...and a country boy can survive...

 

You have a collapsed lifter. Collapsed lifters exhibit themselves at idle. They inflate back up when the RPM increases. I doubt that you have issues with oil pressure but Disco Mike and Spike are right, get your oil pressure checked.

I am sure that the readings will be within range. A cure for a collapsed lifter is high RPMs (2500 ---- 3500) driving for 15 minutes after an oil change. Sometimes, that causes the lifter to retain oil at idle and not collapse.

 

The weird thing is that I wrote that before I read the end of your post. Nothing personal.

 

I was thinking tappet also, but agree checking the oil pressure is the place to start.

 

is it a knock, or a tick. lifters tick, rods knock.

 

I would almost classify it as a knock, not a tick. But I really don't have a good point of reference b/c a) I'm more accustomed to overhead cam engines and b) I've never had a motor with either issue....so my "ear" may not be very good. If the problem is a rod, do you mean the knock would be from the wrist pin? And would a problem like that be intermittent? I could see why a tappet could be intermittent, but it seems like a bad rod and/or bearing would always be present.

 

DII's are notorius for this, there are tin "cups" on the rocker arms that the lifter sits into.
These apparently have a tendency to seperate and become nosiy, no harm being done just noise.
BUT, because you have a 2003 you MUST have your oil PSI tested, even if it were not a 2003 I would still say have it tested just to rule anything else out.
Start cheap and simple and work your way up from there.

 

Agreed. I'm working on a way to rig up a tester.

 

Hello everyone from the poster previously known as LUV2Disco. Got fed up trying to logon after the forum technical problems and re-registered as LuvToDisco.

Well, I'm standing outside this afternoon when the S.O. comes home from work. As she's idleing down the drive, I hear the Disco knocking. A solid, healthy, distinctive knock, not a tic or tap. Sounds like it's on the drivers side and the sound seems clearer coming from beneath the vehicle. With the hood up it's hard to detect where it's coming from, perhaps because of the other noises under the hood. The sound is most apparent at or near idle, both in gear and out. When the engine is revved the knock goes away.

Oil is fine and the engine was not overheated.

Seems the stars are lining up against me. Since I've also been losing some coolant out the back of the engine somewhere (perhaps a cup every couple tanks) I'm ready to take her in and just be done with it. i was hoping to get to 90K before this was necessary but I'm close enough. Will do the service early, since it'll be in the shop anyway.

Sounds like me and the O.P. have the same problem.

Nice to be back!

Dana,


02 Disco II
85K

 

Dana-welcome back, glad you made the transition.