Other: My 62 Lark sounds like I put a baseball card in the spokes. Any Ideas?????

[rogerlw]

When my Lark is in motion it makes a clicking sound that reminds me of a kid putting baseball cards in the spokes of my bike. I can only hear it when moving, my wife says she can hear it stationary. I don't believe her because that would mean I'm losing my hearing. Either way. Any ideas?

Thanks

[jclary]

If it is an automatic...suspect the flex plate.

[r1lark]

Does it make the sound all the time, or just when under power - in other words, when going down a hill with your foot off the accelerator does the sound change? Does it change with speed? Does the sound change depending on what gear the transmission is in? Can you apply a slight pressure to the brake pedal and change the sound? If a manual, does the sound change whether the clutch pedal is engaged? Have you tried putting the car in neutral going down a hill to see if the sound changes or stops?

You haven't give us much to go on..........

[BILT4ME]

Check your starter. My 59 Lark (with a 63 engine, trans, and starter) has had a loud starter ever since I installed the starter 34 years ago. I had taken it out and rebuilt it (cleaned and lubed) in order to hopefully make it stop making the noise. Well, it stopped. It also stopped starting the car. Basically, the starter drive was ALWAYS engaged in the ring gear to some degree. I could hear a "TING, TING, TING" type noise most of the time, especially right after starting it. It finally broke the roll pin that holds the starter drive in place.

I removed the 63 starter, cleaned up the original 59 starter and installed it. Works fantastic and it retracts like it should and now the car is MUCH quieter to drive. I didn't realize how much noise that starter made constantly. The old one also chewed off almost half of the teeth on the ring gear because it was never set properly and did not have the correct amount of throw on the starter drive. The 59 starter has full tooth engagement and retracts fully.

Good Luck!

[rogerlw]

r1, It an Automatic. It make the sound when ever the car is moving. I haven't been down any hills but it slows as the car slows if I take foot off accelerator. The faster I go the faster and louder it gets. The sound tends to change with speed, I haven't noticed a different sound when it changes gears. When I apply brake the sound is same except for change in speed. I'm in a flat area of Texas, no hills to coast down.

jclary, Are there other signs of flexplate failure that I can look for?

Bilt, I will spend some time looking at that, Your idea sound much easier to fix than j's

Thanks

[r1lark]

Bad universal joint? If it is a u-joint, when they get that noisy they can fail at any time. I had a '66 Plymouth Fury that did that, but only lasted about 5 miles once it started making that much noise.

[rogerlw]

That should be easiest to confirm and fix. I just need to finish the brake job on my 62 Scout so I can put the jack stands under the Lark. Lol. "let's buy some classic cars." I said. "No more payments will be great. " I said. Smh. it's a good thing I like working with my hands. Lol

[studegary]

My guesses - universal joint or wheel bearing.

[gordr]

Having dealt with broken flex plates before, I will note that the noise is worst at idle, in neutral or Park. On the road, engine pulling, it mostly goes away. I would suspect a U-joint, as the others have said, or a wheel bearing, or even a cracked wheel. Have you by any chance mounted 205 or 215 radials on the original rims? Pop the hub caps or wheel covers off and inspect the "corner" where the wheel bolt mounting plane curves up into the main web of the wheel. Look for cracks in the paint that are bleeding powdery rust. Needless to say, this is an important safety issue. Lark rims are known to crack here, especially when oversize radial tires are mounted.

[karterfred88]

How loud? Disconnect the speedo cable from the trans end and tie it to the frame, cover the hole or plug it, drive around the block. Could just be speedo cable. Next, try to time the click-noise to the tire rotation. Every rotation of tire-wheel bearing or flexing wheel-look for broken weld in wheel. Two or more times per wheel rotation universal joints. Independent of tire rotations but dependent on engine speed, flex plate.
Noises are hard to diagnose by yourself. Makes it not moving, put in D and hold brake, see if engine lifts and fan touches shroud broken engine mount? Even a bad exhaust header gasket can give a tick-tick sound. Are you sure you didn't install wire wheel caps and a baseball card?

[jclary]

jclary, Are there other signs of flexplate failure that I can look for?

Bilt, I will spend some time looking at that, Your idea sound much easier to fix than j's

Thanks

I'm only trying to help by what I've learned form others regarding the flex plate issue. Since my post, others have supplied some viable things to look for. In addition to Gord's suggestion about cracked wheels, check the flanges of your brake drums around the studs. I have had first hand experience with a cracked drum. In that case, the noise was worse in cornering, and went away when braking. It was difficult to diagnose. Finally, when I found it, like Gord said, there was powdery rust residue along the almost imperceptible cracks.

Another thing I thought about was a loose lug nut clanging away behind your wheel cover. However, at highway speed, you would think that centrifugal force would eventually hold it in place and the noise would go away until you slowed down. Once you check all the suggested remedies, be sure to let us know what you find.

[Timj]

My 62 GT, with an automatic, will make a sort of buzzing noise when it leaks too much transmission fluid. I have to check it regularly, to keep it topped off.

[Mrs K Corbin]

Cat wrapped around the Driveshaft?

[StudeRich]

If examining the undercarriage does not net any answers, get all 4 Wheels well clear of the ground on sturdy Jackstands and idle the Engine in Drive and check out the location of the noise while rolling around under it on your Creeper.

You didn't install Front Disc. Brakes on your '62, with '62 Wheels did you?

[spokejr]

I had someting similar with the Avanti.

When I first got it running well enough to drive around the property, it started to make a clicky, twanging like sound, almost the same as when you flick one of those doorstops on the baseboard.

When I had checked the trans fluid level (in the beginning) the trans was cold but the engine was running and the level was mid-point between the lines on the stick. I didn't notice that the stick also said for the trans to be in DRIVE! As the fluid dropped with test use, this sound started from the back of the engine. I decided to take a risk and go for a long drive (around the block) and then checked the level. It was a little below the fill line and the clicking was really noticable in all conditions.

That's when I noticed the note about having the trans in DRIVE. When I did that, I didn't have any fluid on the dip stick! Topped it up and now quiet as a ghost.

Well that was certainly a relief since I was starting to fear a cracking flex plate.

Good luck.