Beta 43

[Old Son]

I have a red coloured Beta 43 which seems to run very well. I get a sort of tinkle noise when it’s running, not to loud but i can hear it the background. I’ve taken both alternator belts off today to replace them and clean up the dust and grime from the alternators and engine block. During this I found what I thought was an unused stud behind the large alternator. It is fitted into the engine and at first I wondered if it was a redundant fixing for a bracket or something. I tried to turn it by hand and it did move a little. Once cleaned it seems to be a lose cover over a possible breather of some kind?  The cover is only about 8mm diameter and protrudes about 20mm. This could easily be the noise I have been hearing, the cover rattling. Does anybody know what this is and is there anyway to make the cover tighter so it doesn’t make a noise when the engine is running?

Thanks

[Jen-in-Wellies]

Picture?

[matty40s]

8 minutes ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:

Picture?

Glad to be of help.

[Old Son]

I didn’t think to take a picture. I’ll see if I can take a picture with everything back in place. 

[Old Son]

2 minutes ago, Old Son said:

I didn’t think to take a picture. I’ll see if I can take a picture with everything back in place. 

Here are the pictures. The cover is in the centre of the picture. 

Second picture

 

[Cheshire cat]

I don't see anything there that is loose so I think you need to widen the search or chill. Do you have any alcohol on board?

 

[Tony Brooks]

I think it's the anti-tamper cap on one of the governor adjustments. You can see the crimp at the engine end where they squeezed it to stop it coming off, but I am more used to seeing them wired on with a lead seal.

 

I think that you could pull it off as long as you are never tempted to adjust the nut and bolt that is under it. I don't think you can tighten it long term, but try squashing the engine end. If it pulls off as I think it will, you could put a drop or two of sealer down the hole (polyurethane glue?) and lightly stick it on.

[Old Son]

It’s not lose, the offending item seems to be a cover over something and it is lose and rattles. I was asking

1. what is the cover protecting

2. is there an obvious way to stop is rattling when the engine is running?

You are quite right, maybe I should sit back and chill and not worry, the boat moored behind me chucks out so much smoke with the engine runs it choked the moored either side. Maybe none of us should worry about that either?

Some of us like to try and look after our belongings, some clearly don’t care!!

[Tracy D'arth]

Its an anti tamper,  Glue it with a blob of silicone or PU18 goo.

[Old Son]

2 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

I think it's the anti-tamper cap on one of the governor adjustments. You can see the crimp at the engine end where they squeezed it to stop it coming off, but I am more used to seeing them wired on with a lead seal.

 

I think that you could pull it off as long as you are never tempted to adjust the nut and bolt that is under it. I don't think you can tighten it long term, but try squashing the engine end. If it pulls off as I think it will, you could put a drop or two of sealer down the hole (polyurethane glue?) and lightly stick it on.

Thank you Tony, at least I know what it is now. I will do as you say and see if I can squash it a little or stick it in place. I certainly won’t be adjusting anything in that area!!

Thanks Tracy, Silicon sounds like the answer but it needs to be a little bit cleaner than it is. I’ll use some brake cleaner to clean the paintwork around it then try silicon. 

[Tony Brooks]

8 minutes ago, Old Son said:

It’s not lose, the offending item seems to be a cover over something and it is lose and rattles. I was asking

1. what is the cover protecting

2. is there an obvious way to stop is rattling when the engine is running?

You are quite right, maybe I should sit back and chill and not worry, the boat moored behind me chucks out so much smoke with the engine runs it choked the moored either side. Maybe none of us should worry about that either?

Some of us like to try and look after our belongings, some clearly don’t care!!

 

Edited to add, sorry, I was writing my reply before your post but  still can't understand your first sentence.

 

Ok, I won't bother to try to answer any more of your questions. How can it not be loose yet it is loose and rattles?

 

As I don't have a Beta to look at I can not be 100% sure but I am 99 sure that it is a simple aluminium cover over an adjusting screw and locknut for the governor - possibly the maximum fuel stop on the rack. It is a simple anti-tamper device to stop you getting at the adjustment.

 

I am sure you can pull the thing off without problems. if it's not floating about on the screw, it can't rattle, but I doubt you could hear any rattle it makes. Maybe the screw and locknut under it has come loose.

Edited August 21, 2021 by Tony Brooks

[dmr]

2 hours ago, Cheshire cat said:

I don't see anything there that is loose so I think you need to widen the search or chill. Do you have any alcohol on board?

