Hi,
Been mucking about with/on/in Landrovers since 1965. In the past couple of years have completed a Series 1 Restoration/Preservation and have it on Historic Plates in NSW Australia. Daily drive is a Defender 110 300Tdi SW and currently re-fitting the motor after experiencing a conrod (3rd cylinder) exit the block on the LHS.
The engine was rebuilt by complete overhaul (piston, rings, bearings, top end) 10 years ago at around 200K (Head Gasket went south) and had new BE nuts fitted at the time. The fracture of the conrod is effectively the hips inside the line of the bolts. One side is fractured cleanly the other has the bolt bent and snapped almost to 90 degrees at the cap to rod point and the other side snapped along a similar line but had metal to metal scuffing on both cracked surfaces. Both nuts were still on the on the bolts and there are no witness marks to indicate any hammering on either cap underneath the the nut flanges which I have been informed would have indicate a loose nut. I have had an automotive engineer take a look at both the conrod bits and the crankshaft journal and there is no evidence of a bearing failure. Apart from the position on the journal (the oil gallery hole) that hit the side of the conrod after the cap let go, the rest of the journal is pristine. His assessment was a poorly manufactured conrod. Was the original in the engine.
Has anyone heard of the conrod letting go without there being any telltail signs as to the cause.
Engine would have done approx 350K
Failure was on straight, flat freeway at 80 km/h towing 380 kg boat trailer combination. The vehicle had an outboard in the rear cargo area and very little else of any significant weight.
Boost was 10 psi, oil pressure was at 45 psi Temp was in the middle of the gauge. It was all very sudden, going from the usual purring along to one hell of a noise.
Been mucking about with/on/in Landrovers since 1965. In the past couple of years have completed a Series 1 Restoration/Preservation and have it on Historic Plates in NSW Australia. Daily drive is a Defender 110 300Tdi SW and currently re-fitting the motor after experiencing a conrod (3rd cylinder) exit the block on the LHS.
The engine was rebuilt by complete overhaul (piston, rings, bearings, top end) 10 years ago at around 200K (Head Gasket went south) and had new BE nuts fitted at the time. The fracture of the conrod is effectively the hips inside the line of the bolts. One side is fractured cleanly the other has the bolt bent and snapped almost to 90 degrees at the cap to rod point and the other side snapped along a similar line but had metal to metal scuffing on both cracked surfaces. Both nuts were still on the on the bolts and there are no witness marks to indicate any hammering on either cap underneath the the nut flanges which I have been informed would have indicate a loose nut. I have had an automotive engineer take a look at both the conrod bits and the crankshaft journal and there is no evidence of a bearing failure. Apart from the position on the journal (the oil gallery hole) that hit the side of the conrod after the cap let go, the rest of the journal is pristine. His assessment was a poorly manufactured conrod. Was the original in the engine.
Has anyone heard of the conrod letting go without there being any telltail signs as to the cause.
Engine would have done approx 350K
Failure was on straight, flat freeway at 80 km/h towing 380 kg boat trailer combination. The vehicle had an outboard in the rear cargo area and very little else of any significant weight.
Boost was 10 psi, oil pressure was at 45 psi Temp was in the middle of the gauge. It was all very sudden, going from the usual purring along to one hell of a noise.
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