Took my Disco in for what I thought was a tick from the lifters (diagnosed at land rover), he replaced the whole assembly and the tick is still there. He's saying it's the oil pump. This is a mechanic I'd typically trust, he used to work at land rover as one of the master techs and was highly recommended by everyone I used to work with at the LR dealership. However, I'm finding it a little strange that he's telling me I need a new engine and can't just replace the pump, even though that's what he thinks it is? Truck drives totally fine, the noise is present at any temp and increases in speed but not loudness with the RPMs. It makes a clattering noise when I turn my engine off. I'm starting to feel like nobody actually knows what the noise is from. I just replaced my engine with another 04 engine that has 120k miles so I'm not really looking to do it again but my main question why would he say I can't replace the pump?? Does he just think I'm a dumb lady with deep pockets?

 

where in CO are you and what shop?

 

I just did mine and I'm also a lady with not deep pockets haha.

I'd suggest you replace it yourself, but first get a second opinion about the source of the noise.

Ticks can be very subjective and can be caused by so many things. I've seen hose clamps sticking out just a hair and the fan hitting it but a shop swore it was valves. Sometimes it could be a tiny exhaust leak that you find when smoking exhaust system for leaks and find a tiny pinhole causing a tick noise.

It does sound like this shop is giving up on this case and it's ok to ask around for more than one opinion. Having a shop do your auto repairs is a big cost and not a shops do all work. Some have a great emissions tech but they suck at evap diagnoses. Some only have younger techs that can help solve complicated electrical issues but if you asked them about lower engine issues they will refer you away. Some have a bunch of old schoolers that won't work on anything with obd 1 and newer haha.

I personally won't work on Ford 5.4s and 2.0t vw engines and I absolutely suck at exhaust work, I weld like I'm blind haha.

They may be saying that the oil pump caused engine failure already and it's too late to do the oil pump, but I'd want to see some data to back that up. Mainly what has failed that's irreversible.

I think you can rent oil pressure gauges and find a video to at least do that yourself to confirm pump failed and isn't generating enough oil pressure

​​​​

 

agreed with ^^^ the reason I ask is there are some good shops and some less than good "rover" shops around the Denver metro area. Very much feels like someone is giving you the run around. An oil pump swap isn't that hard to do, a little annoying and tedious due to dropping oil pan but it's not overly difficult. Hardest part is probably finding all the oil pan bolts lol

 

I'm in Colorado springs and took it to TJs Auto. He seems like a guy that knows his stuff, but is also very busy because of it. A job that I was told would take 4 hours ended up taking two days because they were swamped and he seemed a bit dismissive with my questions and just insisted on an engine he has for sale for 3k (plus 2k labor of course). Kinda got the feeling he just didn't want to do more troubleshooting. I'm going to need a second opinion if you have any shops to recommend. JCs British was recommended to me but now I'm worried it might now make it to Denver! The noise isn't very loud, and he did say that if it is my oil pump it would get very noticeable before failing. I also have no other issues presenting. Only codes are related to the O2 sensors. I just replaced them but for some reason they're still throwing the codes. He looked this over while it was there but said he couldn't tell what the issue is. Could this maybe indicate an exhaust leak? It sure does smell bad while running.

 

Thank you for the information. Perhaps that's where he was coming from with this. He didn't even notice the noise at first and called me to ask what noise it was even making, and so that kinda leads me to believe he barely even drove my truck. Kinda stings extra because you're right, it's expensive to have a shop do your repairs and I'd hope that he at least gave it a solid try before I had to pay $700 in just labor (had my own parts from when it was going to be done at the dealer). If he did I'd like to believe he would have a hard time suggesting my engine had any damage since it drives perfectly fine. But hey, what do I know? That's why I'm here. Checking the oil pressure is my next step with this. For peace of mind if nothing else. I've been driving around with this tick for ~10k miles thinking it was the lifters the whole time and it's a scary thought that my pump could have gone out at any time. One thing I'm wondering about that may help determine what tick it is, is when I turn off the vehicle the tick goes away with a bit of a clatter. All the videos I've watched of what it sounds like cut off before they turn the engine off. It sounds like what have some people have found out is an exhaust leak. It's not nearly as loud as the failed oil pump ones. I was just explaining another reason I speculate it could be this in the reply above.

 

I would give Roadside Werx a call they are up in Denver but I wheel with those guys and the only place I'd take my rovers if I needed shop to do any work for me. Also a fantastic place to get parts through or used parts. I don't have any personal experience with JC's but have heard enough from former employees it would not be my first choice..if worried about driving up Pikes Peak Rovers has good reviews from the group I wheel with.

 

Thank you, I think I'll give pikes peak rovers a call since I also have to worry about how I'm getting home and back with my car in the shop. It's a shame when I left the Land Rover dealership I also lost my mechanic. I was told by the service manager that they "don't work on heritage vehicles" even though they had worked on mine in the past and I have seen plenty of 'heritage vehicles' they had made exceptions for in the service lot. But to be fair, the shop foreman is the only one with the knowledge to and he is a very busy man.

 

@Liz The oil pumps in these literally can not tick, it is a pair of eccentric gears. Oil pressure range is 50 to about 8 PSI when the light comes on, not that you want to run at 9 or 10 PSI for anytime,but that is normally hot idle with lighter weight oils like 10/30 and pressure goes back up as RPM increases

Pushrod V8's like ours tick for a lot of reasons:

• Rockers - which you have had done
• LIfters
• Bottom end
• Exhaust

Lifters are the most 2nd most common on a D2, the most common reason for a tick is the exhaust at the Y pipe exhaust manifold union, bad gaskets or a crack. and it sounds almost exactly like a rocker tick.

I suggest getting the exhaust checked, a leaf blower stuffed in the tail pipe taped in place and fired up does a great job for this, you will feel the air as you move your hand around the exhaust components in the engine compartment. Any competent exhaust shop can check too.
OIl pressure can also be checked pretty easily.

The clatter on shutdown is more disconcerting, that is usually indicates something broken - but a oil pump that is in that bad of shape should not give you any oil pressure. Can you provide a video with the sound on shutdown ?

 

Here's a video of exactly what's going on:
It sounds like I've now also got a secondary more fast-paced tick, how exciting! This is also accompanied with code p0301 and a flashing check engine light, something else I never had prior to it going into the shop. Also, I was under the impression that rockers/lifters were part of the same thing? Perhaps I'm mistaken on exactly what was done, I had the rocker arm assemblies replaced but thought it included lifters