 

 

My old VW camper had a subtle tinkling sound at mid load mid revs. I lived with it for ages but for some reason thought I needed to look inside the engine. A whole piece of piston skirt had broken loose and was held in place by just the bore.

Alcohol cures most problems but not all of them 😀

[nicknorman]

2 hours ago, Tony Brooks said:

 

Edited to add, sorry, I was writing my reply before your post but  still can't understand your first sentence.

 

Ok, I won't bother to try to answer any more of your questions. How can it not be loose yet it is loose and rattles?

 

As I don't have a Beta to look at I can not be 100% sure but I am 99 sure that it is a simple aluminium cover over an adjusting screw and locknut for the governor - possibly the maximum fuel stop on the rack. It is a simple anti-tamper device to stop you getting at the adjustment.

 

I am sure you can pull the thing off without problems. if it's not floating about on the screw, it can't rattle, but I doubt you could hear any rattle it makes. Maybe the screw and locknut under it has come loose.

Pretty sure it is the adjuster for the governor spring tension. Well the cover for it, I mean. When we first got our Beta 43 it used to hunt a lot at or near idle. Eventually I found this adjuster (that you’re not supposed to adjust), tightened it and no more hunting. I don’t think it affects the max fuel flow but since it adjusts the balance between the 2 opposing springs in the governor, it might affect the max rpm.

 

After I adjusted it I did check the max rpm but it didn’t seem to have affected it much. But then we are slightly over-propped. I didn’t check it in neutral because that seemed cruel.

[Tony Brooks]

9 hours ago, nicknorman said:

Pretty sure it is the adjuster for the governor spring tension. Well the cover for it, I mean. When we first got our Beta 43 it used to hunt a lot at or near idle. Eventually I found this adjuster (that you’re not supposed to adjust), tightened it and no more hunting. I don’t think it affects the max fuel flow but since it adjusts the balance between the 2 opposing springs in the governor, it might affect the max rpm.

 

After I adjusted it I did check the max rpm but it didn’t seem to have affected it much. But then we are slightly over-propped. I didn’t check it in neutral because that seemed cruel.

 

You are probably correct, and it would have a similar effect to adjusting the maximum fuel stop in the pump because it will alter the governor force per RPM against the spring the throttle preloads. Whatever it does, that alloy cap can still be discarded if the OP feels it necessary.

 

You are prob

[Old Son]

Thanks Tracy, Silicon sounds like the answer but it needs to be a little bit cleaner than it is. I’ll use some brake cleaner to clean the paintwork around it then try silicon.

12 hours ago, Tony Brooks said:

 

Edited to add, sorry, I was writing my reply before your post but  still can't understand your first sentence.

 

Ok, I won't bother to try to answer any more of your questions. How can it not be loose yet it is loose and rattles?

 

As I don't have a Beta to look at I can not be 100% sure but I am 99 sure that it is a simple aluminium cover over an adjusting screw and locknut for the governor - possibly the maximum fuel stop on the rack. It is a simple anti-tamper device to stop you getting at the adjustment.

 

I am sure you can pull the thing off without problems. if it's not floating about on the screw, it can't rattle, but I doubt you could hear any rattle it makes. Maybe the screw and locknut under it has come loose.

Sorry for the confusion. The cover is lose, whatever it is covering does not appear to be lose. I’ll leave well alone, clean it and try a blob of silicon. 
Thank you all for taking the trouble to respond, It is very much appreciated. 

[Cheshire cat]

Sorry Tony. The OP was responding to my flippant remark rather than your attempt to help him. I try not to post if I've been to the pub but failed on this occasion.

 

Hopefully the silicon will solve the mystery. If it doesn't I would look at the condition of  the belt pulleys. Is there scope for lateral movement on any of them? I had a tinckling noise on a BMC because the water pump bearing was about to fail.

[Tony Brooks]

3 minutes ago, Cheshire cat said:

Sorry Tony. The OP was responding to my flippant remark rather than your attempt to help him. I try not to post if I've been to the pub but failed on this occasion.

 

Hopefully the silicon will solve the mystery. If it doesn't I would look at the condition of  the belt pulleys. Is there scope for lateral movement on any of them? I had a tinckling noise on a BMC because the water pump bearing was about to fail.

I agree, after he put up his next post. It just goes to show the importance of quoting, so everyone knows what is being responded to.