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MG MGF Technical - Noisey CVT drive plate.....

This is the second CVT TF I've had in the workshop with a noisey drive plate and I have to say, I've not yet heard a quiet one yet....

However, my client on this occasion has been TOLD to get the noise fixed before she can trade it in against another vehicle (Nissan 300Z).

We've had the plate out, tightened up the springs and lubed them but it still rattles, but not as badly.

What are your experiances of either the noise or a fix....?

Cheers,
Mark.
M T Boldry

I've been running a CVT MGF for nearly 10 years now and I've never experienced the problem you're describing. In fact you are the first person that I have even heard mentioning this fault.
David Clelland

Glad you said that David - because I hadn't read any reports on this either?
Mark, the gearbox is shared with the BMW Mini - I wonder whether there are reports of this nature in Australia?

It all sounds as though the plate is warped doesn't it? Is this a heat thing I wonder?
Rob Bell

Mark,

Beside my MG's I have a Rover 25 1.8 CVT and it was very noisy at 180.000 km.
I replaced the drive plate completly with a brandnew one bought locally (€€€)(maybe also available from: http://www.rimmerbros.co.uk) and now it is quiet(er).

There will always be a (very) little bit of rattling.
Unless the wear is extremely severe, causing the springs to break or fall out, there is no reason to worry about the noise. My Rover rattled from 130.000 km.

"Tightening up" the springs won't work as they have lost their strength?

I'm afraid it can't be bodged without the risk of claims from the Nissan-seller, so I'd say bite the bullet, fit a new driveplate and get rid of the blasted car! After I replaced the drive plate the main bearing failed, also a common failure and not a DIY job, so even more expensive, but it does drive sweeeeet now it is properly adjusted etc..

Willem
Willem vd Veer

Rob, David,

I'm surprised you've never heard of the complaint. If you Google "Rattle Rover CVT" you can imagine my surprise.

Don't get me wrong: I simply love the way this CVT works and performs, but I'm fully aware of it's shortcomings.

The driveplate is much like the clutchplate in conventional gearboxes that also have strong springs to allow some degrees of movement to relieve the transmission a bit. When the springs lose their tension they will develop some play and will thus rattle.
Willem vd Veer

Being a PG1 gearbox owner, I don't have a great experience with these gearboxes - certainly not as much as David! Perhaps the relative lack of reporting on the MG fora is the lower average mileages of MGF/TFs versus the Rover 25?

Does the same problem effect Mini owners with the same gearbox Willem?
Rob Bell

Guys, thanks for you input.

As mentioned above, we had the plate out and tweeked the springs and this did have the effect of quietening the rattle but not loosing it.

It wasn't a question of bodging it up to sell it, but to check that it wasn't broken or cracked and quietening if possible.

I couldn't find a new plate here in Aus, but I'm sure I could get one in the UK, I may even do that for stock.

The TF in question has only covered 34000 Kms...!

Talking of shortcomings of the CVT, don't forget to change the oil reguarlaly with the correct oil....! Preventional maintanance.

Mark.
M T Boldry

Out of interest I had a look at "Rattle Rover CVT" as Willem suggested and one of the recommendations was to go to a Ford dealer and by a plate for a Focus IIRC as it fits straight in. I expect they're sold by Ford in Australia.
David Billington

David, I'm going to look at that option for the future. Not many Focus' here but I guess I can ask....

Clearly it's a common problem.

Mark.
M T Boldry

Mark,

Bodge was the word that came up, but not meant in a negative way. A proper bodge will last forever....

Willem
Willem vd Veer

Mark, I've just had a Google for the "CVT Rattle" and the ones I read all seem to be talking about Rover 25s and if I'm honest I really didn't think that in the grand scale of things there were that many people that had suffered this problem. So I don't think that it really is all that common a problem. As Rob and I have said (and we've both been active on these Forums for many years) you are the first person that we have heard mentioning this problem on an F or TF. Mind you if my car starts to rattle when idling I now know where to start looking.
David Clelland

David, My normal haunt are the midget and Sprite pages, but have recently started visiting the F & TF side of things.

Strangely, things here suffer in different ways to the UK. We are constantly replacing Universal Joints in all sorts of vehicles plus MGB diff gear thrust washers (I've never had to do these in the UK in over 35 years of working with them) it seems to be that the roads here somehow give transmissions a lot more grief.... even the Fords, Holdons and Jap stuff suffer.

But all your input is appreciated, thanks.

Mark.

M T Boldry

This thread was discussed between 17/06/2010 and 26/06/2010

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