I have had a noise which developed after we came back from our last trip North and I first thought it was the auxillary belts. I took them off but both were in good nick and got Kevin at Rovertech to have a listen.
He'd never heard it before so I asked Richard (Kie4 ) to see what he thought.
Bugger me it didn't do it which is typical of noises, never there when you want them!
Anyway I haven't used it much and had an op. on my elbows which has stopped me driving but today I thought I'd have another go and took both belts off.
I read on another thread where someone else had a noise which from his description sounded like mine and it was suggested it could be the crankshaft pulley coming loose. And it was. Damn and blast.
I got a spanner on it and managed to tighten it about 3/4 of a turn but the pulley is still loose.
I watched when Richard (Kie4) changed the timing belt and know he tightened it up as well as giving it a liberal dose of Loctite.
So how the hell could this come loose? Any ideas anyone?

I suspect the best I can hope for is the keyway/shaft bore in the pulley is worn and in the worst case the crankshaft is buggered!
Such are the joys of LRing I suppose.
Looks like I'll have to send the cook out to work again to pay for this one.
Cheers.
Alan.

Alan, sorry to hear


I have seen tight pulley bolts come loose after a warm engine gets cooled quickly, IE fording rivers etc. The sudden shock of the temperature differential is enough to 'crack' the retaining 'stretch' of a tightened bolt.

JC

Not likely but Ive seen it happen. The washer on the retaining bolt is missing so you think you are tightening it but bolt is just bottoming in the hole. If it has recently been apart it maybe worth a look. Regards and good luck

Could be worse.I worked with a guy who's pulley was welded on with the broken ends of the bolts still in the holes. Pat

Yup, I've had to die grind the pulley off a 110 before that some low life had welded on to sell the car!!!
Crankshaft was toast.
The new owner had had the car a short time and was a pensioner.

The car yard was long gone.

Scum.


JC

Before I do anything else I think I'll take the botom pulley off and check if there's any damage to the crankshaft keyway. If not I should be able to get away with a new pulley and key.
It's possible that a water crossing did loosen it off as I went through the Fortesque River in the Millstream NP which was about 6-700mm deep about a month ago.
I'll just have to keep driving the cooks .............Tojo!!!!
Thanks for the replies.
Alan.

Hi ATH,

Years ago I had an XW Fairmont wagon with a 302 Windsor (which I wish I'd never sold).

It trashed the key and damaged the keyway in the end of the crank under the cam drive gear. The garage I used at the time simply cleaned it all up (especially getting all oil off the crank end, keyway and pulley) and re-assembled with a new key and a Loctite product of some description.

Had no probs with it at all afterwards.

HTH, DL

X2 if the crank does not have excess damage

This has been really interesting becasue i have just returned from up north and had a similar thing happen. Thankfully not as serious. When I got back to Perth after 4000km from Broome to Broome on back roads and station tracks out in the middle of nowhere followed by a trip from Broome all the way back to Perth, I thought I'd drop in on the olds to tell them about the trip. I pull out of their driveway when rattle squeak and good- bye power steering, on comes the alt warning light. I'd thrown the drive belt. Investigation revealed two lost bolts and the final one finger loose on the power steering pulley.

I was wondering how this happened and maybe it was the river crossings after long drives loosened the nuts?

It went on a truck to Rovertech today and it was sorted out, belt was not harmed and no harm done.

I refuse to complain about how the pulley loosened itself or point any fingers, I'm just too glad it didn't happen out where Ive been.

PS It was a great trip for river crossings. I don't think I did the Fortescue, though (well I must have but it was a bridge i guess). I went up via Marble Bar and crossed the De Grey on the Goldsworthy Mulyie Road. I was pulling off the boots and strides to take a freezing cold wade into the roaring depths when the manager arrived and said "it's a bit deep but you'll make it" So in I drove and down i went but it was only deep at the begining. Even the Prado I was with made it so it can't have been too bad.

__________________
James Hamilton

'96 Defender tdi 110 Wagon.
Gallery

Yes I think that's what I'm going to have to do, truck it to someone and get them to investigate as I can't get the pulley off. The bolt will turn a bit both ways but then gums up which is probably the Loctite doing it's job.

Spoke to one lot yesterday whose name I won't mention and got the reassuring "Yep, crankshaft will be buggered and a new one is x number of dollars".
That's without looking they're going for the big dollars straight away. No wonder they've got a bad rep. and reinforces my opinion of them from some years ago.
I'll let you all know what the end result is.
Thanks for the replies.
Alan.