Hey everybody, I’ve been reading the threads over and over about the ticking sound from Discoverys. My 03 with barely 100k on it has ticked, once warm, since I got it. Maybe I was in denial, but I got it because I love the ride. My local Independent Rover mechanic is adamant about swapping engines that tick (likely slipped sleeve) with rebuilt Atlantic British ones. Especially ones that have had head gaskets done (mine has, by a dealer).

Here’s my real question: Assuming it is a sleeve, aside from the unappealing sound...do I have to swap it out? Or can I just drive it?.... can I damage anything further? I’m not inclined to put 5-6k into a “new” engine if I can drive it as is.
TIA

 

Mine ticks only when cold; about 5 minutes and then vanishes.
Been like that for like 5 years and I drive everywhere ignoring it. Another way is to raise the radio volume. Ticking magically disappears
I love the ride too; but if engine ever craps out; will transplant the engine with a 4 cylinder and call it done unless another Disco2 shows up in front of me for cheap.

 

I wish mine stopped when it warmed up. It starts when at operating temp. Takes a minute then sure as **** tick tick tick tick. My understanding, as limited as it is, is that it’s almost certainly a slipped liner. I don’t know that it could get worse so why fix it if I don’t “need” to?

 

Drive it.
Drive it until it stop running and making the tick.
The only damage would be caused by overheating/blowing a gasket.

In the meantime, source a nice 4.0 or 4.6 out of a Range Rover P38.
Start to build that up into a nice 4.6 to swap into your truck when the engine finally ticks its last tick.

 

I had the same issue with my 2003.

Start up no tick and then at about 120 degrees engine coolant temp it would start ticking.

Lot of people have been driving these engines for years. If it does not bother you too much keep driving it.

I agree with Logan_gibson. Source a good engine to do a swap vs. a brand new engine.

 

my 03 ticked with the oem thermostat
What temperature coolant are you running ?

You may need the cooler thermostat or even better the bypass thermostat mod

 

Ticking has way too many causes beyond slipped liners and they are all most all top end related

1. Exhaust
2. Rockers/pushrods
3. Lifters
4. Camshaft
5. Liners - sometimes not nearly as often as some claim

When it ticks matters:

A cold engine tick that quiets or disappears once the engine is warm is generally exhaust
A cold engine tick that stays after the engine is warm is generally lifters/rockers
A hot engine only tick lifters/camshaft or possibly liners

As noted above liners will generally only tick a higher temps, + 212 deg F but there have been cases where they just move usually post of a major overheat event above 230 deg F. Old pushrod V8's tend tick at some point it is an age thing.

But replacing an engine based on a external examination is pretty excessive to me. I would drive it and do some basic things to try and eliminate the tick.

Sorry I missed that you have a hot tick so start simple:

1. Inline or grey 180 thermostat.
2. Engine Oil flush and oil change with a good detergent oil Rotella or something similar

Then see where you are at, if the tick drops or vanishes for a bit after the engine flush it is not a liner issue. Just be aware engine flushes require that you follow the direction exactly do not try and short cut it,asdn I would suggest a new good quality oil filter right before doing the flush.

 

My '03 had a tick that was NOT a slipped liner. It would only start when the engine was up to temperature. Didn't go away when I changed to an inline 180 thermostat.
What did get rid of it was doing a Seafoam spray treatment in the intake as well Seafoam in the crankcase prior to an oil change, then drove a couple of hours at highway speeds. Ticking is now completely gone so I figure it was a stuck lifter.

 

I had two ticks on mine. The first went away when I replaced the radiator and installed the inline thermostat mod from Extinct on here. I would do that anyway. $130 total parts, plus coolant and probably 2 hours of your time. Age alone would probably warrant this work.

The second one recently got much better once I started driving it, I normally drive 7 minutes twice a day. Lately, I have been driving it much more often and further. This, combined with frequent Rotella changes, seems to have cleaned something out. I spent years and tons of brain power and a little money trying to sort it out, and started getting better on its own and now all is good. knock on wood.

Richard is absolutely right, people jump to liners too easily.

 

Cleaning the oil hole in my rockers stopped my tick.
234,000 before it was wrecked.