Engine problem

Hi,

I have an unidentified engine problem. Land rover 90 (1987), 200tdi conversion.

Whilst driving along/also on idle the other day the engine started making a very loud grating/rattling sound.
Called the AA (didnt want to risk driving it). Diagnosis was that the timing chain had come loose?/there were issues with the timing chain, (front drivebelt removed from water pump, noise continued). The issue occurred due to having low oil in engine (was checked before but i guess its dumped oil, or burnt it. The latter is more likely as there was no obvious oil spillage)
I havnt yet had it open, but i am under the impression that the 200tdi has a belt not a chain? (its a conversion, so im unsure of engine age)

The engine does still start, which makes me sceptical of the timing chain diagnosis.

Do you think this sounds feasible and are there any other possbilities? Bearing disintegrating? Turbo, due to loss of oil?

Sorry this is a bit vague,

Cheers,

200 TDI Defo timing belt fited. Exept the slim but possible chance of it having ZEUS Timing gears, W rear, anyway timing belts brake/snap not ratlle.

Hia,

Thanks for that, i thought it would most likely be a belt. Any likely causes for the rattle? it does sound kind of like a chain being dragged around on the floor, a metallic rattle. Sorry very vague again.

Cheers,

Knowledgeable fellas the AA. Not.

have you got low oil pressure, turbo can fail and catch housing ,remove rocker box check rockers valves pushrods are operating and equally

Drain the sump se how much oil you have 6.8 lt is the quantity at oil +filter change, naturaly don't expect to drain that amount but all expect 4lt in it if it was a drinker fingers crossed, now another prob might have been your dipstick tube loose/slideing down in to the sump and geivng you false indication of oil in the sump when you check your oil.

timing belt tensioner or idler pully

Hi,

Cheers for the quick replies;;


Oil pressure - not sure, no oil pressure guage/light (or the light doesnt work, not sure which)

If the turbo failed, would it then just burn oil? I was driving along the motorway and didnt lose power at all when i first heard the noise.

As for oil, i serviced it about a wek ago (put 6+ litres in), done 400ish miles since then. However when the noise appeared checked the oil and it was below minimum. No obvious leakages. It does burn oil, but never this much!! I put about a litre in and it was back up to minimum

Tensioner pully - I thought this could be a possible. The engine still cdrives fine trhough. If the belt was loose would it not just throw the engine out of time?

Last one;

When i was driving it, i heard the nosie, then as i slowed down the rattle became louder, being most noticible on lower revs. As i increased the revs the noise became less. To me this would indicate a turbo rattle? with the turbo working harder at higher revs it maybe wasnt catching on the housing?

Thanks for the help,

Surely if its turbo ratle you can elimenate it from the rest of the engine noise even if you touch a screw driver on it and your ear at the other end of the driver its even easier if its a defender engine with the turbo high up, just a thohgt does it rattle at idle with the cluch down? culd it be the center of your C plate about to go to pieces? sinse you say its les noisier as it revs, naah but then again???

i wouldnt rule out the tensioer as when its under a load it isnt as free to rattle as it would be at idle i have seen it many times on various car and they didnt throw the belt

as far as i remember it still rattled with the clutch down. Ill give the crewdriver trick a go as soon as i can. (disco engine, so turbo is low down). It was difficult to tell where the noise was coming from when it was running.

Cheers