Sound deadening.

[orsome]

sound levels R4

Thanks for that Mike, I will give it a try.

Some say it's a shame to install a radio or cd players in a R4, it deadens it's loydy soul?

For floorpan i used a 4mm layer of bitumen mat when i couldn't find something like the old hairy bitumen mat what was used originally.

 

[mike4gtl]

Oh you need a radio when you do the miles I do in mine.

 

[Paul Narramore]

I began my efforts at sound deadening Renée today. One step at a time. I have an ex-Army 10mm thick close cell foam camping mat which I have used to line the roof. I cut it into large sections, 2ft wide, and lay them across the rigid roof lining then duck taped them in place. Then simply replaced the roof lining. I'm now looking into what I can use to line the doors, rear hatch, the floor and most importantly the bonnet. I think the bonnet would require a bit more than foam which may melt in the heat.

(Next day) After visiting our local army surplus shop, I bought their last ex-Army camping mat for £7. They should be getting some more in shortly. Mountain Warehouse sell 6mm thick close cell foam camping mats for less than £10.

 

[Paul Narramore]

After applying foil backed, self adhesive bitumen material to the underside of the bonnet, I think the sound deadening is marginal at best.

The floor certainly needs something better than the standard rubber mats but breathable and not likely to rot. It's always a bit damp under the mats as my repeated efforts at sealing the windscreen has failed. Heavy overnight rain on Tuesday night and half a cupful of water in the driver's side parcel shelf. I shall apply some more sealant.

So back to noise. I leave my hearing aids out when I drive her and at 65mph, she purrs like a turbine.

 

[reidalpine]

Hi Paul-one cheap way is to put yesterdays newspapers under the rubbermats,but remember to change them often as they suck up
(and store)the water pretty good.. and here I was under the impression it didn't rain much in old Blighty ??? c",) -Reid.

 

[Paul Narramore]

Reid, The rubber mats are now out on the front path drying in the midday sunshine we are enjoying here. I think I may take the plastic plug out of the floor beneath the pedals to at least allow some of the water to escape. I resealed for the umpteenth time the front windscreen this morning, both bodywork to rubber and rubber to glass. The heater 'box' is all red oxided and Waxoyled, and the escape hole is clear, so no water should come in there. This just leaves the windscreen wiper seals, but the amount of water coming in almost precludes any ingress there. I am currently looking for a couple of 5ft x 3ft carpet offcuts as we need some more sound deadening too.

 

[reidalpine]

Paul,if you go for carpets do get the heaviest one you can get as the heavier the better for sound-dampening. I found that using some kind of
bitumen-based paint was very effective,warm it in a bucket of hot water so it gets nice and easy to slosh on for best adhesion and so it creeps
into all nooks and crannies . Several thinner coats is best (wet-on-wet) so it wont crack easily and lift off later on.
If you make a short hose fitting into where the plastic plug sat ,pointed or slanted rearwards and cut off in 45degree you will have a suction-hose
that helps sucking out moist and water by under-pressure when driving..
-I had problems with moist inside the rear-light housings,so drilled a tiny hole,used the collar of a pop-rivet into hole from inside and stuck on a 3mm
hose on it on outside that have solved problem.It is all dry now.. (i just Love free or deadcheap fixes!) -Reid.

 

[jjad]

Sounds like you need a self-bailer from a sailing dingy, Paul. Or a garage of course. I hope you manage to sort out your leak.

 

[malcolm]

The main cause of noise in a Renault 4 is sound from the engine going straight through the bulkhead. Stick something on the bulkhead. Sticking stuff anywhere else will be no good as most of the noise goes through the bulkhead. Try driving at 110km/h then sticking the clutch down and lifting off the throttle. That removes the source (engine).

Couple options. Your heavy stick on stuff should help a lot on the bulkhead either side. Another way is to put some foam between the heavy stuff and the bulkhead. I did that on mine - floor mats on the bulkhead with a half inch of foam behind - see the bottom of the page http://www.renault4.co.uk/gordini-soundproofing.htm Works well and I mostly have wind noise problems now.

 

[Renault4 Hat]

That's all-bran for you though Malcolm

 

[Renault4 Hat]

This is no sort of answer as yet but upstairs from my office is an acoustics firm and they recommended a product to me & in the process of souring some sample bits for me to experiment on my BMW (touring not as quiet as saloon). As soon as I have news I'll share. It wasn't t dynamat btw, overpriced nonsense in their opinion

 

[Paul Narramore]

Traditionally people place sound deadening under the bonnet but, as you say Malcolm, I've never been entirely convinced. The noise has to travel upwards through the bonnet then backwards through the windscreen, where as we know that backwards through an unprotected bulkhead is the obvious route.

Today I surveyed the sorry mess which is Renée's inner floor. The perpetual dampness has caused the black paint to bubble up so I set to with a paint scraper followed by a wire cup brush in an angle grinder and got most of it back to bare metal. I took out the plug under the pedals and discovered quite a few holes, some pin pricks, on both sides of the floor. Three or four coats of Kurust Gel - I'm not convinced the stuff has the slightest effect - then washed it off and allowed it to dry. Once dry I've covered the holes with self adhesive aluminium foil tape, the stuff RAF aircraft mechanics use to patch up bullet holes in aircraft, so it should be fine for now.

One coat of red oxide followed by black Smoothrite - the Smoothrite is still very tacky two hours later. Before they altered the formula, this used to be good stuff drying in fifteen minutes or so. Anyway the floor looks a treat (and may be touch dry by the morning). I don't know WHICH morning.

I've stuck 10mm close cell foam to the underside of the rubber floor mat and that should make a difference. I might even manage to hear the bloomin' radio at 65mph now.