Rattles. Where to start?

[psimet]

So after a year and a half of work resulting in an easy to start and fairly well running engine with brakes that work - I finally took my 28 around the block last night.

Gotta say it was one of the most stressful things I think I’ve ever done and I’ve spent half my life running my own businesses and racing bicycles.

One thing that struck me - everything rattles. I mean… a lot. [emoji1787]. I still have some lacing in some areas but there’s none left on the radiator for example.

I was so occupied with everything that I couldn’t really notice anything specific. Looking for advice on some of the easier common places to address for some quick or easy wins to start off.

Also - shifting- no problems up shifting at all. Super smooth and didn’t even double clutch. Couldn’t downshift at all. Any advice?

[Patrick L.]

Rattles ? Thats how I know how fast I'm going. Different rattles for different speeds. [smiley face]

Downshifts ? They take awhile. Take your time, Model A's don't like to be hurried in anything.
1. clutch in
2. lever 3rd to neutral, raise engine speed and hold it
3. clutch out, clutch in
4. lever into 2nd [ easy]
5. clutch out.

Its better to raise the engine speed too much than not enough.

[Marshall V. Daut]

Typical Model A rattle points include:
(1) Muffler tailpipe hanger at the frame
(2) Loose radiator stay rods at the firewall
(3) Brake rods without return springs
(4) Loose engine splash pans
(5) loose front brake actuator arms (tighten nut in back)
(6) front bumper braces bolts loose
(7) front splash shield rubbing against bottom of the radiator shell
(8) Battery not secured in its carrier
(9) Worn service brake cross shaft bushings (#1 cause in unrestored or poorly restored Model A's in my opinion)
(10) Loose or missing nuts and bolts in chassis and fenders
(11) Loose hubcaps
(12) Loose rear hood bracket rattling against top of gas tank
Correct these problem areas and I'll bet your rattling noises will be reduced drastically, making the remaining noises easier to locate.
Marshall

[psimet]

Originally Posted by Marshall V. Daut

Typical Model A rattle points include:
(1) Muffler tailpipe hanger at the frame
(2) Loose radiator stay rods at the firewall
(3) Brake rods without return springs
(4) Loose engine splash pans
(5) loose front brake actuator arms (tighten nut in back)
(6) front bumper braces bolts loose
(7) front splash shield rubbing against bottom of the radiator shell
(8) Battery not secured in its carrier
(9) Worn service brake cross shaft bushings (#1 cause in unrestored or poorly restored Model A's in my opinion)
(10) Loose or missing nuts and bolts in chassis and fenders
(11) Loose hubcaps
Correct these problem areas and I'll bet your rattling noises will be reduced drastically, making the remaining noises easier to locate.
Marshall

Awesome...

(1) Muffler tailpipe hanger at the frame * I vaguely remember checking this and seeing a 40 or 50 year old badged together silencer of some sort... will check.

(2) Loose radiator stay rods at the firewall * should be tight. Just changed a water pump.

(3) Brake rods without return springs - IIRC the spring silencers are there but don't think they have the rubber in them anymore...

(4) Loose engine splash pans * easy one...I don't have any

(5) loose front brake actuator arms (tighten nut in back) - WIll check

(6) front bumper braces bolts loose - Will check

(7) front splash shield rubbing against bottom of the radiator shell *will check

(8) Battery not secured in its carrier * this one I have covered pretty well.

(9) Worn service brake cross shaft bushings (#1 cause in unrestored or poorly restored Model A's in my opinion) * Definitely a distinct possibility.

(10) Loose or missing nuts and bolts in chassis and fenders *It's a survivor and no one has ever disassembled anybody panels or parts. I haven't noticed anything missing but will check to see if they're tight.

(11) Loose hubcaps - *Borrowed a set of wheels and those don't have hubcaps on them so I am good there.


Thank You!

