BrendanB
27th Mar 2005, 22:00
Hi All,
Approximately 10,000km ago I had an interesting problem with my 1996 300Tdi Disco (Oscar the Rogue). There was an engine vibration at almost exactly 2750rpm. It was more noticable when more power was being used, and hence could normally only be felt in 5th gear at highway speeds, but was definitely present in other gears too. For example it was quite evident when towing a trailer full of bricks up a steep hill in 3rd gear. I took it to the local LR experts, but they couldn't feel the vibration. It was subtle - more of a harshness than anything else. The vibration was not present at higher revs either - just maybe for a 50rpm range near 2750rpm. Simultaneously I had another problem - excessive gas and oil flow through the engine breather, around the back of the engine, into the air intake, through the turbo and intercooler. This led to an oil drip at the bottom of the intercooler ducting. About 5,000km ago everything came to a head, with a huge cloud of smoke and engine run-on. The head gasket had blown between one of the pots and the push-rod gallery and oil was being pumped from the crankcase via the breather through the turbo (now the atomiser), and this caused the engine to run on. Luckily Oscar is a manual, and I could kill the problem by stalling the engine. Now the LR guys accepted a problem :o .
Anyway, new head was ordered, new gasket installed, and sweet driving. Not only was the gas and oil breathing issue resolved, but the vibration disappeared too. In fact, I think my head gasket problem may have been around for quite some time. Engine was beautiful through the rev range (for a diesel), easily up to 3500rpm :) .
My problem is that yesterday my 2750rpm vibration/harshness returned :( . Have any of you noticed a link between head gasket failure (combustion chamber to pushrod gallery) and a specific rev vibration? Am I imagining things? Is there any known weakness with the 300tdi engine with respect to recurrent head gasket failures?
Thanks,
Oscar the Rogue and Brendan B
Approximately 10,000km ago I had an interesting problem with my 1996 300Tdi Disco (Oscar the Rogue). There was an engine vibration at almost exactly 2750rpm. It was more noticable when more power was being used, and hence could normally only be felt in 5th gear at highway speeds, but was definitely present in other gears too. For example it was quite evident when towing a trailer full of bricks up a steep hill in 3rd gear. I took it to the local LR experts, but they couldn't feel the vibration. It was subtle - more of a harshness than anything else. The vibration was not present at higher revs either - just maybe for a 50rpm range near 2750rpm. Simultaneously I had another problem - excessive gas and oil flow through the engine breather, around the back of the engine, into the air intake, through the turbo and intercooler. This led to an oil drip at the bottom of the intercooler ducting. About 5,000km ago everything came to a head, with a huge cloud of smoke and engine run-on. The head gasket had blown between one of the pots and the push-rod gallery and oil was being pumped from the crankcase via the breather through the turbo (now the atomiser), and this caused the engine to run on. Luckily Oscar is a manual, and I could kill the problem by stalling the engine. Now the LR guys accepted a problem :o .
Anyway, new head was ordered, new gasket installed, and sweet driving. Not only was the gas and oil breathing issue resolved, but the vibration disappeared too. In fact, I think my head gasket problem may have been around for quite some time. Engine was beautiful through the rev range (for a diesel), easily up to 3500rpm :) .
My problem is that yesterday my 2750rpm vibration/harshness returned :( . Have any of you noticed a link between head gasket failure (combustion chamber to pushrod gallery) and a specific rev vibration? Am I imagining things? Is there any known weakness with the 300tdi engine with respect to recurrent head gasket failures?
Thanks,
Oscar the Rogue and Brendan B