i know what my 914 project sounds like...but i know it has massive leaks in the exhaust system (look! my heat exchangers are from switzerland...they look like the cheese!). i was on youtube last night doing "research," or as my wife calls it: "goofing off" and alot of the other teeners i see on youtube have some of that same sound. they seem to have a banging noise as part of the engine noise. the owners are driving the cars or standing next to them and don't seem to be freaking out from the noise. i know i come from the water-cooled world and the design is different (see pic from the Dragon last June) so, educate me...thats why i came up to this mountain top.

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All aircooleds' have a unique sound, but fix your exhaust first with new HEs & muffler if needed, and then evaluate. Sometimes un- or poorly adjusted valves will give more clatter, or other problems.

So if it still happens, get with some of the other Teeners in your Smokies area or your mechanic to figure it out. Poorsche/Steve is somewhat near you IIRC.

PS - Nice B-GT by the bye!
But the 914 will corner better, as you'll find out, if not already have done!

yeah, i've met Poorsche already (and assume he is here somewhere) and will certainly make use of him. sounds like low oil pressure to me...but i'm used to tuning brit engines...which is a whole different science.

i drove my car home from the shop where it had been "dropped off" when i got it and i've moved it around the driveway on its own power but some "genius" removed all the tin from the engine and added a radiator fan so, until i fix that...she is GROUNDED. 'cause i don't wanna BLOW HER UP. i'm a britcar guy and even i know that was STUPID. anyway, i've acquired a set of tins (along with the donor engine they came on) and will be fixing that as soon as i can make space in the garage.

I guess you're more used to the sound of farm equipment?

Oh wait, you don't own any Triumphs, my mistake.

Yeah, they all sound like sheet metal stamping plants.

Ok, I want to see some pics of this mess! I am guessing if they thought that was a good idea then you probably have some other issues to address as well, and whever noise you are hearing, it is probably not normal. If the PO was driving it around with no tin there is a good chance he was overheating it every day, which could result in a dropped valve seat which would cause a nasty banging noise.

Adjust the valves, do a leakdown test on the engine, replace all the missing tin, replace and the exhaust for starters.

Or, better idea, find a complete donor 1.7 with exhanust for a couple hundred bucks and swap it in while you go though the questionable motor.

Triumphs sound sweet...especially the 6 cylinder cars!




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHvAz0mcjqE

No tin is an absolute no-no, so get that fixed before anything else, but don't expect it to ever be like an MG. The engine noise from water cooled cars is generally absorbed inside the heads and engine by the water jackets. They're also generally built to closer and quieter tolerances because they can be, since the water avoids the temperature extremes that A/C engines experience. A/C engines run hotter than water-cooled motors, so you don't see oil coolers on many water cooled cars, for example. And lastly those engines were designed back in the 1930's (1960's for the T4) so the technology is really old. Like in really OLD old, with solid lifters, lots of gap in the overhead valves, sheet metal valve covers that are pointed out toward the curb, best possible way to share all that racket with the whole world. Add deferred (!) maintenance and too loose valves and it's a lot. With water cooled cars you can use a stethoscope to check engine noises, with all the noise in aircooled VW motor you go crazy trying to figure out what's what. With a watercooled motor you can run a knock sensor. You can't in an aircooled VW motor because all the noises just plain baffle the poor thing.

A few months ago I was driving with a friend who's totally unfamiliar with the cars, and I'd been telling him about mine. We were stopped at a stoplight when a white teener pulled up beside us, rattling like rocks in a coffee can. I didn't use the opportunity to point out the car, didn't want to have to explain, so I just ignored it and we drove on. I'd actually forgotten how noisy they can get. It had loose valves, for sure, but other than that was probably running pretty well. Embarrassing.

The farm equipment comment wasn’t for the TR6. The TR3 and TR4 used the same engine as some Massey Ferguson tractors.

I wouldn’t worry too much about how the 914 sounds to the outside world. From the driver’s seat it’s going to sound like a 917 anyways…

I know...but, all the TR cars get stuck with label anyway.

Tractors probably do ride better......

A worn out T-4 can be really noisy. It's embarrassing when your motor sounds like it has a can of marbles rolling around inside of it. I've found that a stock rebuilt motor can be pretty smooth and quite. If you use thin walled big bore p/c then not so much.

911s don't sound like this; you would expect it to be the same but louder.

Why do 911s whiiiirrrrrrr



and 914s clank bang click chirp

My stock 2.0L sounds like a sewing machine...whats the issue?

overhead cams vs lifters & pushrods.

ah, that's it!

Uhh... you should probably get that sewing machine looked at? .

I was going to say the same thing and then I remembered that I can't even hear myself fart any longer.

Name the early '80's movie with this quote...

"OK weinerschnitzels....let's get these over prices sewing machines ..OUTTA HERE!!!!"

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Hijack over...

bingo! thats the technical explanation i was looking for. now, my MG engine is water cooled, but it is also a pushrod engine with valves that must be adjusted...solid tappets and all. the sewing machine sound i'm used to, its the lack of water jacket to deaden the sounds of detonation that i'm not used to. of course, that whole phenomena is exacerbated in my case by the lack of tin! (yes, yes, yes, i've known since moment #1 that i MUST fix that before leaving the driveway. roger wilco.)



so does my MG. that means its running g-o-o-d. the MG engine (1.8 BMC B-series engine) has its origine in the pre-war Austin A-40 sports. the MG debuted in 1962 which means that its technology dates to the late '50s. with the OD tranny it cruises fine at 80 on the interstate. no tractors involved or necessary.

I've been looking for a nice set of chrome M A Y T A G letters for mine for years

I agree, it's the design of the T4 engine, no iron block or water jacketed head(s) to absorb the internal noise ... the cooling tin also helps to 'telescope'
the noise.

Valve trains are much different (push rods)

C'mon, Kent ... that problem just comes with old age

both, silent farts and loss of hearing

Well, quit hanging around San Francisco alleyways after dark. I'm sorry to tell you that once that ahem "valve" becomes that loose, there's no way to tighten it again. I'm afraid you're in for a life of SBDs.

Oh, wait. This isn't the sandbox. My bad.