Ticking sound from a 300 tdi engine

H

Hugh Hogan

Guest

• Jun 8, 2005

• #1

Hi all

I have a 98 Discovery with a 300 TDi engine in it. It has 111000 miles
on it and was well serviced by reputable main dealer. Today having
driven 200 Motorway miles at 60 70ish I noticed that there was a
distinct ticking noise that varied with the engine speed coming from
what I think is the rear of the block. It sounds like what the tappets
on the old OHC Cortina would sound like if it had cam problems. It is
much more pronounced when the engine is cold and not bad at all when
hot.

Any suggestions and are there any web sites that might teach me how
diesel engines work so as i dont need to ask silly questions like this
again?

Thanks

Hugh

 

S

Silas

Guest

• Jun 8, 2005

• #2

Hugh Hogan wrote:

> Hi all
>
> I have a 98 Discovery with a 300 TDi engine in it. It has 111000 miles
> on it and was well serviced by reputable main dealer. Today having
> driven 200 Motorway miles at 60 70ish I noticed that there was a
> distinct ticking noise that varied with the engine speed coming from
> what I think is the rear of the block. It sounds like what the tappets
> on the old OHC Cortina would sound like if it had cam problems. It is
> much more pronounced when the engine is cold and not bad at all when
> hot.
>
> Any suggestions and are there any web sites that might teach me how
> diesel engines work so as i dont need to ask silly questions like this
> again?
>
> Thanks
>
> Hugh
>
Hi Hugh
I don't have an answer for you except to say that it is not a silly
question and I am sure someone(s) will be able to help you out.

S

 

D

Derry Argue

Guest

• Jun 8, 2005

• #3

"Hugh Hogan" <[email protected]> wrote in
news:[email protected]:

> Hi all
>
> I have a 98 Discovery with a 300 TDi engine in it. It has 111000 miles
> on it and was well serviced by reputable main dealer. Today having
> driven 200 Motorway miles at 60 70ish I noticed that there was a
> distinct ticking noise that varied with the engine speed coming from
> what I think is the rear of the block. It sounds like what the tappets
> on the old OHC Cortina would sound like if it had cam problems. It is
> much more pronounced when the engine is cold and not bad at all when
> hot.
>
> Any suggestions and are there any web sites that might teach me how
> diesel engines work so as i dont need to ask silly questions like this
> again?
>
> Thanks
>
> Hugh
>

I have no idea if this is the correct answer but I once had that on a Pug
504. I was told it might be a bit of dirt on an injector and not to worry
about it. Anyway, it disappeared as mysteriously as it came so I never did
get to the bottom of it.

I suppose you could loosen a feed pipe to each injector in turn and see if
it goes away.

Derry

 

M

Marc Draper

Guest

• Jun 8, 2005

• #4

In message <[email protected]>, Hugh
Hogan <[email protected]> writes
>Hi all
>
>I have a 98 Discovery with a 300 TDi engine in it. It has 111000 miles
>on it and was well serviced by reputable main dealer. Today having
>driven 200 Motorway miles at 60 70ish I noticed that there was a
>distinct ticking noise that varied with the engine speed coming from
>what I think is the rear of the block. It sounds like what the tappets
>on the old OHC Cortina would sound like if it had cam problems. It is
>much more pronounced when the engine is cold and not bad at all when
>hot.
>
>Any suggestions and are there any web sites that might teach me how
>diesel engines work so as i dont need to ask silly questions like this
>again?

It could be the head gasket.

Put your hand down the back of the block and at the cylinder head gasket
you will feel it blowing into your hand .

It is very common on tdi's for the head gasket to blow straight out the
back of the block .

Also try with the oil filler cap removed to see if it is blowing there.


Also there are small caps on top of the valves these can fall apart and
suddenly make the tappet gap much larger. These are very easy to change.

Hope this helps
--
Marc Draper

 

C

cyberwraith

Guest

• Jun 8, 2005

• #5

"Marc Draper" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> In message <[email protected]>, Hugh
> Hogan <[email protected]> writes
>>Hi all
>>
>>I have a 98 Discovery with a 300 TDi engine in it. It has 111000 miles
>>on it and was well serviced by reputable main dealer. Today having
>>driven 200 Motorway miles at 60 70ish I noticed that there was a
>>distinct ticking noise that varied with the engine speed coming from
>>what I think is the rear of the block. It sounds like what the tappets
>>on the old OHC Cortina would sound like if it had cam problems. It is
>>much more pronounced when the engine is cold and not bad at all when
>>hot.
>>
>>Any suggestions and are there any web sites that might teach me how
>>diesel engines work so as i dont need to ask silly questions like this
>>again?
>
> It could be the head gasket.
>
> Put your hand down the back of the block and at the cylinder head gasket
> you will feel it blowing into your hand .
>
> It is very common on tdi's for the head gasket to blow straight out the
> back of the block .
>
> Also try with the oil filler cap removed to see if it is blowing there.
>
>
> Also there are small caps on top of the valves these can fall apart and
> suddenly make the tappet gap much larger. These are very easy to change.
>
> Hope this helps
> --
> Marc Draper


