Jump to content

BANG and then water in the engine oil system (200Tdi)


pantg

Recommended Posts

People Hi,

a couple of days ago and after my Disco 200Tdi auto has kicked-down on an a relatively uphill part of road there was a loud bang (more like a strong and sudden PUFFFF) and the engine died on the spot.

I checked the water on the cooling system and it was totally empty.

A friend who came for assistance brought water with him and we filled the cooling system only to realize that all the water we added has found its way to the engine oil system (the level of oil on the dipstick went up to half the disptick's height)

So the car was brought home on a flatbed.

I removed the oil from the oil pan and the radiator.

1. The radiator is tight and there is no leak from the water side to the oil cooler or vice versa.

2. Removal of the front timimg cover revealed that the cambelt has jumped about 6 teeth.

3. Removal of the top cover on the cylinder head and the rocker assembly revealed that there are four (4) pushrods SERIOUSLY bent.

4. Removal of the cylinder hear has revealed no visible cracks or problems with the cylinder head gasket (which was replaced about 500 km ago)

5. All pistons appear OK. No visible cracks on the upper side of the engine block (where the cylinder head sits on it). All pistons rise to the same height above the cylinder block level.

6. Unfortunately when filling the water passageways of the block with water the water drips from the oil pan (I have not fitted the oil pan plug so as to check this thing) I have inserted water on the passageways of the engine block that meet with the flat face of the cylinder head (the triangular shaped one between the cylinders on the side of the engine where the fuel pump is)and the oval ones on the side of the manifolds

7. I inserted a long wire on the water passageways on the engine block and there still is oil in them.


I strongly believe that the engine block has cracked from the inside.

Is there a possibility that it may be something less serious?

The car has had the cylinder head gasket replaced and the timing belt rechecked and refitted by myself about 500 km ago following a broken camshaft incident. After the repair it was running like a dream without any noises, low fuel consumption, very good performance, no smoke and very good temperature readings (absolutely no overheat, not even reaching close to the middle)


Thanks for your kind input and comments.

Take care everybody
Pantelis Giamarellos
LAND ROVER CLUB OF GREECE

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It does sound like something serious has happened. I have heard of a failure where one of the cam-followers disassembled itself and jammed in its bore - the camshaft continued rotating briefly, forcing the jammed cam-follower and cracking the block through to a waterway.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The radiator and oil cooler have been checked and they are OK. No leaks between them.

But when water is added to the engine block it finds its way to the engine oil pan.

I am also extremely afraid that it is a cracked engine block....

The camshaft, crankshaft, fuel pump and pistons rotate freely and without any serious resistance, exactly as they should be with the cylinder head removed.

Cam followers are all in their proper place and move up and down following the cam as they should.

If the block is cracked could this happen from the cambelt jumping about 6 teeth???? I have not heard of an engine blocked (especially an iron one) cracking from this reason but it is never too late to learn or see new things.....

Take care

Pantelis

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It does sound like something serious has happened. I have heard of a failure where one of the cam-followers disassembled itself and jammed in its bore - the camshaft continued rotating briefly, forcing the jammed cam-follower and cracking the block through to a waterway.

Further investigation revealed that something similar has happened. It turns out it was my fault though.

I have not torqued enough the bolt holding the cam follower's sleeve and it became loose and then undone. The sleeve rotated by 90 degrees and the round follower must have slipped downwards.

The camshaft rotates nicely but it cannot be removed from the engine.....

And apparently something has broken and it was shot with enough speed and force to break a water passageway....

So the quest for a replacement engine starts......

Thanks to all for your kind comments and ideas.

Take care and best regards from Greece

Pantelis

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am one of those unfortunates supplied with a replacement set of cam followers that turned out to be "soft". The rollers deformed over 10k miles and eventually a roller fell out of its guide and was pushed through the crank-case by the rotating cam, so allowing all the coolant into the sump via the camshaft gallery! You got there by a different route but the end result is a replacement crank case, if you can find a good one! I procured a used replacement that turned out to be cracked and had to replace that before getting back on the road. Good luck with your search for a replacement. It is well worth the time and effort to rebuild. My 1992 Disco 1 goes really well now!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Marten Hi,

Should I presume crankcase is a different word for engine block?

Sorry for asking such a question but one of the things life has taught me is to always ask when I do not fully understand something, can miss-interpret something or do not know something.

thanks for your kind reply

Take care

Pantelis

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Further investigation revealed that something similar has happened. It turns out it was my fault though.

I have not torqued enough the bolt holding the cam follower's sleeve and it became loose and then undone. The sleeve rotated by 90 degrees and the round follower must have slipped downwards.

The camshaft rotates nicely but it cannot be removed from the engine.....

And apparently something has broken and it was shot with enough speed and force to break a water passageway....

So the quest for a replacement engine starts......

Thanks to all for your kind comments and ideas.

Take care and best regards from Greece

Pantelis

I feel your pain [and the pain your bank-balance will experience in fixing this].

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience. By using our website you agree to our Cookie Policy