Miata Mailing List: May 1998, Message #9

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>From: Fireball27 <Fireball27@aol.com>
>Subject: "Metallic Buzz"   please help!!!:
>Date: Fri, 1 May 1998 00:09:50 +0000
>
>To the collective wisdom:
>
>I had the common buzz that occured right around the 3500rpm mark.  I   
showed my
>dad, the mechanically adept one, the little printout and he said that he   
could
>just pry the heat shield out a little, and that should stop the buzzing.   
 And
>that did fiz the buzz, at 3500 rpm anyway.   But now i have the same   
buzzing
>sound, only louder, from around 4600-4900 RPMs.    Any advice on how to   
fix
>this would be greatly appreciated.
>
>TIA
>
>Ben Foltz
>Team - Funny Noises

Ben,
 This new buzz may be the same part, rattling at a new frequency, because   
of its new shape, or it may be a whole new rattle that you didn't notice   
before. There are several different sized heat shields on the exhaust and   
they all buzz at different revs (if they're loose).

First I would eliminate the first possibility. Depending on which part it   
is, it may be easier to remove it completely from the car, or, attach it   
so well that it cant buzz. If its the little half round shield where the   
header goes from four into one, you can put a hose clamp around it, or if   
you like cheap and nasty fixes like myself, you can get some coat-hanger   
wire around it, and twist the ends with pliers until its too tight to   
move.

Fletch.