>Date: Tue, 9 May 2000 16:16:43 EDT
>From: BobMGT@aol.com
>Subject: Funny Noise when Braking Hard
>
>When I brake real hard (like just one click short of locking up the
wheels) I
>hear a momentary sound like something is rubbing against something that's
>rotating. It makes a hollow tubular sound like a tail pipe or drive shaft.
>But I also see that my plastic fan blades tips are chewed up on the side
that
>faces the radiator. (But I don't see any marks on the radiator itself.) The
>front motor mounts look real good and the motor feels real solid when I try
>to shake it by hand. The fan blades looked like this when I bought the car.
>Could the engine pitch forward far enough to touch the radiator under an
>emergency stop? Maybe the fan blade is just a red herring. Anybody know of a
>problem that could cause this sound under severe braking?
>BTW: this is a '71 B.
>
>Bob Donahue (Still stuck in the '50s)
>EMAIL - BOBMGT@AOL.COM
>52 MGTD - under DIY restoration NEMGTR #11470
>71 MGB - AMGBA #96-12029, NAMGBR #7-3336
>
Bob,
The fan blades might just be a red herring. Especially if you don't see any
dameage to the radiator and they were like that when you bought it. But
just in case...
Underneath the car, right around the front U-joint on your drive shaft,
there should be a rod connecting the frame and the engine right around
where the bell housing meets the block. It's called a stayrod and it's
sometimes missing. Last time I tried to find one (about 8-9 years ago) they
were unavailable and when I found one I kept it through two cars. You won't
be able to move your engine by hand, but nature can if you hit something or
brake hard enough.
I'd be surprised if this is it, though. The fan blades hitting the radiator
is a lot uglier than what you're describing. The sound is usually preceded
by you saying some rather nasty words if you have time, and realizing you
just screwed up VERY badly.
Glenn
-----------------------------------------
Glenn Schnittke
schnittke@mindspring.com
Home: 615-385-2800
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