tapping noise - not slipped liner?
 

Hi all,

Is there anything else that can emulate a slipped sleeve/liner tapping noise? Mine started recently but seems inconsistent. Yesterday in fact, it started after the rover was warm but instead of having a regular tap, tap, tap, tap, I sometimes heard tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap-tap, tap tap, tap-tap, etc. I stood there and listened for probably 5 minutes trying to determine where it was coming from and it seemed to be the drivers side rear, upper part of the engine as best I can tell. After listening for awhile, the tapping actually quit or was so quiet that it wasn't noticeable. Ideas? Its too cold here yet to try the garden hose on the block trick.

Garden hose on the block trick causes more damage than help, I wouldn't recommend it. Mine does the same. I've had the engine apart, so it's not a slipped sleeve, I've replaced cam and lifters so it's not lifter noise, had a valve job done so it isn't that, my best guess is that there's just a little bit of natural play with a Rover that has this many miles. You can try a 180 degree thermostat, seems to help a lot of people's noise. Maybe run a can of seafood in your oil for ~600 miles and see if it's a lifter sticking because of a little gunk, that might clean that issue up. Beyond that, it's really hard to tell without tearing into the engine. Maybe someone with more knowledge and experience than me will chime in with extra ideas.

Could be a cracked oil pump outer ring/gear in the front cover. Having the same issue and I am about to tear down my 4.6 to have a look. This oil pump problem is what I expect to find.

Read up (search forum) on “03 vin death range” - maybe start with this link below:

https://landroverforums.com/forum/di...g-sound-71097/

Previously posted by Dave03S:

"For future readers of this thread, the '03 Vin "death range" had nothing to do with the OP's issue and tends to still be drug up from the depths when owners panic.

For the record the issue involved misplaced dowel pins holding the front cover to the block. This led to lateral stress being put on the oil pump gears which caused them to break prematurely leading to low oil pressure which leads to a loud ticking. Most actual issues of the front cover being misaligned have been resolved long ago. The factory remedy was to completely replace the block. I got a new block this way at 38k. No truck with a compromised oil pump will still be on the road with 130k on the clock.

Not every loud ticking is a broken oil pump.

Oil pumps break on all years, not just the '03.

Low oil pressure happens for other reasons.

Ticking happens for other reasons."

Hope this is helpful.

Yep, that was my thread. I should note, the ticking was not what made me think oil pump but instead the knocking I heard. I originally feared a rod knock caused my oil starvation, thankfully we decided it was just a water pump. I just remembered I still need to replace that. I'll have to go yank the one off my parts truck and order seal.

I actually just replace the oil pump gears, timing belt, water pump etc. last winter. The old oil pump gears were fine at 125000 miles. I hesitated in replacing them but since I had new ones on hand....in they went.

When I replaced the oil pump gears, water pump, timing chain, I did install a new thermostat. I thought I ordered a 180 but my temps are 195 regularly.... may have to order another 180 and try it out. The reason I replaced everything was that I was worried about the oil pump gears... wasn't having any issues with the engine other than oil leaks but it was peace of mind. Now I have no oil leaks but this strange tapping noise has since popped up. If it's a slipped liner, isn't the tapping noise always there once the engine is warmed up, not like mine where it's fades in and out occasionally and has the double tap noise occasionally also?

Lastly, what problems can the garden hose trick cause?

It could be caused by a worn cam shaft, lifter, rocker arm or rocker shaft, I would pull the valve covers and check for a bad rocker. What could be wrong about spraying cold water on a hot running engine, think on it. I bet you will figure it out

tsb on rocker arms loosing their cups, deforming hardened cups, trapping push rods. a stuck valve will make noise also.
though I think the tsb range is 97-02

I'm not really sure, I've just heard the sudden shrinking of the aluminum will damage the block. I don't know that for sure, just parroting hear say to be safe.

I believe drow was shedding sarcasm on it.
the sudden introduction of cold water isn't a great idea. it might work, but has potential to be harmful.