MGA MGA Engine noise??? maybe?

[R6MGS]

So my wife has been using the white MGA as a daily vehicle for a few years now from about april-november. I rarely drive it, and it has been amazingly reliable. But the other day she mentioned it was making(intermitently) a kinda of grinding sound at higher rpms or when going around bends...I tried to replicate it, but of course it won't do it while I am in it. Since it has been really cold here the last few mornings I figured it might be starving for oil; so I changed from 20W-50 to a lighter oil(10-40) for the next few weeks until I can get her new winter MGB going. That seemed to work, but then this morning she said it was doing it again....not as bad though. Everything else seems fine; good oil pressure, no metal or anything the the old oil, runs good, starts good.....Any suggestions??

BTW: I don't think this is related, but everyonce and awhile when the clutch is all the way up it makes kind of a banging/knocking noise...As soon as you press the pedal at all it goes away...If I adjust the throw on the clutch it goes away for awhile then returns a few weeks later. I figure this probably has to do with a bad release bearing or something like that...not with the above symptom, but I figured I'd add it just incase someone can correlate them.

Thanks all!

 

[Hap Waldrop]

I'm betting it has nothing to do with the engine, could be a wheel bearing or something suspension realated. Another thing to check on would be the diff's gear oil level.

 

[R6MGS]

I thought about that too...but apparently it has made it while stationary, and not in gear. I also thought it could be something like a water or oil pump.

 

[Hap Waldrop]

Yep, could be a water pump or a genorator bearing. You take a piece of wood (like a broom stick) and hold it to those components with the engine running and listen and hear if the bearing is making noise, old school trick, but it works like champ

 

[bob67bgt]

Any chance the exhaust got bumped up over a speed bump? Maybe touching the chassis somewhere when the engine torques to one side. just a stab in the dark....Bob

 

[R6MGS]

Welp this morning when I went to move it it made the noise for me. I isolated it to the generator. I lubed the generator bearing up for now and it stopped, but I'll swap in a new one soon(I've got a few spares). I took it out for a drive and heard a very similar noise(she probably hear them as the same noise...) being produced from the speedo cable, so I quickly lubed it and now it's also stopped... Although in the winter I'll take it off and properly lube it, or replace it because it was pretty nasty.
Thanks for the help! I feel much better now knowing that it was just some minor issues.

 

[Hap Waldrop]

Good deal

 

[David_DuBois]

"Welp this morning when I went to move it it made the noise for me. I isolated it to the generator."

Make sure that you are running the fan belt quite loose or it will cause accelerated wear on the rear bushing of a generator. Generators don't need a tight belt to operate properly. See the article, https://homepages.donobi.net/sufuelpumps/Other_Subjects/Electrical/TD/Keep_Your_Belts_Loose.pdf in the Other Tech Articles on my web site at: https://homepages.donobi.net/sufuelpumps/
Cheers,

 

[R6MGS]

Thanks Dave, I'll check how tight it is....It looks kinda old, so I think I'll just replace it in the near future.

 

[jlaird]

An extra fan belt is one of those items you should have available.

 

[abarth69]

Is that the same MGA I see almost every day at Costco near Dundas and 403?

Cheers

Mark

 

[R6MGS]

I do have some spare belts....Just not alot of spare time to install them.

That probably is the same MGA you see around 403 and Dundas...I doubt there is many other grocery shopping mga's in mississauga....I know she shops there alot, we live not far from there(winston chuchill/brittania). She'll be driving it for maybe another month, or until I can get her 'new' MGB on the road.

I was thinking about it earlier today, this particular MGA has been very good to us, where all our other LBC's just sit around and collect dust, this one has been doing daily service(april through november) rain or shine for the last 8 years, and has cost me MAYBE 1/10th of what any of my 'modern' vehicle have cost in repairs over those last 8 years.

I recently installed a new black top, the old carpet kit from my good mga, and fixed up the side curtains so it looks nice and fresh too...Although the paint needs some attention.

Here's the only pic I was able to find of it....I wish I had some with the new top(it's the white one...the red one is the 'good' one that hardly sees daylight anymore)

BTW: Mark, whereabouts are you from?? Looks like you've got an interesting collection of cars.