I must confess not, as we’d already fitted the pistons by then. But the head wasn’t on yet so I did feel the bores and could not feel any wear/ridge. The engine has only done just shy of 67k miles.Did you hone the bores as suggested to get rid of any ridges at the top of the bores. I rebuilt a Jag engine a few years ago, put in new pistons and rings, started it up and got a similar clattering noise. Turned out all the top rings had shattered because they hit the ridge at the top of the bores, and immediately broke.
I had to strip it down and get the bores honed, new top rings and it ran sweet as a, well, Jaguar.
You can also get stepped piston rings if the bores aren’t too bad and you don’t hone them.
The Good News
I think I mentioned a while back that I'd installed an inverter in our van to run our microwave and toaster and was in the process of installing a solar panel to keep the leisure batteries topped up.
We've just been off on our first trip since then and given the setup a proper test and it performed well using the microwave in the evening, watching telly all evening, plus diesel heater, then toaster in the morning. Ran like this for three days with no problems. And, it was pretty dull wet weather.
Happy days!
The Bad News
View attachment 46455
On our way home cruising up the A9 with Forrest running like a good'n there was a very expensive sounding bang, clatter, clatter, clatter from the engine and we coasted to a halt. Turning the engine over there is no compression. I rather suspect that the cam belt has gone.
The recovery home was a bit of a pantomime that I'll not go into here but at least Forrest is at a local garage now (well given where we live, relatively local). I dread to think what the repairs will cost.
But the inverter/solar panel setup works great
The Good News
I think I mentioned a while back that I'd installed an inverter in our van to run our microwave and toaster and was in the process of installing a solar panel to keep the leisure batteries topped up.
We've just been off on our first trip since then and given the setup a proper test and it performed well using the microwave in the evening, watching telly all evening, plus diesel heater, then toaster in the morning. Ran like this for three days with no problems. And, it was pretty dull wet weather.
Happy days!
The Bad News
View attachment 46455
On our way home cruising up the A9 with Forrest running like a good'n there was a very expensive sounding bang, clatter, clatter, clatter from the engine and we coasted to a halt. Turning the engine over there is no compression. I rather suspect that the cam belt has gone.
The recovery home was a bit of a pantomime that I'll not go into here but at least Forrest is at a local garage now (well given where we live, relatively local). I dread to think what the repairs will cost.
But the inverter/solar panel setup works great
Just make sure you use a reputable garage to change the belt unless of course you're doing it yourself.I have to send a big thank you to you because after reading your bad news I checked on my timing belt and I discovered it has to be changed every 80,000 miles or 4 years .........I had forgotten about the 4 years bit as my van has only done 60,000 since it was last replaced ..........in 2010 !!!!!!!!!! Aaaarghh !!!! I had to Change my boxer shorts.
I have been very luck but if I hadn't read your post I probably wouldn't have thought about checking, new timing belt, fuel pump belt kit fitted and water pump.
I did use a VW / Audi trained mechanic with all the "gadgets" who has set up in business himself. It wasn't cheap as you will know, but my campervan is starting and running beautifully now and I think Im getting two or three MPG more, the engine timing and the fuel pump timing must have been slightly out.Just make sure you use a reputable garage to change the belt unless of course you're doing it yourself.
No comeback on previous garage ?Just a quick update on Forrest.
The garage has had a chance to have a look at the engine now and I'm afraid it is as feared it's terminal!
They're going to ring round their various contacts to see if they can source a second hand, perhaps crash damage, engine.
I briefly explored fully refurbished, but the company I contacted was charging nearly £3000 for a refurbished engine!
I just hope the garage can locate a replacement at a reasonable cost.
I've invested too much time and money into the habitation side of the vehicle to walk away but there is a limit to how much money I can throw at it!
Humph!
I must be honest I never tried. I figured it would be impossible to prove responsibility. It could be bad workmanship, or a faulty belt, or pulley, or pretty much any other loophole you might think of.No comeback on previous garage ?
I fear it will beHope the repair bill is not as bad as you fear v
Well....Glad to hear that you have got it going satisfactorily again.
Having the idler bracket break was really bad luck - I don't suppose the cam belt garage would have expected a problem and presumably it all tightened up ok.
Do you know what was causing the knocking during your rebuild or did it just go after the last reassembly?