Among the myriad problems with my car is a horrible rattling noise.

The flywheel appears to be battering the flywheel cover as the engine is running. I had hoped it was just that the cover was loose, but I stuck a length of plastic pipe under the car while it was running and shoved it against the cover and could feel it being clattered, presumably by the flywheel. However, I can't believe they flywheel protrudes from the bellhousing enough to catch the cover...

Am I missing something? Could something else be going on?

 

The cover has a "feature" that's supposed to fit up into the groove in the oil pan. It probably didn't fit up in there, but rather, is between the pan and the wheel. Might be bent or distorted.

Pop it out, take a good look at it, shouldn't be hard to figure out where it's messed up, straighten it and try again.

 

Thanks sofa - that does sound about right. I've been looking at the schematics in the shop manual to try and figure out what might be getting in the way. I guess it'd better pull out out and take a look. Gee, the things I'd ask the previous owner if I could find him! What on earth did he do when he put the engine back in?!

 

He EFFFFED it up.

 

Might be a doofus question but...

...do I have to drop the engine sump to properly fit the flywheel cover?

 

No

 

Actually that's not a doofus question at all , the doofus would have removed the engine sump (oil pan) and THEN asked "did I really need to take that off ?"

My concern would be just how mangled up the flywheel cover is , I've seen some that were pummeled bad enough that no amount of straightening it out would get them to fit right . Hopefully yours is in better shape than that .

 

Thanks! That should make sorting it out at least a little bit more straightforward.

I've been googling to get an idea what the cover SHOULD look like. As for how beaten up it is, I've access to an anvil and a selection of hammers, so we'll what I can manage...