RAC came to my rescue!LOUD clunking engine noise, help pls!?

Well and truly broke down the other day on my way to work, RAC had to come out and recover it on the back of the flatbed.

Its a Range Rover Classic 94 200Tdi. the fault is in the engine, quite a few of you i imagine will be jumping up and down knowing exactly what it is, a LOUD clunking noise from the engine. It is in time with the drive of the car? First of all is that the problem of tappets or piston?

Second, and heres the biggy, am I at the realistic end of my beloved engine? I cant decide if its worth the money getting my mechanic to help me repair the problem and crack on with the vehicle or get another one? Whats to say this is the end of troubles I may face with the engine? I have never really had any problems with the engine itself (just replaced the gearbox mind!) but it has been an absolute workhorse over the years and been through a lot. My dad owned it before me and it used to travel around 400 miles 4times a year with 2 kids, the dogs and the trailer!

It was suggested just replacing the engine but thinking of the age and work the engines been through other components would be of similar wear?

Any thoughts are welcome as Im left wondering!


P.s. (i would put a picture of it up on the back of the flatbed ((but i cant face it!)) as my mate thought it was hilarious as he had broken down the night before and I was picking him up the following morning for work!)

unfortunately you need to be more specific, does the noise happen all the time hot or cold. using a long screwdriver against your ear and listen on the timing chest
(by water pump) could be big ends/ mains/ timing chain slack etc etc

Buy a good used engine and drop it in!

Out of interest when did you have the cambelt done last? A lady friend asked me to have a look at her car (newish Skoda Fabia) which was making a hell of a noise , I found the the Cambelts (yes theres two) was almost off and had knocked the cam cover half off flailing about!

if only I learned to read, its a dooozel

Cambelt wasnt actually done too long ago so dont think its this. My mechanic thinks (but hasnt seen it yet) that it could be piston or main bearings?

It started out of the blue, I had been driving about 45minutes when as I was going up a hill this awfully loud thumping noise started so the engine would have been hot. It was so loud at first I thought it was a low flying chopper! I did have loss of power and stopped immediately. It didnt want to start up again and was turning over weakly but ui had to move it the other side of the road to the layby. It managed to limp over there with high revs (which made the thumping louder)

Must have been about 2 hours later when i got recovered to home so engine was still warm. He couldnt swing the flatbed onto the drive so had to drop me on the road and drive the car in. again, didnt like starting and felt like it was gonna stall even with high revs to get it on the drive. This time though there was a bit of smoke along with it.

the engines done around 130000 (clock stopped working at 114!)

sounds like big end or main bearings

I would go for piston problem, might as well pull head off have look see. Thought 94 classic had 300 tdi in it ?

thanks guys, I'll just get stuck in and see what i come accross! (I hate engine work!)

nope 200tdi. believe it was one of the last before going to soft dash n 300 but i might be wrong.

dom

Theres me thikning the world was coming to an end and it was something major and it was just a tappet adjuster screw. Rocker came off and noticed only 1 rocker was tilting down.

simples.(i hope!)

Wow mate , lucky!

Glad its ok now.

yeah im gonna get little sleep tonight hoping its only that.

Local guy hasn't got one in stock can you believe so he's ordering in a whole bunch!

Yeah but that is better than a broken conrod lol