Spitfire 1500 ticking noise ? Diff

[Kevin R]

I have a 1980 Spitfire that has just started making a metallic ticking sound.  It is most audible from 0 - 20 mph and sounds like a ticking clock but as the car and the ticking speeds up the sound becomes too fast to discern as a 'tick'.   It can be heard whether in gear or freewheeling coming from the diff/driveshaft area ie middle of the car.  Lubrication has been checked within the last 1500 miles.

Does anyone have experience of this and/or know the cause or remedy.

Thank you

[yorkshire_spam]

My guess would be a propshaft UJ

[Nick Jones]

Usually a driveshaft UJ where one of the yokes has spread very slightly allowing the UJ spider to shuttle back and forth across the gap (only a few thou) and strike the inside of the cups, making the click, twice for each wheel revolution (though sometimes you only hear it going one way).  The cure is to identify the offending side and axis of swivel and either put shims under the circlip or use thicker circlips.  Sometimes you'll also find that the offending cup(s) are spinning in the yoke which means it needs renewing.

Nick

[ferny]

I'd also say half shafts UJ. If they're not brand new, I'd say be prepared to replace. A passenger may help identify the offending side during a drive as it can be impossible to identify play when jacked up in the air.

 

"Heavy duty" Freelander ones are what you want. Saying that, mine only lasted a year. I now use cheap ones with the grease nipple in the bearing cap (eBay) and they've lasted two years and counting.

Edited October 8, 2021 by ferny

[glang]

Was that the really expensive GKN TVF100000G units that only lasted a year Ferny?

Edited October 9, 2021 by glang

[Kevin R]

Thanks for replies so far.

A new propshaft  supplied by Mick Papworth from a local company who makes them when he reconditioned and fitted overdrive to my gearbox replaced the old one that was unbalanced and installed approx 2500 miles ago.  

The halfshafts I would say are original so have done 52000 miles but not sure how long any of these components should last.

[Nick Jones]

52k is a pretty good innings for driveshaft UJs IMO.

Still could be something else but it’s a pretty common cause of the noise you seem to be describing.

Nick