Edmond Posted January 23, 2016 Report Share Posted January 23, 2016 (edited) I took my TR4a for a 20 mile spin today as it hasn't been used much in the past few months. Cruising at roughly 2700rpm in o/d 4th on the motorway, it let the most almighty wail which lasted roughly 90 seconds but felt like a lifetime. It scared the sh8t out of me. I flicked the o/d off, knocked the car out of gear, put the wipers off...no difference. Then it stopped as suddenly as it started. I am mystified. The alternator belt seems fine, so does the Kenlowe. Can't think what else it might be. Any ideas?. Edited January 24, 2016 by Edmond Quote Link to post Share on other sites
peejay4A Posted January 23, 2016 Report Share Posted January 23, 2016 Did you have the heater fan on? Every now and again mine shrieks at me. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ChrisR-4A Posted January 23, 2016 Report Share Posted January 23, 2016 Check alt bearing could be ceasing at higher revs or check for dead pheasant in front grill! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Edmond Posted January 23, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 23, 2016 Heater fan wasn't on and neither was there a free pheasant in sight. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ctc77965o Posted January 23, 2016 Report Share Posted January 23, 2016 could it have been the speedometer? Mine would squeal on cold mornings sometime (back in the days when i experienced cold) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ben Freer Posted January 23, 2016 Report Share Posted January 23, 2016 +1 for the Speedo. They can sound like something possessed and it is intermittent - however it is usually accompanied by the needle waggling around erratically. (that was nearly typed and spell checked at erotically!) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Edmond Posted January 23, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 23, 2016 Hmm - it could be the speedo cable or alternator bearing. It certainly sounded as if it was from somewhere in front of me. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ChrisR-4A Posted January 24, 2016 Report Share Posted January 24, 2016 If it is the alt bearing then the noise you hear is the fan belt slipping on the alt pulley as it stops turning. This happened to me with a dynamo and by the time I got out the car and lifted the bonnet when I restarted the engine the bearing had cooled down and there was no noise. A mile up the road at higher revs it returned, The belt had ruined the alloy pulley and it was by then bottoming in the grouve, not gripping and slipping even more. New Dynamo new pulley and new fanbelt fixed it. Managed to drive it home by slackening the belt and letting it slip with Dynamo bearly turning. Chris Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TR5tar Posted January 24, 2016 Report Share Posted January 24, 2016 (edited) Did the tone of the 'wail' remain the same regardless of reducing road and engine speed, Edmund? Edited January 24, 2016 by TR5tar Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RogerH Posted January 24, 2016 Report Share Posted January 24, 2016 Hi Edmond, the speedo is #1 suspect for me followed closely by the tacho. When it happens next put hand up behind dash and waggle the drive cables. Roger Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Edmond Posted January 24, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 24, 2016 Did the tone of the 'wail' remain the same regardless of reducing road and engine speed, Edmund? Yes, actually it did, that's what mystified me when I knocked it out of gear, backed off the accelerator etc. The road speed dropped slightly (I was on a downhill section) but the the wail remained constant. Not the speedo cable then? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RogerH Posted January 24, 2016 Report Share Posted January 24, 2016 Hi Ed, you say the road speed dropped slightly - so it could still be the speedo cable (connected to road wheels, not the engine) Roger Quote Link to post Share on other sites
John Thornton Posted January 24, 2016 Report Share Posted January 24, 2016 I had the same problem but it was the Rev counter in my case. Once the noise started it continued until I turned the engine off. I disconnected the cable on the back of the Rev counter and tied it up behind the dash clear of all cables etc. before taking the car for a test drive, this eliminated the speedo from consideration as the noise did not reoccur. Eventually solved the problem with a few drops of light oil in the Rev counter, around the cable entry moving parts. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Deggers Posted January 28, 2016 Report Share Posted January 28, 2016 (edited) Hi Edmond. You're quite sure it was a wail . . . and not a whine? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brK5Yb5mkOc Cheers, Deggers Edited January 28, 2016 by Deggers Quote Link to post Share on other sites
stillp Posted January 28, 2016 Report Share Posted January 28, 2016 I ran over a bunch of grapes the other day. It let out a little wine... Pete Quote Link to post Share on other sites
littlejim Posted January 29, 2016 Report Share Posted January 29, 2016 (edited) if Edmond knocked it out of gear and the wail remained the same, it cuts out quite a few items up the front of the car, which should have made the wail change with the reduced revs. Leaves the diff and few more items at the back as suspects. Wish I had the answer, but I don't. (Maybe the speedo blokes are on the right track) Edited January 29, 2016 by littlejim Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TR5tar Posted January 29, 2016 Report Share Posted January 29, 2016 Yes, actually it did, that's what mystified me when I knocked it out of gear, backed off the accelerator etc. The road speed dropped slightly (I was on a downhill section) but the the wail remained constant. Not the speedo cable then? My thinking might be wrong on this, but I'm always less concerned about odd noises if the note doesn't change with a change in road or engine speed. Also, if the sound went away and hasn't come back, that seems to me to be reassuring, although it would still be nice to know what it was. In your position I think I'd be tempted to do as John Thornton says above. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ChrisR-4A Posted January 29, 2016 Report Share Posted January 29, 2016 One other thought, check the rear brake shoe retainers are still in place, you can feel the head of the pin by laying under the back of the car. If one of the springs falls off it can jam between the shoe and drum and make a screeching noise. Then when you stop it can move and then no noise Chris Quote Link to post Share on other sites
James67 Posted February 1, 2016 Report Share Posted February 1, 2016 Hi Ed The video posted earlier is absolutely priceless showed it to her indoors but she wasn't that impressed. Anyway to the problem in hand Ed do you have the Cowlings fitted on the back of your disks at the front sometimes a stone gets up between the Cowlings and the disk. This normally results in quite a high pitched squealing noise then as the disk wheres the stone away it falls out of its own accord leaving you wondering what was that noise James Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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