Gents,

I can't quite figure this out. I have a 2001 Disco 2 with ~188k. There is a pronounced "puff-puff-puff" noise on the passenger side. I have listened to the engine with a tube and can sort of nail it down to the area just in front of the "Y" pipe. I have replaced the manifold gaskets and "Y" pipe gaskets on both sides (doubled up on the passenger side). This did not work. Still puffing.

I can stuff a rag in the general area and it will quiet the noise. I have put a piece of paper in the area and I can see it being blown back and forth. I'm hoping this is a manifold issue but am prepared for a blown head gasket. There is, however, nothing on the plugs, nothing in the oil (filler gap and dipstick are clean too), and it does not leak coolant. So the only thing which says head gasket is the noise.

Any insight would be GREATLY appreciated.

Erik

 

Sure "sounds" like exhaust leak. If you do the Sea Foam induction cleaning it can make enough exhaust smoke to make leaks easy to find. Maybe cracked manifold?

 

Thanks! I've never heard of that before. I googled it and it looks like a good time. I will definitely give it a shot.

 

I had an exhaust leak and it turned out that the nuts connecting the y-pipe and manifold had come loose. You might want to check to make sure everything is tight. Check the manifold to head bolts also (I think they are 12 point). You said you just replaced the gaskets so I doubt it's a loose nut or bolt but might want to double check.

Also, you may have a hair line crack in the exhaust. They tend to crack along the welds, so check the welds really close where the y-pipe and manifold connect.

 

I should have mentioned in my original post that I can what appears to be exhaust in the engine bay, but not enough to track it down.

 

Thanks for the insight Jared! I did check the bolts on both the manifold and the Y pipes this afternoon. All good there. That was my first thought when this all started - I was really hopeful then. When I did the Y pipes I sheared off two studs which is what led to the removal of the manifolds and the new gaskets...

The truck still drive likes a champ, it's just that chugging noise that's killing me.

 

I have the exact same sound and after changing the exhaust manifold gasket and then trying a different manifold, Mike J is expecting me to find a bad head gasket. Mine is a 2000 with 150,000. I named mine the choo choo because of the noise.

 

Ok, I went to Napa and bought their exhaust gas detector kit and tried it out on the Rover. The blue fluid stayed blue. Does anyone know if this is a definitive test? I tried to attach a video but could not. If you're interested I could send it.

Thanks,
Erik

 

puff puff is probably the head gasket failed and you will ruin the head, block or both from the gas coming out.

check compression on the cylnders on that side of the engine.

If the compression is all close in value - than call me wrong.

IF you get compression low near the puff puff noise, then you got a bad head gasket.

I went and looked at a rover where the guy kept driving it with puff puff
and it got really really loud.

I passed buying it as Mike told me the block would have a scar in it from the hot puff puff gas coming out.

Plus the guy who owned it never took care of the insides and it was dirty.
and the headliner was down.

SO, passed.

 

The fluid test will detect products of combustion bubbles in the coolant. But the HG can leak straight to the outside if it wants to. If that is happening, the pathway is being eaten away by the hot gas, and can render head and/or block very expensive to repair. As previously mentioned, compression test may narrow it down to a certain cylinder, make it easier to look for. Also, unplug spark plug wires one by one should show a change when you hit cylinder involved.

If it does it cold, I suppose you could spray the cold exhaust manifold area with soapy water, and see if the puffing makes some bubbles, you'll be fighting the fan air flow.

You can buy Sea Foam that sprays, and spray it into the throttle body (don't spray on MAF, etc.). Makes a lot of smoke when it burns off, don't try indoors.

My IR thermometer registered about 400 F when I found an exhaust leak with it, but you have to work quickly while engine is warming up. An exhaust leak frequently has a "smudge" associated with it.