ratman572
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Tigard, OR
Since the day I picked up my XJ over a month and a half ago, it has exhibited some strange noises coming from the lower front end of the motor up near the timing chain. The noise sounded like a bad lifter tick sometimes, -and other times, sounded like a really quiet diesel when listening from underneith. Sometimes once warmed up, the noise would all but go away.
I attributed it to lifter noise, but was I ever wrong. Today my motor tossed the #1 rod through the side of the motor.
Upon initial inspection, I discovered that the #1 rod has in excess of .050" side clearance, -waaay too much. Obviously, this was the noise I've been hearing since day one, -and was very likely the reason the rod fatigued and ultimately failed.
The bad news about what I found is that even if I had discovered the excessive side clearance early on, there would have been little I could have done about it other than a full teardown and a crank kit and rod (at the very minimum).
All I can say is that I'm glad it broke close to home and not up on a trail somewhere.
I attributed it to lifter noise, but was I ever wrong. Today my motor tossed the #1 rod through the side of the motor.
Upon initial inspection, I discovered that the #1 rod has in excess of .050" side clearance, -waaay too much. Obviously, this was the noise I've been hearing since day one, -and was very likely the reason the rod fatigued and ultimately failed.
The bad news about what I found is that even if I had discovered the excessive side clearance early on, there would have been little I could have done about it other than a full teardown and a crank kit and rod (at the very minimum).
All I can say is that I'm glad it broke close to home and not up on a trail somewhere.