My '85 MGM, "Maisa"

[Brown_Muscle]

It sounds like what my Lopo wagon had, which was the Lopo knock. Of course it’s harder to tell from a file and not in person. I hear some clacking from the video when it’s colder, but the warmed up video sounds like a knock to me. But like other said, if that’s what it’s got, and it has oil pressure, it’ll probably go a long long time like that, assuming you’re not beating the piss out of it all the time

[gadget73]

the lack of proper rhythm is what gets me though. Ever pull the belts off and see if it shuts up?

[Arquemann]

the lack of proper rhythm is what gets me though. Ever pull the belts off and see if it shuts up?

Haven't yet. Might aswell since I gotta tighten them and figure out what's making the belts squeak.

[matth825]

I'd be curious to see if removing the belts changes anything, too. It reminds me of an old IDI diesel engine but without rhythm.


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[Arquemann]

Well now I have pulled of the belts, no effect on the clickyclack, its just easier to hear without the fan noise and else.
Idler, altertator, water pump, compressor and PS pump all spin fine without tight spots. Though I found that the PS pump axle has a lot of axial play. Probably over 5mm.

I replaced the power steering return line, and while doing that I somehow made the pressure line leak even more... How does the valve fitting seal to the pump body? The line seems to just have an O-ring.

[kishy]

I once managed to get a similar noise out of my '91. I had been in a very long line of traffic that only creeped forward, and it was summer, and I had basically no oil pressure to speak of. After an extended period of time, a noise like that started and the engine vibration changed. After briefly blipping the throttle it went away.

My best guess at the time was that a lifter had collapsed as there wasn't enough oil getting to them to keep them all fully pumped up.

I don't know of a good way to verify this, just tossing it out there.

[Arquemann]

If it were valve train noise, it'd ought to be more audible from up top, which it isn't in this case. I've got good oil pressure and fresh-ish oil so the lifters should hopefully be fine. Also it would probably have a rhythm to it aswell. The noise does disappear upon giving rpm though.

Power steering leaks vol 2 electric boogaloo: I replaced the O-rings on the feed valve and on the pressure hose. The bigger O-ring on the feed valve is a bit too big and it squashed out. But for atleast the 20 minutes before I went back inside it did not leak at all. I even ran the car for a while. Cleaned up the drip pan underneath and wiped everything around the pump. Time will tell if my repairs hold up, and if I used oil-resistant o-rings...
This stupid power steering leak has been there since the day I bought the car in 2019, just now it became enough of a nuisance to not just top if off a few times a summer.

[gadget73]

common black nitrile / buna o-rings are all you need. Green AC O rings also work fine. Power steering juice isn't real aggressive and doesn't need anything overly special for material.

the pumps do tend to have a lot of axial play, just the way the pump is built.

[sly]

Sounds like a mechanic's stethoscope would be helpful (or a spare section of vacuum hose to the ear against various noise source candidates). If it's an irregular (not based on RPM) noise and it's not a half dead lifter... I'd look at heat shields, body mounts, cats (make sure the cats aren't cracked/damaged), exhaust knocking body/frame somewhere, and look for any loose bits in and around the engine/exhaust.

I just turn up the radio in mine.

[Arquemann]

I can't hear shit, the clattering is way easier to hear without any tricks. There's a very faint ticking audible with my makeshift stethoscope from the lowest part of the intake between the dizzy and carb, and it doesnt seem to even match the normally audible clattering. Listening at the front and rear of the block, heads, timing cover, other parts of the intake, absolutely nothing audible. It is somewhere in the engine though, I do not find anything around it that would be making that noise. Might try to jam a pry bar between the engine to stop it from moving while running, see if that changes anything.

Also I did a thing:


SPOILERIn case ya missed it, I added a proper parking brake release. The car came with that auto-release and the column mounted valve-thing broke last year.
Happened to get a yellowed and dusty box with a release handle/cable/sheath from the local US parts store, it was for a late-80s Taurus/Sable. Drilled a hole for a P-clamp and cut most of the sheath off. Works fine enough and most importantly I won't be bashing my knees into it and it looks pretty close to original.

[kishy]

Very nice mod. My biggest issue with the tiny lever provided is that I always end up stabbing my finger on some unknown sharp object (which I can't see if I look at it directly), and the pedal ends up slapping into my hand while operating the lever.

Starting in I believe model year 90, the parking brake pedal is a "push to apply, push to release" ratcheting mechanism. Much more user-friendly.

All of that being said, parking brake use in any part of North America where salt is applied to the roads is basically forbidden. They tend to be a one-time-use-only feature in the rust belt.

[friskyfrankie]

Probably should use the parking brake just to exercise it and keep it working but can't remember when I used it last (being in the "Deep South").

[Arquemann]

Very nice mod. My biggest issue with the tiny lever provided is that I always end up stabbing my finger on some unknown sharp object (which I can't see if I look at it directly), and the pedal ends up slapping into my hand while operating the lever.

Starting in I believe model year 90, the parking brake pedal is a "push to apply, push to release" ratcheting mechanism. Much more user-friendly.

All of that being said, parking brake use in any part of North America where salt is applied to the roads is basically forbidden. They tend to be a one-time-use-only feature in the rust belt.

Thanks.

Our vehicle inspectors would probably have an aneurysm trying to figure out a push to apply - push to release even with instructions in their face. Even with the auto-release working I had to write instructions... With my MGM rust related problems are non-existent since I don't drive it during the winter. The parking brake is used approx. twice a year, before inspection and during inspection.
On winter driven vehicles I regularly use the parking brake so it won't rust stuck, parking brakes are probably the most common way to fail an inspection.

[gadget73]

my 86 Town Car has a release handle. Not sure if/when the other lines got them. The Mark VII never did though, the 91 has that stupid knuckle buster, the 84 Conti does too. I think those are even worse, its not just the little finger release like these got, its a bar that runs across the pedal so its impossible to pull it without the thing smashing the back of your hand. Thats the only reason I made an attempt at fixing the vac release system on that car but that failed and I'm not doing it again.

[Tiggie]

My 82 had a rigged up handle, the 88 has a more proper factory release handle. And the 90 has that aforementioned push to release which doesn't work quite right for whatever reason - it has to do it automatically or it will adjust the rear brakes for you.