Creaking/Clicking noise in BB Area - Opinions please

[R120]

So hoping I am not looking at big trouble here - when applying pressure to RH crank at the bottom of the downward stroke I get a clicking sound - now at first this coincided with the fitting of some new pedals so I thought it was a duff bearing in theses, however swapped out to another set of pedals and getting same noise.

The noise is only apparent when there is resistance, i.e if spinning or not putting much pressure through the pedal then no noise, but if accelerating, pushing against the gear you get it.

Going to strip it down tomorrow, but any suggestions? Everything is tight on first inspection, so hoping its not the motor !

 

[Bonz]

So hoping I am not looking at big trouble here - when applying pressure to RH crank at the bottom of the downward stroke I get a clicking sound - now at first this coincided with the fitting of some new pedals so I thought it was a duff bearing in theses, however swapped out to another set of pedals and getting same noise.

The noise is only apparent when there is resistance, i.e if spinning or not putting much pressure through the pedal then no noise, but if accelerating, pushing against the gear you get it.

Going to strip it down tomorrow, but any suggestions? Everything is tight on first inspection, so hoping its not the motor !

I thought I had possible bottom bracket problems as well.
Took out the engine mounting bolts and greased them, luckily this stopped the noise problem.
Good luck.

 

[Gary]

Nah...
It's difficult to tell from the video but it doesn't sound like the beginning creak before the bearings start to die (as in both my two motors main axle bearing deaths).
You seem a pretty thorough sort of guy when it comes to maintenance so I'm probably teaching granma to suck eggs here but I'll type this anyway just incase there's something you've overlooked.
Any play in the axle? holding both crank arms at various points and rocking side to side looking/feeling for a knock. - you know where i'm going with this one.
any play between the spider and the axle? holding the chainring at 3 and 9 oclock and trying to force it off axis should show up any loseness. this is an easy fix. TL FC 39 to tighten the lockring. opposite thread ie. anticlockwise to tighten.
finding a click/creak can be a bit of a hunt sometimes so isolating various parts to discount them from the hunt is the way to go.
Does it do it stood up and sitting? Does it do it with a chain and without. etc.
Removing the crank arms, cleaning the splines and refitting
Remove the chain and top guide and see if it still clicks at the same point in the crank revolution.
check the chainring thoroughly for damage/debris
check all bolts. Ie. chainring bolts, motor mounting bolts, pivot bolts seat clamp and even rear drop outs.
Oddly a click/creak at one point in a crank revolution can come from a completely different area. so check your dropper post, saddle mount. and even the rear axle.

 

[R120]

My gut instinct is that its either the chain device, and the chain hitting it at the point that max pressure is applied, the chainring, or the motor mounts.

No obvious play when checking out on the trails, gave it a proper clean this afternoon and going to start the investigation tomorrow.

The bike rides fine, but the last two weeks have seen it getting the most concerted period of abuse/hard riding I have ever put it through, as I have been hitting up Peaslake pretty much every other day, and been felling "on it" for want of a better phrase recently, with a touch of mechanical anarchy to my riding.

 

[Gary]

My gut instinct is that its either the chain device, and the chain hitting it at the point that max pressure is applied, the chainring, or the motor mounts.

RE: chain/ring/device. Yeah have a really good look to see if anything is close to contacting while turning the crank. it could even be the backplate. I find a light/torch behind helps spot this sort of thing quicker/easier. (my old eyes are pretty shot for close up stuff these days though)

 

[Gary]

The bike rides fine, but the last two weeks have seen it getting the most concerted period of abuse/hard riding I have ever put it through, as I have been hitting up Peaslake pretty much every other day, and been felling "on it" for want of a better phrase recently, with a touch of mechanical anarchy to my riding.

wonder if you might have bent the crank/spider then. htey're not exactly Saint strength parts.
Probably a good thing though as a bent axle would be much worse.

 

[R120]

Yup and the Miranda 160mm cranks are not exactly Shimano quality

 

[R120]

So turned out to be that the chain guide mount had loosened/been knocked and rotated backwards, which was causing the swingarm to hit it when going though the suspension movement, which was in turn pushing the guide against chain ring.

You can see in the attached how the guide was touching the chain stay.

 

[volts]

So turned out to be that the chain guide mount had loosened/been knocked and rotated backwards, which was causing the swingarm to hit it when going though the suspension movement, which was in turn pushing the guide against chain ring.

You can see in the attached how the guide was touching the chain stay.

View attachment 12359

Mine was like that from factory. It ate through the rubber and a tiny bit through the metal before I found out where the noise was coming from.

 

[R120]

Just to clarify it was the mount/bracket that had come slightly loose and rotated backwards, not the actual plastic guide. You can access the bolts through the chainring