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MG MGA - Strange wind noise

Has anybody else experienced a whistling sound when traveling at 40 ish or faster. The faster you go the louder it gets. Seems to be from the right hand screen / dash area. It is also affected by cross winds - louder if wind is from r/h side quieter from l/h side.
Tried putting tape around bonnet, wing vents, bottom of screen but still no joy. HELP !!! it is driving me mad
A J Dee

Can I take it that you're not driving a roadster, AJ? At least in mine at speed, I can't begin to discern the attributes and source of one particular noise among all others. I suppose, though, that matters might be different in a coupe. Good luck on this!

Ken
Ken Korey

Air can blast through the firewall if grommets are missing, although I have never experienced whistling from this cause. You may also find a gap between the firewall and skin in the upper corner behind the dash. If this is the cause you would also most likely be suffering from hot, oily smelling air penetrating the cockpit.

Have you checked other external bits such as a door mounted mirror, wing mounted aerial, winscreen wiper, badges on a badge bar or affixed to the grill?

Steve
Steve Gyles

Thanks for your comments. It is a roadster but the noise is not general wind ( if that makes sense )
Maybe try the wipers or grill as sugested by Steve
A J Dee

Hey A J
I thought I was the only one!!! I have a roadster and I swear the whistling is coming from somewhere on the windscreen on the drivers side. But, my passengers always say it comes from their side.

Jim
Jim Sutorus

I've sometimes heard a faint whistling noise on the driver's side, and like yours, it seems to come and go with wind direction, but I never noticed it until I fitted a desmo type mirror to the screen frame. Another possibility could be the door seals.
Lindsay Sampford

I too get a whistling somewhere from the front end of my roadster - I put it down to one of the 4 badges on my badge bar or the grill slats - I have learnt to live with it and don't even notice it after a while - there is so much wind/exhaust roaring in my ears anyway! I am going to rearrange the badge bar and add 2 spots shortly - I will be interested to see if the noise stops.
Cam Cunningham

A J,
You might try buying some door weatherstripping at a hardware store. Cut it to the length of the windscreen. Insert it between the bottom of the windscreen frame and the top of the dash. Buy about 1/2 by 1/2 inch thickness. After I did a minor restoration I found the vinyl on my MKII didn't stick to the dash. The vinyl would lift off the dash slightly as the air came under the windscreen front seal. The weathersripping held it down nicely. The gap beneath my windscreen frame and the dash is about a 1/8 inch. Very easily to squeeze in the foam weatherstripping. It kept the vinyl down nicely. I know on my car the windscreen seal doesn't seal very well on the extreme ends of the windscreen.

Ray
Ray Ammeter

A J
I too live in Lincs so I think you should pick me up and we will both try and decide? :)
Bob Turbo Midget England

A random thought: Is it disc wheels and the holes in them setting up a harmonic, similar to if you blow across the top of a bottle?

Steve
Steve Gyles

My roadster has the same whistle from the right hand side, I think it is from around the screen seal or the mirror but I havent been able to pinpoint it yet.

It doesnt bother me too much as it only happens when Im driving over about 60mph so it gives a kind of feel good factor.

My wife tends to give me a funny look when she sees me running my hand around the windscreen frame.
(I think she gets jealous!)
I hope I never find the source of the noise as then I will lose the excuse I use for taking the car out for an hour,you know the one, "just going to see if I can find where that funny noise is coming from!"

Does your car also have the MGA metallic "jingle" noise from the footwell area, usually just as the revs get to the changing up point?
They say it comes from the starter bendix and I have heard it on all 3 MGAs I have owned.
It is similarly a noise I associate with driving the MGA quickly and so it too is a sound that makes me grin!

Colyn

PS. Steve must have a suitable picture somewhere of an MGA fitted with a steam train whisle or an air raid siren!
Colyn Firth

Colyn

Yes, it is the starter bendix getting a bit gummed up and not returning to its 'at rest' position. I believe it is the draft from the spinning flywheel so close to the bendix teeth that causes a the bendix to jingle. I have a bendix removal tool and have frequently replaced the item. That said, I have not seen bendixes for sale recently. Almost as cheap to replace the entire starter.

Steve
Steve Gyles

Colyn,

Sounds like your car was specified with "all the whistles and bells!"

I also have the intermittent slight whistle from the right side of the windscreen, only occasionally and with the roof down at around 40-60mph. Now to listen out for the jingle!
Neil McGurk

Well, if it's from the windscreen it is certainly not universal. Never had any such noises from my standard screen nor the sports screen that has the same bottom rail and just under half the length of the vertical rails. It is also fitted with slightly more raked stanchions.

That said, I have always had a wing mirror bolted on the stanchion, so perhaps the airflow is markedly different in that area on my car.

Do you guys get the whistle with the hood up?

Perhaps we need to look for common themes on the cars that whistle. i.e. position of the following: mirrors, aerials, badges, wipers etc. Perhaps also any gaps between the windscreen and stanchion; and gaps between the end of the bottom seal and stanchion etc.

Steve
Steve Gyles

I just had an awful thought!

Is everyone who has experienced the whistling sound over 60 like me?

Maybe it is the sound of a poorly fitting hearing aid!

Perhaps its time for lifting equipment to get me out of the car and possibly something more absorbant than leather on the seat cushions?

Colyn
Colyn Firth

Colyn, it's a wonder you can hear anything above the noise of that fan! Pardon....did you say something?
Lindsay Sampford

If you have a radio antenna and it is up- it has been my experience that this causes speed related whistling when driving. Put the antenna down and see if it stops.
BRIAN WARMUTH

I don’t get the whistling sound but I very occasionally get the jingle, thought this might have been a bit of pinking (pinging). Thanks to Colyn & Steve’s comments you have put my mind at rest.

Richard
R A Evans

Thanks for the thoughts re the jingle I get it at 3500 revs- Its been driving me mad trying to trace it -now mind at rest !!!
Paul
P D Camp

Starter motor bendix removal varies. The MGA workshop manual on N7 shows the cotter pin version. Most modern versions use cotters similar to those on engine valves. My 'Odds and Sods' web page shows the tool needed to compress the bendix on those later starters, reproduced here for convenience.

Please don't ask me for measurements, it's packed away in long term storage somewhere in Lancashire (still house hunting).

Steve


Steve Gyles

This thread was discussed between 13/09/2010 and 17/09/2010

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