Thread: What would these bits be on a 300tdi?

Originally Posted by mike123

Well, the recently purchased 300tdi Disco had the following in the sump. I don't mind carrying a few spares but never in my sump as a rule. Just want to put this out there for your collective wisdom.

It has 255,000kms on the clock; had a blown head gasket at 208,000 at which time I'm led to believe the dealer reconditioned/serviced the head (evidently they are suppose to when a head gasket blows my LR mechanic tells me). So the questions which we are working through are: was it a lazy mechanic who left some 'spares' in the sump at some time; did they float down from up top; could they be bits of old value insert seats; what are those long spring looking things in the second picture; why would you take the sump off to reco the head unless there was another problem at sometime? We've yet to pull the rocker cover off and have a good look from the top as well as a good look from the bottom.

Also, the motor doesn't make any clunking or unusual noises prior to discovering this mess and given the amount of mess you'd think it should make some strange noise.

Either way, the moral of the story is to pick a good mechanic recommended by someone that you know.

(still trying to upload pictures, sorry about that)

There's a couple of ways to upload pics.

Have a read here http://www.aulro.com/afvb/general-ch...tos-forum.html

Mike, take the bits out of the oil and photograph them on a piece of white paper, at first sight some of the parts look like the remains of a roller lifter, the spring/coiled wire thingy has me stumped, I would also remove the valve cover and make sure everything is still in place, take some more pics (well lighted) up into the block past the crank and of the rocker and valve spring area also, get back with the pics, Regards Frank.

Removing the rocker cover should help - in your pics there are a couple of collets there - easy to loose down the sump, but there are a couple of valve stem seals there too. They are not so easy to loose.

Take the rocker cover off and go through the tappet adjusting sequence. If any of the stuff in your sump was recent, it will show up during this procedure.

My guess, if there are no bad noises in the engine, is that the stuff in your sump is old, from a previous job. ( That spring thing is not 300tdi - I reckon it just got lost and chewed up a bit before settling into the sump.)

ps - re pics. It's easier if you reduce your pics in size before uploading with 'manage attachments' - the file sizes are listed in that particular window.

The long bits look like swarf, drilling spirals?

Originally Posted by Tank

Mike, take the bits out of the oil and photograph them on a piece of white paper, at first sight some of the parts look like the remains of a roller lifter, the spring/coiled wire thingy has me stumped, I would also remove the valve cover and make sure everything is still in place, take some more pics (well lighted) up into the block past the crank and of the rocker and valve spring area also, get back with the pics, Regards Frank.

The springs will be off the stem seal collars Frank.

Also looks like the remains of a stem cap too, which isn't unusual.

How the hell did the stem seals get all the way down there ?

Originally Posted by Roverlord off road spares

The long bits look like swarf, drilling spirals?

Naa, I'd put money on stem seal springs

old previously disintigrated valve seals.

Yup, Valve stem seal bits and valve stem caps, pretty much what you'd expect if the valve clearances have been left too long between checks and the rocker arm hammers the cap to bits, they soon break up and drop down the pushrod hole into the sump. They can't do any harm down there.

The valve stem seal bits; unusual to see them so mangled, possible though if one or more broke up and got chewed up in the vlave spring, then they too will get washed down the pushrod hole into the sump with the returning oil.

Either way, they aren't bearing bits, piston skirts, cam follower parts or anything else 'critical'.

JC