Engine noise reduction

[Merkator Fontana]

Greeting guys !
I am new to this forum and i just finished restauration on my 1990 R4 GTL ! Very happy to be part of the team!

Some sponge and an old floor mat is ready to be placed on the firewall per Clementines instructions in his Gordini soundproofing.
Anyway as i started driving i realised there is a lot of other sounds coming from under the bonnet(sqeaking ,clicking , rotating stuff ) apart from the general engine noise. I am aware that it not exactly the quietest engine , but was thinking maybe you guys can help me suggest how to minimise some of it ? (apart from turning up the radio )

Thanks!

 

[edwin]

I went to the skip at the back of a carpet company and recovered ( in the best traditions of sustainability ) some large off cuts of rubberised felt best quality underlay which i carefully cut to fit the floor and the angled front bit, and then put the rubber matt on top, and it does a great deal of soundproofing for no cost. The car is a utility vehicle and is intrinsically not mitigated towards jaguar or RR soundproofing, but.... the result I achieved for no spend is quite good.

 

[JonathanT]

I agree with Edwin with underlay - I got some heavy rubber foam and did the same - I also put some in between the plastic headlining (gtl) and the roof - that helped a lot with drumming
if I did more I would use thick bitumen and stick or melt it onto the wheel arches , floor , bulkhead .

 

[petak]

I have used 12mm foam on roof, bulkhead and door carpets
Combination od 5mm heavy foam and 2mm reinforced rubber on floor and rear wheel arches.

Material i have used is K-FLEX DUCT NET. ( I believe it can be found in BIH also). It is reinforced self adhesive (easy to apply) and cheap. For whole car i did not spend more that 150kn (20€)

Even made comparison test with another R4 who did not have all that insulation.

Here you can read more about comparison test.
https://www.renault4.co.uk/forum/threads/what-have-i-done-r4-gtl.3996/page-16#post-50649

 

[edwin]

With regard to the roof, I took the plastic ceiling shell out, restored it, reinforced it, painted it, and then put multi foil hi tech roof insulation above it when I put the roof back in. It has reduced drumming, reduced heat transfer through the roof, and its very light and easy to install. Need to talk to the company to bum a 1.5m strip, as it comes in large rolls ( for roofs - big areas).

 

[orsome]

I advise Van Halen with pedal to the metal so you cannot hear any kind of annoying noices.

 

[bigjobbins]

I advise Van Halen with pedal to the metal so you cannot hear any kind of annoying noices.

How about?

'Val Doonican Rocks, But Gently' LP 1967
Oh yes indeedy!

 

[Merkator Fontana]

K flex ? i will look into it and see if i can find some . I managed to cram 3 cm of sponge under the headlining and it turned out to be a chore to make it even .
Ruberised carpet sounds cool ,but i am concered if it will keep some moisture when it gets in . Any experiences? ( had my first car wash yesterday - oh boy. Good thing Bond chose the lotus esprit for his submarine vehicle and not the r4)

 

[Merkator Fontana]

I advise Van Halen with pedal to the metal so you cannot hear any kind of annoying noices.

Im usually a jazz guy ,but smooth jazz doesnt cut it for this car . Hair metal it is !

 

[André4Renaults]

Your restoration must have involved an engine rebuild. The tappets "settle down" after the engine's been run in, so check the head gasket bolt torque settings, re-torquing them if necessary, then check the tappets & adjust if necessary. If they're not set correctly the engine will sound very rattled.

 

[Merkator Fontana]

Your restoration must have involved an engine rebuild. The tappets "settle down" after the engine's been run in, so check the head gasket bolt torque settings, re-torquing them if necessary, then check the tappets & adjust if necessary. If they're not set correctly the engine will sound very rattled.

Not really ,i didnt feel confident taking everything apart with my level of knowlege , maybe next project. Apart from that, the engine was in a really good condition i didnt really want to fiddle too much. But good point , i will check all the screws on other moving parts just in case.

 

[Grenuj]

what kind of glue to mount this sponge (inside bonnet)?

 

[Merkator Fontana]

I dont think it would be a good idea to mount sponge inside the engine bay. It may be flammable . There is better material than sponge for under the hood.

 

[Grenuj]

I'll do a test...to see if it burns tnx

 

[edwin]

We just got some underfelt off cuts from a carpet fitters skip, the best type of underfelt, and cut them to shape and fitted them under the rubber floor mat, including up the angled front foot plate. That hugely reduced engine noise and drumming.

 

[Grenuj]

@edwin , can you upload pictures pls?

 

[edwin]

My car is in France so can't get pics, sorry. I cleaned the floor. Painted it with rust inhibitor, painted it black. Then I put the thick hessian and rubber underlay. Its a bit like you get on modern cars anyway. But out of a skip its free. I then put the rubber mats back in. Did it front, back and boot. The angled up foot plate was done as well. The car is in a dry climate so little rain and no condensation. Makes a big difference. I also took out the plastic ceiling and put multi foil insulation above it and put it back in. That cuts down sun heat, and reduces any drumming from there.

 

[Grenuj]

ok, tnx @edwin

The car is in a dry climate so little rain and no condensation.

I can't get rid of the water... It rained for about 20 days, it is difficult to drive, the windows are foggy, water flows down them.