The Good and the Very Bad!!!

If its indirect then it shouldnt be as sharp as it appears to be on the clip . direct always is a bit clattery .
 
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.
 
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.
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.
 
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 :rolleyes:

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 :rolleyes:

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.
My new timing belt, fuel pump belt kit fitted, and water pump.
 
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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.
Just make sure you use a reputable garage to change the belt unless of course you're doing it yourself.
 
I'm no expert but the video clip sounds quite normal in my experience of diesel vans.
 
IT's FIXED!

Oh my, have we (me and our son) had this engine in bits and back again a few times. Proper dab hands at removing and refitting the cylinder head.

Anyway, I reckon it's sorted now. When we fired it up last night I felt it was a bit noisy, but the loud tapping noise had gone. This morning I've let it warm through properly and taken it for a short run and it is noisy but no more than it has ever been. It is a 1990 diesel so I guess it is as good as it gets.

Happy days!
 
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Yeah, older diesel engines are mechanically noisy , I remember in the 80s when my dad bought his first diesel Peugeot the neighbours used to stand in the street with their fingers in their ears with screwed up faces as he drove past .
So as long as your engine is just "normally" noisy then it's good job done.
 
Just make sure you use a reputable garage to change the belt unless of course you're doing it yourself.
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 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!
No comeback on previous garage ?
 
No comeback on previous garage ?
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.
 
When I got my timing belt done recently the garage told me I have a two year warranty on the belt because it was a genuine part purchased from a VW agent. ( the whole kit was )
I assume that if the belt fails within two years VW would cover the repairs.
 
I hear what you’re both saying but it’s a bit moot now.

I think I discovered the root cause failure during my repairs. There was a hole in the top of the belt cover and the idler pulley was missing.there was only half of the idler pulley bracket remaining.The original idler bracket is cast aluminium. The break surface looked quite dirty/old so was this perhaps cracked for some time? Should it have been noticed by the garage when they changed the belt? Did they cause the damage? Who knows.

the replacement bracket is made of steel plate.
 
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?
 
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?
Well....

A long story, rather the type it here and bore those that don't want the details you can read about how I got to the end solution here - "I'm in Despair" and here - "He's Fixed"

Short version - I fitted a bespoke thicker head gasket.
 
I've only read this whole post this morning, so glad that you're all sorted, and happy that it was Dobsons who sorted you out, they are just at the bottom of my road.

I always think peeps like you are so brave to run these charismatic old vans, well done and I wish I had your fortitude.
 
I guess the replacement head must have been skimmed at sometime in the past thereby reducing valve clearance.
I admire your perseverance in the face of what must have felt insurmountable problems.
In the end DIY was probably the best route as I hate to think what the costs would have been at commercial labour rates.
You are now the "go to" man for advice on old Renault diesels then 😀😀
 

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