Thread: HELP! Noisy TDi 300

Well, after checking the valve clearances twice and all the fuel system, there seems like only 2 things it can now be.
1) Worn valve gear (unlikely).
2) head has been skimmed and the valves are too close to the pistons (hopefully not hitting).

So the head rocker gear needs to come off first and if good the head.
What a pain!!!

Originally Posted by Cliffy

Well, after checking the valve clearances twice and all the fuel system, there seems like only 2 things it can now be.
1) Worn valve gear (unlikely).
2) head has been skimmed and the valves are too close to the pistons (hopefully not hitting).

So the head rocker gear needs to come off first and if good the head.
What a pain!!!

Cliffy,

The other possibilty is that the wrong thickness head gasket was used, this is the way in which the pistons are kept away from the head as they protrude from the block face when manufactured, measurements must be taken and the correct thickness gasket selected to prevent head and piston contact. If you look downon the drivers side of the engine between 3 and 4 cyl you should see a bit of head gasket poking out with some holes stamped in it. the gaskets go in order of thickness 1, 2, 3 and no holes (which is the thickest avail.)

What is on it now?

It is unlikely for the valves to touch unless the timing is out, as in order to get the valves to touch via machining the head, it would have to be butchered down to the valve inserts

JC

Yeah, my bet is now on wrong head gasket.
Aparently, you have to measure the piston prorusion apst the block and that measurement equates to the appropriate gasket thickness. Never heard of the "no hole"gasket but I'll bet thats the one I need to fit.
As there is good oil supply to the rockers and the donk has only done 240K I doubt the rockers have work that much.

AAAAaaaarrrgghhh!!!!
Head gasket is a 3 hole!!!!
So the no hole is the thickest then??
I'm gonna email the seller to make sure this is a so called "new"head or one that's been warped then skimmed too far. He cooked the head so I know the original was warped.
Will have to check the injection timing too but my engine re-builder reconed that was fine.

cliffy hope the hassles improve mate it is worth it in the end but im sure!

mine took a hammering from the RAC re: the clutch which was nice of them, can't wait to see the bill when i get it back tomorrow, they kinda ****ed up and didn't know what they were doing if they had asked i could have told them ...live and learn eh?

Well, The head on mine is new (including the valve gear).
The guy that sold it to me said it was noisy BEFORE the new head was fitted.
So that, coupled with the thick head gasket points to........??
Gee I hope it's just pump timing.

Pump iming needs to be done with a Timing tool in the back of the pump to measure plunger lift. Just aligning the pump and crank marks etc isn't accurate enough if the pump gear has been off at some point. Also, I have had a Tdi that had a pump overhaul at some point in its life and the timing couldn't be set right using the pin in the pump as it was grossly advanced when done this way. I Know because when I fitted a belt to it and started it up it had some chronic diesel knock. I checked and re checke dmarks etc and found that only way to set it porperly was to set timing with dial indicator via plunger lift method and when this wass done you couldn't fit the timing pin into the pump! It seems the main drive flange on the pump must be out, most likely when it was set up on the bench etc.
Very annoying

JC

Cliffy sounds like our 300 tdi. Changed head gasket, timing belt, tappets when we bought 2nd hand 2 years ago. Had a ticking sound that was 1 valve slapping on piston head . Thicker gasket, torqued head properly, all good. Then ticking sound developed again - I was convinced was tappets. Re-did them about three times just in case - still ticking. Only discovered what it was a couple of weeks ago - the rubber mounts of the air fliter assy perish and break and the ticking the whole thing makes sounds just like noisy tappets. Took the lot out, 2 broken, replaced all four, now sounds like a healthy 300 tdi again. Worth a check!