Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Morgan Three Wheeler & Super 3 Another drivetrain rattle solved - mudguard mount

Problem: Banging from the drivertrain when pulling under load eg accelerating in 4th at 50mph, but seemed to be getting worse!

Situation: Car has had the mudguard fitted in 2019, and I added Phil's bevel box mount in 2020. Phil had kindly centred the rear drive belt on the rear sprocket when we did the Centa upgrade in May21. Car is now 7K miles on its original tyres...

Evidence: Looks like the side of the mudguard mount was being worn away... by the drive belt!

Theory: As the rear tyre has worn*, the gap to the cut out in the rear mudguard mount for the belt has reduced. At rest there is 3mm or so gap, but clearly under load there is some belt flapping from the part of the belt opposite that under load (maybe its stretching?).

Solution: took out the mudguard**, and the mudguard mount, and dremeled away some of the allow material, added some hammerite to cover it, and presto, no banging any more (from the rear anyway)!



Something else to check for.

PS:

* = amazingly there is only 3mm tread left so time for a new rear tyre at 7K miles...

** = found one of the threads for the mudguard mount into the swing arm had stripped (/had never been threaded judging from the muck on the bolt). Thats going to be a b*gg*r to fix unless I drop / remove the swing arm... luckily there are 2 bolts per side so not critical.

PPS: Phil B had correctly identified this interference back in July in one of his other customer's car. Thanks Phil!

For the belt to be hitting your morgan mudguard , are you sure the rear wheel was centred ok ?
On my 2013, despite some wild rear wheel settings i have never known the belt hit the mudguard.
I think i would be going in circles for this to happen !

What was being hit was the mudguard mount (fomed to protect the front of the swingarm) not the mudguard itself. But arguably when I centered the bevel box for its new mount it could have shifted closer to the swingarm bearing ... clearly millimetres count!