Blown 4.4 AJ V8 engine

This site contains affiliate links for which LandyZone may be compensated if you make a purchase.
E

evo300

New Member
Posts
9
...as title, somehow my engine just stopped working.
i have 2006 with AJ engine and done only 104000 km, just serviced and out from nowhere it blew. first some smoke on acceleration, checked oil for foam and smells from exhaust, all seemed ok, no smoke on idle. drove direct to service (just few km and with caution), no error codes...they then said, that there is too much pressure in "oilpan", changed the vent valve and when restarted the engine after 2 minutes in idle the sound (knocking) from engine started to build up...turned off and now i got it opened up a bit....here is what i saw:
camera inside cylinder shows marks from valves on 4-th piston. oil is clean, without any pieces or "dust" in it. when turning the cranck, the 4-th piston remains still, so either the piston is in 2 pieces or rod...
dont want to open it any more now, since i havent decided what to do next and i dont have any idea what is cheaper...to fix it or try to buy new one.
the biggest question, that dosent let me sleep at all, is WHY? i dont see any reason why and how this could happen...
have you guys heard it before, that 4.4 AJ engine blows?
 
Somebody long ago forgot to torque the big end bolts up properly, or a bolt has snapped off, con rods don't snap for no reason. Sounds like the big end has lost a bolt opened up and that has cause valve contact. Now it has finally let go altogether. Sounds very expensive.
 
Last edited:
Oops - yep sounds expensive.

I have no reason (nor experiance) to doubt The Wammer on this, if the Con Rod has snapped that don't happen through chance, there must be mechanical failure in there somewhere.

Feel for you buddy!!
 
Saint.V8 said:
Oops - yep sounds expensive.

I have no reason (nor experiance) to doubt The Wammer on this, if the Con Rod has snapped that don't happen through chance, there must be mechanical failure in there somewhere.

Feel for you buddy!!
Click to expand...

You dare to question the word of god. Step outside and await a lightening bolt. :D:D:D:p
 
AJ-V8s are pretty reliable mechanically once the cam chain tensioner issues of the early (Jag only) engines was sorted. However the big-ends (particularly #1) will not tolerate even brief low oil pressure conditions, just changing the oil and then starting the engine and revving it immediately is enough to wreck an engine. Sadly many workshop techs do this! (there's a job well done - vroom vroom!) assuming there's no damage to oil cooler lines or a faulty oil filter, I suspect your problem is an over-zealous, throttle-happy workshop tech. Either way, sadly, it sounds like your engine is toast. :(
 
another idea keeps popping in my head...last service was about 400km back and in invoice from them, there was 9 liters of oil, i called them and said, that thats not polite etc. ...cant figure it out yet and maybe it is wishful thinking in order to get some answers, but i do think, that maybe they didnt just write bigger invoice and there was 9 L oil in that engine.... since it is castrol with many "cleaning extras", then just maybe it got in places where it is not common for oil to be and soaked some burned piece out and then it somehow got stuck in some channel and then oil ring broke and gave the smoke and then.... have now idea.
well i get the whole engine in small pieces by the end of week and hope to be a lot smarter on next week.
any good ideas where to buy engine parts for decent prices?
and since i only have service manual for bmw engine, what type of "inner part of cylinder" (sorry i just dont know the word in english) this engine has? is it like "shell" or full material? from looks of block, i would gues, that it is aluminum and there should be a "shell" inside...
(just read the last few lines, even i cant understand, what i want to ask...damn, hope someone will get it)
 
evo300 said:
another idea keeps popping in my head...last service was about 400km back and in invoice from them, there was 9 liters of oil, i called them and said, that thats not polite etc. ...cant figure it out yet and maybe it is wishful thinking in order to get some answers, but i do think, that maybe they didnt just write bigger invoice and there was 9 L oil in that engine.... since it is castrol with many "cleaning extras", then just maybe it got in places where it is not common for oil to be and soaked some burned piece out and then it somehow got stuck in some channel and then oil ring broke and gave the smoke and then.... have now idea.
well i get the whole engine in small pieces by the end of week and hope to be a lot smarter on next week.
any good ideas where to buy engine parts for decent prices?
and since i only have service manual for bmw engine, what type of "inner part of cylinder" (sorry i just dont know the word in english) this engine has? is it like "shell" or full material? from looks of block, i would gues, that it is aluminum and there should be a "shell" inside...
(just read the last few lines, even i cant understand, what i want to ask...damn, hope someone will get it)
Click to expand...

No good speculating you have thrown a con rod. You won't know why until you strip engine.
 
Thee isn't enough carbon build up in modern engines to cause these sort of problems. Massively overfilling an engine with oil could theoretically cause a hydraulic lock and a broken conrod - pretty unlikely unless it's so overfilled you filled a cylinder with oil.

I doubt if replacing shells will sort out a bad knock, the bearing surfaces are likely to be damaged requiring a regrind of the crank journals. As has been pointed out your stationary piston points to a thrown rod, the most likely cause for that is the big-end nipping up through lack of oil pressure. Either way it's not going to be a quick or cheap fix.
 
StuckAgainSteve said:
What year is the car?
Click to expand...

it is a 2006 range rover, the 1 with jag engine and gearbox and still bmw electrics...
the only code it shows is, that left side was too rich in fuel...when, how rich? in morning when started, there was slight smell of fuel, but it is quite common at start-up.
 
evo300 said:
it is a 2006 range rover, the 1 with jag engine and gearbox and still bmw electrics...
the only code it shows is, that left side was too rich in fuel...when, how rich? in morning when started, there was slight smell of fuel, but it is quite common at start-up.
Click to expand...

Sorry - thread creep - I was asking Datatek about his son's Jag! :D
 
I'd be inclined to buy another engine, you may have a damaged crank and cylinder liner damage, pull the sump and have a good look round.
 
Re: Engine Parts.....no clue other than Dealer....

The majority of LR Parts Places are just starting to stock 2002-2005 L322 Parts with the odd, common part for the 2006-2009.....

Even then it is doubtful they will stock Engine Internal parts quite so soon....

Could try a breakers, or a tuning shop as opposed the main dealers....might get better prices....

I would opt for a new short block complete with crank and pistons....
 
Saint.V8 said:
Re: Engine Parts.....no clue other than Dealer....

The majority of LR Parts Places are just starting to stock 2002-2005 L322 Parts with the odd, common part for the 2006-2009.....

Even then it is doubtful they will stock Engine Internal parts quite so soon....

Could try a breakers, or a tuning shop as opposed the main dealers....might get better prices....

I would opt for a new short block complete with crank and pistons....
Click to expand...

There maybe a couple of valves and a cam shaft that don't feel to happy also.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Bobbyjust
L322 Auto TDV8 4.4 Webasto fault
Replies
2
Views
383
Bobbyjust
Bobbyjust
nevillen
Help! Stop Oil Engine Press!
2
Replies
35
Views
3K
nevillen
nevillen
R
Classic Vertical ridge on cylinder wall
2
Replies
27
Views
1K
kermit_rr
kermit_rr
Riaan vT
New Member
Replies
4
Views
132
Riaan vT
Riaan vT
J
Another P38 2.5DSE 4th injector Question
2
Replies
28
Views
1K
JT_spark
J
Back
Top