So
This is a 107K discovery I've just purchased with what the dealer thought was a bad lifter. I've dropped and filtered the oil, nothing in the sump to suggest anything bad in there. Also, a stethoscope pointed around the motor definately has a clacking from the rear of the LH rocker cover, in addition to the general loud clack that seems to be everywhere..
I've never had a lifter bad on a v8 before - guess I've been lucky - but this means I don't honestly what they do sound like. I put some dresh 5/30 in there, along with seafoam just to see if it did / does anything.
To start, the noise comes and goes. It is never completely quiet, but can get so loud it sounds almost like it has 7 sweet running gasoline cylinders and one cylinder off a 200TDi.
As i said - I've never had a motor with a stuck lifter, but have had one with a rattly big end - and the noise there was pretty constant; it never came and went like this does. It also grenaded itself within a short time. I know the dealer had the vehicle running for 2hrs or so all in, and I've had it running about the same, so hopefully someone will confirm this all fits the character of a bad lifter...
So, assuming it is - I want to jump on it and sort this out.
I've got the (RAVE) manual, so it appears reasonable straightforward to do this.
In short:
De-pressurise fuel rail
Remove alternator
Move PAS pump
Remove intake plenum
remove coolant elbow
Remove rocker boxes
Crank engine to 'pump up' good lifters and expose problem lifter (will this work)?
Disconnect fuel rail hose(s)
Remove intake manifold
Remove intake gasket (valley cover)
Remove rockers
Pull pushrods
Remove all lifters for inspection (hopefully bad one is found)
Inspect camshaft? Is it possible to see the condition of the lobes?
Re-assemble.
So, being this far into an engine, that has done 107K, and never appears to have had the Head gaskets done, would you go that bit further and do them?
What about pulling the sump and front cover to inspect the oil pump, change the timing chain and front oil seal? And if I'm this far in, surely removing the cam and inspecting / replacing has to be on the list?
I know that I'm asking a bit of a vague question, but if the chains are known to break at 120K for example, it makes sense. Is HG failure almost guaranteed, or do many engines never need them doing?
I don't want to go throwing a whole load of money or time into this rig, but don't want to be coming back again! I'd appreciate some honest opinions.
