Too funny, I remember when It's Alive came out. I was a year out of high school.

 

Checking back in after a couple of weeks...

In regards to the crank pulley bolt and washer, the first photo is what I have. The only reference to a dished washer I could find on the interwebz was a replacement for the 200TDI that I found on a British site for Rover parts, and mine is a 4.0 V8. The bolt and washer I have is torqued to 200lbs as recommended and there's no forward movement of the pulley, but if this originally came with a dished washer and needs one, where can I get it?

Unfortunately the Disco is a daily driver as well as the family bus now that school has started, and I've been working a lot of extra hours at the job lately. To minimize driving as much as possible, work is only a 20 minute bike ride each way. But being a three day weekend, this is the first opportunity I've had to clean up the rockers and top end and hopefully solve my oil pressure issue. In the meantime a couple of other issues have popped up. I would start a new thread on them, but I'm not sure if they may or may not be related to the oil pressure issue so here goes...

1) There's an exhaust leak on the passenger side where the pipe meets the bottom of the pipe flange bolted to the manifold. Seems to be a neat crack and broken weld(s). I used a hand-held mirror and flashlight to highlight the area for the photo. You can also see the smoking gun: exhaust carbon buildup at the bottom of the flange. I'm in California and would need a CARB-legal cat assembly which is $600+ and hard to find. In lieu of that, would JB Weld work as a temporary solution, and if not, can I pull the assembly and use a torch and some nickel weld on it? Either way, I need to get it handled asap with kids in the car every morning and driving with all the windows and sunroof open.


2) The third photo is what I discovered as I was inspecting the exhaust... looks like a head gasket leak? It's the only leak I found on the left and right gaskets, and there's also a mild leak from the timing cover. The coolant is clean and there's no loss of coolant or white smoke or anything else indicating a blown gasket, but still...

3) A cold starting issue has popped up in the last week. The starter motor is turning over fine but I can hear the flywheel not wanting to turn. This only happens in the morning when the engine is cold. During the day after it's been warmed up and driven, starting isn't as much of an issue. I searched the forums for possible causes and found a) the fuel pump, or b) the crank position sensor. Turning the key but not starting, waiting a few seconds, turning it off, and repeating that four or five times starts the engine with no problem when it's cold, but there's also a hard "knock" in the engine the second it turns over and some rough idling which smooths itself out after a few seconds, which sounds like the oil porting/pressure issue. Again, the crank position sensor looked okay when I pulled it after my epic wrench-in-the-flywheel mistake a couple weeks ago, and I straightened those flywheel pins as best I could and they line up fairly well, but they're definitely not perfectly flat since the ring was bent up pretty badly where it meets each pin. It's a miracle that I was able to save it in the first place. In any case, could this be causing the starting issue?

 

Starter turning but not engaging the flywheel would be the starters pinion not extending into the flywheel. I would remove it and check it, probably wearing out. I wouldn't worry about the dished washer, if it's fixed let it ride but do keep an eye on it. Downpipe flange, let a muffler shop weld it (or you if you have the equipment). They can tack it in place and then run a bead or two all the way around it while off the manifold. Hard knock...... can be crank bearings (spun bearing - hopefully not) or worn piston pin, hell, could even be timing chain slack. If nothing is tapping the crank sensor your reluctor ring escapade is successful, double check the tabs to be sure they're straight and even in between one another. To be honest the sensor is looking for the missing tab(s), the long gap, not the existing tabs.

 

Correction on that: the starter motor sounds like it's engaging the flywheel and the flywheel is turning on cold start, but spins out unless I do the trick of turning the key, waiting a few seconds, turning it off, etc. Then it starts fine and restarts fine after the engine is warm.

The hard knock is just a single instance the second the motor starts... like not enough oil lubricating the parts, but that's just a guess... and there's some noise in the lifters the first few seconds but then it smooths out and the engine runs fine. Hoping it's just related to the oil pressure issue and I'm getting ready to pull the rocker assemblies shortly.

I'm planning on pulling and resealing the timing cover soon, and taking a good look at the oil pump (might be worthwhile to go ahead and replace it for $100 just to be safe), and definitely checking the chain for any slack.

 

Just started it up for the first time today without issue, even without doing the ignition key trick. And the "knock" was very light, thank goodness. Then again, the temp is well into 90s today and expected to reach 100 throughout the week.

I swung by the local muffler shop yesterday to see about having the downpipe welded, but the shop was closed. Hope they're enjoying their Labor Day weekend and I'll check back with them during the week.

As always, thanks a million for your help!

 

I'm ready for that million...... might fall into my lap any day now.......

Definitely keep up with that knock, it might be nothing or it might be telling you something.

 

You and me both! I could just hire a full-time Rover mechanic!

Will definitely keep an eye on the knock. Like I said, it's just a single instance right when the motor starts, and today it was very minimal. The previous owner replaced the crank bearings and they looked okay when I dropped the pan a couple of weeks ago. Once I've cleaned and reinstalled the rockers, I'll see how it runs then.

Unfortunately that will have to wait until next weekend... for want of an 8mm 12-point deep socket. Just ordered one from NAPA and it will be there on Tuesday. I have a standard 8mm 12-point, but getting it onto those recessed bolts on the rocker covers is a pain and I don't want to strip the little suckers.

Will post again with my results next weekend.

Cheers!

 

That's a good point and lesson learned. I followed the instructions on the RTV, I just used too darn much of it on the pan with predictable results. This time around I used The Right Stuff per ihscouts's suggestion, and it seems to work much better; oil leaking has been reduced quite a bit.

For the valve covers, it currently has rubber formed gaskets (and no RTV, thank goodness), which I'll replace when I clean the rocker assemblies next weekend. Had it planned for today but discovered that I don't have the 8mm 12-point deep socket needed to remove the covers and had to order one.

 

I think a 5/16" works too, I don't remember using an 8mm. The rocker boxes use a silicone gasket which works perfectly when new, no RTV or anything else needed. I was mildly surprised because the rocker box bolts use so little torque. A dab of Loctite blue on the rocker box bolt threads to keep em from loosening should give you leak free heads for years.

 

I have an 8mm 12-point regular socket that barely covers the top of the bolts enough to loosen them, so I'll just wait until the deep socket I ordered comes in. Trying an 8mm 6-point deep socket didn't work either.

I mentioned "rubber" gaskets but they're probably silicon. They're form-fitted and solid though. The old ones currently in place have held up well with no leaks after I refitted the passenger side gasket earlier this year. I already have a new set of silicon gaskets waiting to replace them when I clean the rocker assemblies. Good tip on the Loctite Blue which I also have. Thanks for that.