[Marshall V. Daut]

To check #9, lie on your back and crawl under the car. You may want to wear gloves because the service brake cross shaft will be greasy from U-joint leakage. Grasp the shaft at either end and shake it up and down. If the bushings have not been replaced, you will hear and feel a strong metallic rattle as the shaft knocks against the inside of the bushing. The noise will be louder than you think it could possibly be. The solution is not to force grease into the bushing. The shaft must be removed and the bushings replaced.
I would bet close to 100% of the worn out, unrestored or poorly-restored Model A's I have worked on had this problem.
Marshall

[divcoone]

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3 years ago I replaced my tires with new bias ply tires. Car rattled the same as with the old worn out tires. I just replaced the tires again with Coker radials. The difference is unbelievable.

[Clem Clement]

After the above items, I love to take a rubber hammer and whack the bumper straight down. Anything that sings, needs attention. Crawl under the car and look at the rust at all bolt/nut connections. If the rust is different color from the nearby markings, something is loose. Drive with a passenger and have her point to the noise. (A loose anti-sloosh panel is tough to locate.

[Conaway2]

The cowl band can rattle….

Doors in a 4-door body will rattle up and down a lot if the rubber bumpers are dried out or missing

Hood clips can rattle if the rubber bumpers on the sides of the hood are missing.

The wishbone can rattle in the bell housing

Shock links that are not adequately tightened will cause rattles with he shock arms

Brake rods can make a lot of noise……

If the body has a rumble seat lid, it will rattle badly if the rubber bumpers are in poor condition and the rumble lid will not lock down reasonably tight.

Anything that is loose will rattle….and there are lots of places on a Model A for things to get loose.

Two years ago, I decided to chase all the squeaks and rattles in my roadster down and eliminate them. I spent 2-3 weeks on this and made the car noticeably quieter. But….a Model is going to rattle if it hits a big enough bump.

Good luck !
Jim

[JoeCB]

I had an annoying buzzing rattle close at hand in my 31 coupe, it was the ignition coil mount to the firewall. The screws were tight but the bracket allowed the coil to vibrate, stuffing a short piece of rubber tubing between the coil and the firewall fixed it
Joe B

[Bob Bidonde]

Here's a sneaky rattle source:

[aermotor]

Broke or loose wood body mount blocks.

[updraught]

Whack everything with a rubber hammer. Try not to destroy too much.

[fordcragar]

Chassis Ears

About eight years ago I was trying to figure out where a noise was coming from on my OT truck. Here is a link that I participated in on the Garage Journal:

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/.../#post-3787742

Here is the post that I copied and made on that forum, in case you aren’t able to view it:

yogitech said:
I work for a Ford dealer and do most of the frontend/ noise concerns. I use them a couple times a week. I have wired and wireless chassis ear sets. Theres really nothing to it, clamp it on and go. Move them to where you think the noise may be coming from. Where ever the noise is loudest start looking over that component.

Get the wired ones for home use, there less finicky. My wireless set seems to pick up a ton of interference. Other than that, sometimes that's the only thing you can use to find the problem.

Using your guidance, I bought the Steelman Products 06600 Chassis ears; which can be had for under $100. My truck has a noisy wheel bearing and it wasn't evident which one was bad. I had a chance to use them yesterday and they worked after a fashion. When I first installed the microphone/clamps, at all four wheels, I didn't pick a very good spot and got erratic data/sound. So I moved all of the microphone/clamps to a backing plate bolt and drove around and it worked like a champ. I can see where these would come in very handy in the future.

https://www.amazon.com/Steelman-Prod...s%2C688&sr=8-1

[fordcragar]

The Chassis Ears, used to be under $100, now brought to you for a low price of just a little north of $130.

[burner31]

Originally Posted by Bob Bidonde

Here's a sneaky rattle source:

Hey...I think you found that one rattle that's been driving me nuts.
Thanks...I'm on it in the morning

[jack backer]

My A doesn’t rattle when it’s stopped with the engine off, I bet yours does the same thing.

It’s a reliable rig when it’s sorted out mechanically,that’s good enough for me..