I have to agree with the head gasket theory, at least it was on my 300TDi.

cyberwraith

 

S

Steve Taylor

Guest

• Jun 8, 2005

• #6

cyberwraith wrote:

>
> I have to agree with the head gasket theory, at least it was on my 300TDi.
>
.....and if it is fix it quick. The 200Tdi engine I am rebuilding was
destroyed by this fault.

Steve

 

B

beamendsltd

Guest

• Jun 8, 2005

• #7

In message <[email protected]>
"Hugh Hogan" <[email protected]> wrote:

> Hi all
>
> I have a 98 Discovery with a 300 TDi engine in it. It has 111000 miles
> on it and was well serviced by reputable main dealer. Today having
> driven 200 Motorway miles at 60 70ish I noticed that there was a
> distinct ticking noise that varied with the engine speed coming from
> what I think is the rear of the block. It sounds like what the tappets
> on the old OHC Cortina would sound like if it had cam problems. It is
> much more pronounced when the engine is cold and not bad at all when
> hot.
>
> Any suggestions and are there any web sites that might teach me how
> diesel engines work so as i dont need to ask silly questions like this
> again?
>
> Thanks
>
> Hugh
>

Obvously remote diagnosis is difficult, but a distinct "tick tick"
in time with the engine could be the head gasket, but then it could
be the vacuum pump, or an injector, or etc etc.

Run the engine with the oil filler cap off - does it "chuff" a bit?
That would indicate head gasket. You can often see soot marks
where it is blowing (if it is). An oily air filter is also another
symptom.

Richard
--
www.beamends-lrspares.co.uk [email protected]
Running a business in a Microsoft free environment - it can be done
Powered by Risc-OS - you won't get a virus from us!!
Helping keep Land Rovers on and off the road to annoy the Lib Dems

 

D

Derry Argue

Guest

• Jun 8, 2005

• #8

beamendsltd <[email protected]> wrote in
news:98a3bb774d%[email protected]:

> Run the engine with the oil filler cap off - does it "chuff" a bit?
> That would indicate head gasket. You can often see soot marks
> where it is blowing (if it is). An oily air filter is also another
> symptom.

On the Peugeot 504's I've seen that had blown a head gasket (and it seems
it was a common problem) there will be air blowing back into the coolant
expansion bottle making the cooland look as if it is boiling when the
engine is revved. Also, possible green anti-freeze staining on the outside
of the expansion reservoir where it has over-flowed. But I can't say the
symptoms are the same in a Land Rover because I haven't seen it...

Derry

 

T

Tom Woods

Guest

• Jun 8, 2005

• #9

On Wed, 8 Jun 2005 12:33:57 +0000 (UTC), beamendsltd
<[email protected]> wrote:

>Obvously remote diagnosis is difficult, but a distinct "tick tick"
>in time with the engine could be the head gasket, but then it could
>be the vacuum pump, or an injector, or etc etc.

Could also be a leaky exhaust manifold gasket. My mates (petrol)
series 3 used to do it. It would stop if you bunged a load of exhaust
paste along the edge of the manifold (until the paste fell off!)

Took him ages to work that out! It was only leaving the tiniest amount
of soot where it was leaking too.

 

M

Marc Draper

Guest

• Jun 8, 2005

• #10

In message <[email protected]>,
> But I can't say the
>symptoms are the same in a Land Rover because I haven't seen it...
>
>Derry


They can be the same...but in this case they will not.

You are talking about the gasket failing between the cylinder and the
water jacket.

