Tapping or ticking from the top end of the engine
→ Loose valves or other valvetrain issues
Tapping or ticking from the bottom end of engine
→ Main or rod bearing issues
Rushing air sound that increases with engine speed
→ A loose component in the intake tract
Screeching that changes with engine speed
→ Worn or loose drive belts
Pinging under acceleration
→ Ignition …
My freshly restored 1958 Giulietta Spider Veloce developed a wheezing, kazoo like sound coming from the engine. My first guess was a cylinder's header pipe was loose at the head, causing the thin cooper gasket to sound like a reed in a wind instrument. Nada. An expert's ear guessed it could be a dry cam bearing, yikes but nope, the caps were oily. The source I found finally was all eight impossible to access nuts that secure the DCO3 Webers. They were just finger tight. It takes a special set of crippled 12mm wrenches to fix that.
Cheers, Peter Pleitner
www.enjoyclassiccars.com
I was amused that you used a Sunbeam Tiger as an illustration. Last August, I volunteered at the Anchorage start of the Alaska to Mexico Rally. A Tiger with a freshly rebuilt V8 was shipped up from England via the West Coast, only to develop valvetrain clatter at the start. After several attempts to resolve the problem, they flew their mechanic in from England with a new head.
I use my electronic shooting earmuffs. They are very directional and can help identify the area of sound emanaation. Then I break out the stethescope if needed. Or even my iPhone.
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