TD5 Discovery2. Hole in rocker cover!

Looks like the chain is ok. If it had snapped it would be bunched up somewhere and you wouldn't be able to crank it over.

My guess is that you lost a bolt. Maybe one of the cam sprocket bolts. Take the plastic cover off the front and have a look. Next I would take the sump off and see what you find in there. Don't go removing the head or buying up parts until you have a good idea what's wrong.

Something must of smacked the cover quite hard to crack it like that..

and tbf the only thing that can do that is the chain..

Henry_b said:

Something must of smacked the cover quite hard to crack it like that..

and tbf the only thing that can do that is the chain..

Click to expand...

I know what you mean and I would normally agree but if you look at his photo, the chain is still laying over the cam sprocket. There's no way it would be there if it had snapped. He's turned it over a few times too.
Unless the tensioner did somehow lose tension and the chain rose up off the sprocket and landed back again in place, but that seems improbable to me.

hi guys, seeing as there's a bit of discussion i'l add a few more pics...

Rocker cover off, Damage to the head...


Bits of cam followers :-(


broken timing chain!


all the bits retrieved once i got the head off.


so the next job (after building some gates and pushing the car onto the drive) is to get the timing cover and sump off and see if something else caused the chain to break or if it had just had enough.

place your bets now

Thanks for the help on this!

skirabb said:

hi guys, seeing as there's a bit of discussion i'l add a few more pics...

Rocker cover off, Damage to the head...
View attachment 200943

Bits of cam followers :-(
View attachment 200944

broken timing chain!
View attachment 200945

all the bits retrieved once i got the head off.
View attachment 200946

so the next job (after building some gates and pushing the car onto the drive) is to get the timing cover and sump off and see if something else caused the chain to break or if it had just had enough.

place your bets now

Thanks for the help on this!

Click to expand...

Truely sorry to see that, hope you can sort it without too much expense, with many failures like this its so hard to know what is root cause and what is consequential damage resulting from the failure.
Looking at the head damage in the picture maybe you can save the head, but when a timing chain lets go on a deisel it often causes piston valve creashes, cross your fingers.

Holy sheet!!!

Sorry to see that chain in 2 pieces!!!!

Seldom see that!!

Feel for you mate!
Had something similar once with a Dolomite Sprint but luckily in my case the chain stayed more or less where it should have. Bolt sheared on Camshaft sprocket but luckily there was another one plus it had the central spigot there to to hold it in place-ish.

yeah so far the pistons and head look okay. only real damage is the cam followers but i'm going to replace the valves as well while i'm doing it.

if i was paying someone to do it i'm sure it would cost more than i paid for the car but just parts aint too bad. plan is to keep this car for ever so I'm almost happy to rebuild myself for peace of mind.

How’s the engine rebuild going?

not too bad, nearly ready to put the head back on but weekends have been busy!

got a few nice bits an bobs to reassemble with so i'll put some pics up soon.

well i got it fixed! hoping to go for a test drive today!



https://photos.app.goo.gl/sLrzfdp8U9kDZeCJ6

only one oil leak at the moment from the vacuum pump return