Rattle. Loose rear window, NOT!
 

For years, twelve to be precise, I have been driving my 914 with a funky rattle in the back. I was told, authoritatively, by a few sources that it was the "very common loose rear window problem". So, trusting experience, which usually proven to be correct, I removed and reinstalled the rear window with the proper 3M sealant strip.

Rattle persisted for another 5 or 6 years...until today.

Turns out that the two long metal support spring rods (a.k.a. torsion rods) that help hold up the trunk lid, cross each other along the back wall of the engine compartment, at just the right speeds, bumps, or astral configurations, bump each other and rattle. A 4" piece of plastic tubing (or fuel line) placed over the rear bar, right where the two cross, eliminated this persistant rattle.

More peace on the road.

what IS the window rattleing against?.. my car has the characteristic rattle, and it rattles at a semi high frequency (not the pitch, the time) sounding like a loose plastic piece near the seat belt area. Am i describing the symptoms of a rattling window?.. getting kinda tired of that sound..

I have the same noise that seems like it is emitting from the seat belt area. It drives me crazy because I cant locate the source, it is not my window because that was recently resealed. I am going to try the trick with the trunk springs that the original poster stated (soon to be replaced by gas shocks from Pelican anyways!)
-Brent

Watch out when you're taking those torsion bars off when you're doing the gas strut conversion.. they pack a punch.. unless you are going to fabricate that tool Cooley designed (or did he just draw it?), it's going to be a pain in the butt.. wear gloves.. it might save your fingers..

I had the same rattle over my left shoulder, but only when the top was off. Three things solved the problem:
1) The small piece of engine grill that is next to the sail panel was loose
2)The "P O R " letters on the deck lid were loose. This was caused by...
3) The engine cover itself needed to be adjusted, both the release mechanism as well as the the black bump stops on either edge.

I am missing the 2" plastic block that is on the underside of the engine cover. I have heard that this keeps the cover from flexing and thus loosening everything up.

Scott S

mine useto rattle also, so i replaced the rear window seal.....an notheing happened. A few months later, i replaced the rear targa seal (cost me $8, check for the article here on pelican, in the technical forum), and that stopped the rattle..........for now.


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Michael Scheid
(206) 232-9854

Yup folks, right over the left shoulder is where it sounded like it came. I also replaced the top seal, which really needed it, at one time, but that was a different rattle.

I also checked all of the parts of the engine lid. Tapping with a finger nail on everything until I found the right resonant frequency. I just never, until the other day, even considered the torsion rods.

When putting the tubing over the torsion rod, just split the tubing down one side (easy way is to put the tubing long way in your vise and pull a utility knife down it, the edge of the vise jaw can help you make a very straight cut). No need to remove the torsion tube.

I drove the car more today and sure love the peace and quiet of not having that rattle over my left shoulder.

Well, I've got the "over the left shoulder rattle" in spades (great description BTW). Yesterday the light bulb went on as to the possible cause. I've got a loose nut in the deck lid for one of the condenser bolts that I can hear move everytime I open the lid. Could this be it?

Also, the straps that hold the jack securely in the trunk can fail and allow the jack to rattle and bump against the inside of the trunk floor.