Thread: 300TDI Big end bearings..... Ohh the Humainity

I don't think there are any set rules with these things...depends on maintenance and type of driving done - a mate's 200tdi has done 470K k with no big end probs. Having said that, if there's no early warning signals before a big end bearing goes, preventative maintenance isn't such a bad option...

470k?? WOW....

Well i have seen some engines at 150k with big ends gone...

Fred Smith states that every 300k old 200 or 300 the bearings have looked very similar to mine.

Good news.....
ive replaced mine...
How long to do it myself??
about 6-7 hours.....

Fred does them in about 3 hours.

Its not a hard job, but remember you have to be soooooo Clean... its a bugger to get the top shell in, but i got there with some fiddling.
My advice is to pay someone else to do it..... its to much of a pain in the butt to do it yourself...

now lets see how long until it leaks..........

Re the rubber in the sump.

The no 1 & 5 main bearing caps have a tee shaped seal on both sides.

When fitting the caps the seals have to be compressed into their grooves. Now because of this compression and the friction on the sides as the cap is pulled down the seals can be damaged. The correct method is to bolt tapered guides (land rover tool ????) to the crankcase so they lead the seals in. I have done it without the guides and would not do so again (not worth the risk IMHO).

Land Rover stopped using the tee seals (they are still available as spares) and replaced them with a silicone injection procedure (after the cap is bolted up). I think you would need special gear for this - I doubt you could guarantee sealing if you tried this with a normal sealant gun as the groove is too deep and small in cross section.

Fair enough point! Think I'll get someone else to do it too...

The number 1 and 5 only relate to the Main bearings (5 bearing crank)

To do the Big ends is not a hard job, just fidly. I would not recommend it to someone that has never rebuilt an engine before.
As for me..... ive rebuilt a few donks in my life... 283, 327, 350, 427, Volvo B27 B28 B20, B30, B23, B21, B230............. Did i admit to rebuilding Volvo engines???
The B30 is the nicest engine i have ever rebuilt.... and damn they can produce some seroius Grunt... my last B30 i built for my old Rally car was about 280hp at the flywheel..... not bad from a NA 3 litre straight 6.

Drove Grommet last night after the big ends and the difference is amazing....... NOT... no change in clatter or HP... as expected... But my piece of mind is better as i know the bearings are ok.

Clarkie

there is a certain satisfaction in rebuilding a motor
then thrashing the life out of it----

Originally Posted by Pedro_The_Swift

there is a certain satisfaction in rebuilding a motor
then thrashing the life out of it----

Ahh a man after my own heart

isnt the reason for the rebuild in the first place.....?