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A Rattle, no no it can't be.

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Well I've been tooling around central PA for a few weeks now in my still unfinished restoration. I've got a heck of a rattle that I just can't figure out. Everything I put in this car is double tight it can't be rattling. But it is and I can't figure out what it is. It is under the dash, Pa country roads bring it out, seems mostly on the passenger's side. While driving I put my hand up under there, there's mostly nothing there. Thought it might be the bonnet pull, then maybe a cable. I grab each of them while driving and it doesn't stop it. Reached on top of the heater box for a free cable, etc. Then put may hand on the back of all the gauges, still can't pin it down. It is metallic, sound alot like you might slap the slack part of a heater control cable onto something. But that doesn't seem to be it. I even wove some hose sections onto the cable to keep them from hitting metal on metal. But now I might have discovered it, but can't believe it, could it be the wiper cable/linkage. It's been so long since I put them together I can't really remember what they are like, you know demential and all. :smile: It seems the inner "cable" might be rattling against the outter tube. Could that be? And if so how to stop it? Any thoughts please. Thanks, Dave.
 
Once upon a time I had a "rattle" in an early Healey 3000 that took me more than a year to find. Drove me crazy.
My suggestion is to get a person with at least one good ear. Put him, or her, into the passenger seat with a length of hose or tubing to use as a stethoscope, and hopefully you will find the source of that rattle.

Richard
 
steveg said:
Pretty sure I have the same rattle and have been trying to find the source for years.

What did you do to the bonnet brackets to change this?
Click to expand...
I just completed a complete "frame-up" restoration of my BJ8 and found the special anti-rattle washers were missing for my bonnet brackets. I don't know if the new ones I installed were the actual cause of the problem because I had too many other rattling noises but every bit helps. I also insulated the huge "gap" around those brackets that lets in engine fumes, etc.
 
I've got my BJ8 mostly rattle-free--except for the glove box latch--but when I hit a bump sometimes I get a 'thwack' under the dash. I suspect, but can't say for sure, that the cable drive for the windshield wipers--which runs under the dash next to the cowl--is smacking against the cowl. A PO had wedged something in there, but I took it out because, well, it's wasn't concours correct. One of these days I'll get under there and put some split rubber tubing around the cable at strategic locations.
 
Rattles drive me crazy. In a fit of craziness I looked into every type of rattle detection system. There are several that have multiple transducers that allow you to switch between location to try and detect where the rattle is coming from. I didn't buy anything. I asked my wife to get into the passenger seat and listen for the rattle. She didn't hear anything. Errrr.:mad:

John
 
Is the Bj8 wiper linkage/cable different than the BJ7? I say this because my wiper linkage is an open twisted cable-like appendage that is pushed thru tubes that connect between the wiper post. I have held this still with my hand and it does not stop the rattle. I do remember that when I took this apart during restoration, that the tubes had quite a bit of thick old grease in them. I should have left it that way. When I reassembled it I didn't want new grease thinning with the heat and dripping out onto everything so I just sprayed the tubes and cable with white lithium grease. I fear that maybe the cable is now able to slap against the tubes. But I don't think that is the problem. I'm pretty sure that the tubes are not hitting the cowl, they don't move much. I don't see how putting a hose around them would do anything. I don't remember the anti rattle washers on the bonnet hinges. I do have washers on the outside of the pins, but is there suppose to be another washer inside the hinge supports ??? If so, how would you get them in there ??? I do see in the Moss Cataloge that there are "anti-rattle" washers. If it was originally designed with that intent, then maybe that is the issue. But how would you get them in there? I had a heck of a time just getting the pins in place. Dave.
 
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