Club 80-90 Forums

Had a fanatastic trip to Pembrokshire, van ran a treat.

Only had one moment when I was going up a 16% hill with a full loaded van. In 2nd gear and there was a knocking from the engine. Van ran for the rest of the holiday fine no noisy and covered another 500 miles.

Just looking for re-assurance as I think I was asking 2nd gear to do to much, rather than anything seriously wrong.

The engine is a 1.9 watercooled

are you sure it wasn't a tapping? perhaps the incline drained some oil from the tappets?

You think 2nd gear was being asked too much, did you consider 1st then?

The question really is, was it pinking/detonation or a mechanical knocking (ends)? Or something else, presume you'd know pinking/endy knocking

My van will knock on very steep hills. And when I say Knock I mean it sounds like somebody is hitting the chassis with a hammer it's that loud.

I think it's just that my drive shafts are a little worn and when going up steep gradients all the weight is on the rear end and hence the suspension is compressed more than usual.

The knock is caused by the wear in the CV joints and the compressed sussy meaning the balls are in a different spot than usual.

Think front wheel drive car going around a corner - the CV joints knock on them when worn and that always shows up on corners.

Nothing to worry about really as its not something that will fail and let you down, The knocking will just get worse and worse until you cant stand it any more and end up changing them.

Was the knocking in time with the engine revs or slow and in time with the wheels going around?

Brrrrrrrrrr or knock knock knock?

He said...

was a knocking from the engine.

Maybe it wasn't but that what was said, might be difficult to bvbe sure when hillclimbing though.. drivehsaft CVJ theory sounds a good'un!

Yes, when I re-read the original post and your reply. I realised the quote.

From the engine.

and hence my question.

brrrrr or knock knock knock.

Thought that was very descriptive of me too.

Diagnosing a sound from a description is difficult... especially if the person isnt very mechancal...

Could be the engine, but more likely the CV joints considering what you were doing... but .... we are only guessing..

regards what gear... never try and make it lug (ie low rpm) up a hill, better to have it spinning quite well on a half throttle than low rpm on a full throttle.. change down early as you will lose too much momentum byt he time the rpm is low and have to try and get another gear...

Well thanks for all the replies. I am now trying to remember the sound and what it was in time too. In hindsight I was more in time with the wheels and pretty regular, but not all the way up the hill. When I attempted a similar hill unlaidened there was no knocking.

toomanytoys wrote:
regards what gear... never try and make it lug (ie low rpm) up a hill, better to have it spinning quite well on a half throttle than low rpm on a full throttle.. change down early as you will lose too much momentum byt he time the rpm is low and have to try and get another gear...

A chap at work gave me a lift in his new (to him) car the other day and as we were climbing a steep hill in traffic at about 10mph with him still in 5th gear. I said "you dont like your head gasket very much do you" to which he responded - " its ok its a diesel they just slugg away" Next day the car was in having its head done. So yes as you say - keep it spinning.

.. also tell him it's lugging not slugging

Though you probably won't get any more lifts to work if you also ask him why they thought to put a gear lever in the floor