This case it is probably between the cylinder and fresh air (straight
out the back if the block) or the cylinder and a pushrod hole (chuffing
through the oil filler cap and making the air filter oily).
--
Marc Draper

 

D

Dougal

Guest

• Jun 8, 2005

• #11

cyberwraith wrote:

>
> "Marc Draper" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>
>> In message <[email protected]>,
>> Hugh Hogan <[email protected]> writes
>>
>>> Hi all
>>>
>>> I have a 98 Discovery with a 300 TDi engine in it. It has 111000 miles
>>> on it and was well serviced by reputable main dealer. Today having
>>> driven 200 Motorway miles at 60 70ish I noticed that there was a
>>> distinct ticking noise that varied with the engine speed coming from
>>> what I think is the rear of the block. It sounds like what the tappets
>>> on the old OHC Cortina would sound like if it had cam problems. It is
>>> much more pronounced when the engine is cold and not bad at all when
>>> hot.
>>>
>>> Any suggestions and are there any web sites that might teach me how
>>> diesel engines work so as i dont need to ask silly questions like this
>>> again?
>>
>>
>> It could be the head gasket.
>>
>> Put your hand down the back of the block and at the cylinder head
>> gasket you will feel it blowing into your hand .
>>
>> It is very common on tdi's for the head gasket to blow straight out
>> the back of the block .
>>
>> Also try with the oil filler cap removed to see if it is blowing there.
>>
>>
>> Also there are small caps on top of the valves these can fall apart
>> and suddenly make the tappet gap much larger. These are very easy to
>> change.
>>
>> Hope this helps
>> --
>> Marc Draper
>
>
>
> I have to agree with the head gasket theory, at least it was on my 300TDi.
>
> cyberwraith

Another vote for the head gasket. Sorry! Your symptoms matched mine
exactly and it was long time before the penny dropped. There was no
crankcase pressurisation in my case. One thing that I couldn't
understand until after the event was the dirty sootiness on the top of
the inlet manifold (under the insulating cover over the rocker cover).
There was also a lot of this mess on the bulkhead at the rear of the
cylinder head.

 

S

Silas

Guest

• Jun 8, 2005

• #12

Hugh Hogan wrote:
> Hi all
>
> I have a 98 Discovery with a 300 TDi engine in it. It has 111000 miles
> on it and was well serviced by reputable main dealer. Today having
> driven 200 Motorway miles at 60 70ish I noticed that there was a
> distinct ticking noise that varied with the engine speed coming from
> what I think is the rear of the block. It sounds like what the tappets
> on the old OHC Cortina would sound like if it had cam problems. It is
> much more pronounced when the engine is cold and not bad at all when
> hot.
>
> Any suggestions and are there any web sites that might teach me how
> diesel engines work so as i dont need to ask silly questions like this
> again?
>
> Thanks
>
> Hugh
>
Could be exhaust manifold leak/crack.

S

 

N

Neil Brownlee

Guest

• Jun 9, 2005

• #13

Sounds like the exhaust manifold. It will be quieter when it gets hotter, as
it expands and takes some of the gap up

Run the engine and feel for chuffing around the manifold where the noise is


--
Neil

 

C

cyberwraith

Guest

• Jun 9, 2005

• #14

"Tom Woods" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On Wed, 8 Jun 2005 12:33:57 +0000 (UTC), beamendsltd
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>Obvously remote diagnosis is difficult, but a distinct "tick tick"
>>in time with the engine could be the head gasket, but then it could
>>be the vacuum pump, or an injector, or etc etc.
>
> Could also be a leaky exhaust manifold gasket. My mates (petrol)
> series 3 used to do it. It would stop if you bunged a load of exhaust
> paste along the edge of the manifold (until the paste fell off!)
>
> Took him ages to work that out! It was only leaving the tiniest amount
> of soot where it was leaking too.

I had similar in my 300TDi two years back. Is there a loss of power? Mine
was the cylinder head gasket but it sounded more like a steam engine rather
than a tick. Still some might say tick, so if you are losing power also
consider the head gasket.

cyberwraith

 

K

[email protected]

Guest

• Jun 15, 2005

• #15

I had exactly the same problem with my 300tdi Disco.

Changed the exhaust and all sorts. Turned out that number 4 injector
clamp was loose and the injector was letting compression past when the
engine was under load.



cyberwraith wrote:
> "Tom Woods" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > On Wed, 8 Jun 2005 12:33:57 +0000 (UTC), beamendsltd
> > <[email protected]> wrote:
> >
> >>Obvously remote diagnosis is difficult, but a distinct "tick tick"
> >>in time with the engine could be the head gasket, but then it could
> >>be the vacuum pump, or an injector, or etc etc.
> >
> > Could also be a leaky exhaust manifold gasket. My mates (petrol)
> > series 3 used to do it. It would stop if you bunged a load of exhaust
> > paste along the edge of the manifold (until the paste fell off!)
> >
> > Took him ages to work that out! It was only leaving the tiniest amount
> > of soot where it was leaking too.
>
> I had similar in my 300TDi two years back. Is there a loss of power? Mine
> was the cylinder head gasket but it sounded more like a steam engine rather
> than a tick. Still some might say tick, so if you are losing power also
> consider the head gasket.
>
> cyberwraith