Help! Knocking noise

Hi everyone, new here so hope this is in the right place?

So a couple of weeks ago, I'm driving along living the dream when I start to hear a knocking/ ticking type noise, I pull over. Lots of oil all over the engine bay. (Primarily on the passanger side, it had sprayed all up the Exhaust down pipe. So I get a friend to run some oil out to me. We top it up and I drive cautiously home. The noise stopped for a while but was still sort of there. Spent a couple days tinkering, degreasing it to see where it had leaked from etc.

I decided it was the head gasket as it was burning tons of oil and the gaskett had chaffed at the rear of the block. So I whipped it off and have had the cylinder head skimmed and ground the valves in etc. it's all ready to be but back together.

I've just had a read over the Hayes manual again before I put it back together and it says that knocking or ticking noises can sometime be a cracked piston ring.

So my question is... Going off what I've described plus the video do you think it was just the head or is it worth having a look at the Pistons while it's already stripped down?

It's a 200tfi 1990 Defender

Thanks,

Richard

Quite possibly, it would be annoying to disassemble everything and find out it was the piston. I would go ahead and check the piston rings before putting everything back together. Getting a full set of new ones wouldn't hurt, how many miles has your tratter done?

Given it was blowing so much oil I would check the pistons/rings.

Right, I'm free this week so I'll get on it tomorrow I think. Is it a big job to at least check them? Will I need any specialist tools or can you 'make do' ?

It's done 150k bore one has a tiny step in it right at the top. Do you think it needs a re bore/ would that of caused the original symptoms?

Thanks

Any other symptoms?

Excessive oil consumption
Loss of power
Have you had the filler cap off recently, while the engine was running? Any blow?
Any signs of oil blowing out of breathers?

Check the bores for vertical scoring.

How far from the top of the bore is the step?

The cyclone breather was blowing heavy oily smoke out of it. Also the brake servo went (lost compression and now has a hissing noise) a few days earlier. I do t suppose they are linked?

Hi everyone. Ok update.

I couldnt get to the piston rings because I couldn't get the ladder frame off with the engine in situ. I took the gamble of building it all back up with a new head gaskett and all the trimmings. I also noticed that the big oil leak I mentioned had come from the dipstick sleave. The olive had come loose and moved up the pipe, this is what had caused the initial oil leak the night I noticed the Knocking.

So with it all back together I started it up. Sounded great and then the noise started to appear again. It's stoped smoking heavily from the crank case and it isn't smoking from the exhaust any more. I'm happy that the gaskett had definately gone, but the noise is still there!

What could it be? I've read a few things about the vacume pump. And as I said te brakes had been hissing for a few days prior to the knocking appearing. Could that be the cause? Or could it be the piston rings or perhaps a worm bigend?

The noise sounds like it's coming from the front left side (looking at the engine) but can be heard beat when a few meters away from the vehicle.

I'll upload a video shortley.

Any help greatly appreciated. It's getting rather frustrating now.

Thanks

Take the ancillary drive belt off and run the engine. If the noise has gone then it will be something driven by the belt. If not then it will be engine related and will need further investigation. Dont run the engine for too long as the water pump will not be working with the belt off.

Brilliant idea. At least I'll have more of an idea I guess. Not around for a week or two so will do it when I'm back. I'll keep you posted. Thanks.