the_wolf · May 19, 2021

Right I thought I'd fixed this but that piece of crap in my driveway has other ideas. I had an extensive leak from the rear of the rocker cover so replaced the gasket with a high quality new one and topped the oil up. Drove it out today and not only is it still leaking at exactly the same spot (behind the rearmost injector) but I now have a loud ticking noise which changes along with the revs and goes away completely when I depress the clutch? It doesn't tick at all at idle and only when driving, much more noticeable at higher speeds. The cyclone breather is fairly new so I wouldn't expect this to be blocked or buggered. Any ideas before I opt for a match and some petrol?
Defender 300tdi

Flossie · May 20, 2021

Head gasket gone.
Injector seat washer gone.

the_wolf · May 20, 2021

Flossie said:
Head gasket gone.
Injector seat washer gone.

I just replaced the injector washers and they're all torqued to the correct setting yet I'm still getting this problem leak from the same place

. Head gasket was done last year so surely that's not gone already? The motor hasn't done an excessive mileage. I'm hoping that I've just overtightened the rocker cover and I need to loosen it a bit and possibly knocked off a valve stem cap when changing the gasket but I figured it would either be an injector or tappet. It seems odd that the noise goes with the clutch down though

Flossie · May 20, 2021

You will be able to feel air escaping if the head gasket has gone, they make a ticking noise too as does injector seals. Check the mating surfaces of the head/ rocker cover for debris or nicks. They only want nipping up. I've not owned a 300 but my 200 needs a smear of blue holymor to seal the half moons. Are you sure it's oil and not diesel? A grubby engine can discolour diesel making it look like oil.
My ticking, when I had it was injector seals then when it happened again it was exhaust manifold gasket and when it happened again it was head gasket. Mine was more notible under load.

the_wolf · May 20, 2021

Flossie said:
You will be able to feel air escaping if the head gasket has gone, they make a ticking noise too as does injector seals. Check the mating surfaces of the head/ rocker cover for debris or nicks. They only want nipping up. I've not owned a 300 but my 200 needs a smear of blue holymor to seal the half moons. Are you sure it's oil and not diesel? A grubby engine can discolour diesel making it look like oil.
My ticking, when I had it was injector seals then when it happened again it was exhaust manifold gasket and when it happened again it was head gasket. Mine was more notible under load.

I did think I had a diesel leak at first and that running down the side of the engine was colouring it black however this is on the head and rocker cover which is immaculate so it's definitely oil. I can only think that the rocker cover is warped but I'll undo the nuts and try just nipping it up rather than going for FT. I may have knocked off a valve cap but I'll have a look and see, I just find it odd that it's still leaking from exactly the same place as before even with a new gasket fitted.

the_wolf · May 20, 2021

Had a look again tonight and there's definitely oil leaking from out the back of the rocker cover. The rearmost nut that holds the rocker assembly down was loose although not sure how so I nipped this up and am wondering if that was what caused the ticking? The rocker cover does appear to have a slight warp in it up at the back which could explain the oil leak so I've cleaned it up and put it back on without tightening it down too much this time. I checked if there was any excessive crack case pressure that could cause a leak but it seemed normal enough to me. I couldn't tell from running it at idle in the drive if it was any better and the ticking had gone but as far as I could tell it seemed to sit and idle normally although I think I'm sitting listening for noises that might not even be there.
Checked the back of the head and there's no chuffing. I've had the head gasket go here before so thankfully nothing like that to worry about (I hope!)
Pics show the site of the leak, how clean the rest of the head is and where the oil seems to be getting out. The area at the injector in the first pic is where its leaking but there oil that was there last night has gone however you can kind of make out where it has been running down but basically from inside the recess of the injector and around the back of the rocker cover.

Flossie · May 20, 2021

I wonder if the stud thing is loose ? Goes through the rocker into the head?

the_wolf · May 20, 2021

Flossie said:
I wonder if the stud thing is loose ? Goes through the rocker into the head?

When I tightened the cover down last night I did turn the stud a little so I don't know if this caused the nut holding the rocker assembly to loosen but it shouldn't have, surely that would have tightened down with the stud. The nut has been tightened down into the rocker assembly anyway so I'm hoping that it's a fairly simple fix and the ticking was just caused by that. I really hope i can sort this oil leak as its doing my head in. Its not causing me to lose any substantial amount, it's just messy

Flossie · May 21, 2021

The thread in the alloy head where that stud screws in may be 'pulled' a bit and weak. If that stud works loose then the rocker shaft could lift slightly causing valve clearances to increase ( ticking noise?) And the rocker cover to lift as well (leak?).
Just chucking ideas at ya!

tottot · May 21, 2021

You could take the stud out and clean it and the hole up before replacing it with some stud/bearing lock. This would make sure it does not undo over time.

the_wolf · May 21, 2021

Definitely sound possible. I'll see how it is now that it's tightened down again, if it's better than I'll look at taking the stud out and more securely fixing it in place. Last time I had the rocker assembly out was when i did the head gasket so by no means recently! I can only think it's somehow vibrated itself loose

potus · May 21, 2021

the_wolf said:
Right I thought I'd fixed this but that piece of crap in my driveway has other ideas. I had an extensive leak from the rear of the rocker cover so replaced the gasket with a high quality new one and topped the oil up. Drove it out today and not only is it still leaking at exactly the same spot (behind the rearmost injector) but I now have a loud ticking noise which changes along with the revs and goes away completely when I depress the clutch? It doesn't tick at all at idle and only when driving, much more noticeable at higher speeds. The cyclone breather is fairly new so I wouldn't expect this to be blocked or buggered. Any ideas before I opt for a match and some petrol?
Defender 300tdi

Just simply wash it, polish it, think of a price, double it and stick it on the bay.............being a defender some shmuck will purchase said vehicle

the_wolf · May 21, 2021

potus said:
Just simply wash it, polish it, think of a price, double it and stick it on the bay.............being a defender some shmuck will purchase said vehicle

Wash it?! That's what the rains for!!! And nah, as much as it drains me at times I know I'd regret it if I ever did that. Its 27 years old and I've had it for 7 of those so it's going nowhere soon

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