover 12 Tourer, 1936
Range rover L322, 2009

TonyG
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Re: Faint ticking

Post by TonyG » Mon Sep 20, 2021 8:30 am

Willem,

Rather than the speedo itself, it may be the drive cable that is making the noise. This is a stranded steel wire and they can start to stick if in need of lubrication. The cable screws onto the rear of the speedo and goes into the side of the gearbox on the driver’s side. I think you would need to remove it at both ends and I’m pretty sure you can pull out the inner stranded drive cable from one end - probably the gearbox end. This will allow you to pull out and grease the inner cable without having to remove the whole thing from the car.

Re the king pins; it would be unusual for one to wear and not the other, unless the Luvax has starved it of lubrication. Hence why they are sold in pairs. As I mentioned in previous post, are you certain it’s the pin and not the wheel bearing? Both will present similar play so you need someone under the car watching and feeling for movement. Make sure the car is secure on axle stands, of course.

Tony.
Tony Gilbert

P1 12 Tourer
P2 12 6 Light Saloon
Discovery 3
Discovery Sport

Willem
Posts: 43
Joined: Wed Jun 30, 2021 11:32 am

Re: Faint ticking

Post by Willem » Mon Sep 20, 2021 1:21 pm

Hi Tony,

At one point in time the vehicle has been towed on the front axle and this has squeezed the O/S Luvax so there has been a lack of lubrication for some time, I did think it was odd that the O/S went, with the state of the roads I would have not been too surprised if the N/S had gone but the lubrication system has done it's job beautifully on that side. I do intend to fit a permanent towing strap, tied out of the way but there just in case.
Willem
Rover 12 Tourer, 1936
Range rover L322, 2009

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