[mg-tabc] News of a problem solved !

[PMS GB Ltd]

For interests sake - the following......

For over three weeks now I have been chasing a rattle on the TB - It has
all the sound of a loose bonnet or front fairing / number plate - you know
the sort of rattle! Didnt happen when cold and first driven for 10 miles
at any speed - then would cut in at about 50 mph and you back off and it
goes away at 45 mph. There was no doubt im my and passengers minds that
the noise came from the front of the car and sounded like wind vibrating a
panel. The front end has been virtually dismantled and reassembled with no
result.

This weekend I discovered a drop of oil under the rear axle - found the
side filler casting had cracked, and most of the axle oil was gone - fitted
a replacement - topped up the oil - went on a run - no noise! Clearly
when the oil was hot there was too little to stop the read axle
chattering--- fortunately the speed was backed off every time it ocoured so
no damage done.

This is by no means the first time that a problem at one end of the car
sounded as if it was at the other end I well remember 35 years (back in my
youth) stripping almost all of the same car to trace a tinkling rattle -
setting tappets, new propshaft U/Js etc before discovering a lost set of
keys jammed between the propshaft tunnel and the floorboards!!!

At least with this sort of problem a lot of nuts I never think about get
checked! Including myself!

Regards
for now

Clive