1993 2.4 D Banging noise from engine.

[zekeo]

Hi everyone, hope someone can help with this, had my surf just over 12 months with no issues at all, but last week while on the m'way heard slight rattle, which soon developed into a almighty banging noise (rev related) lost some power but may have been me nursing it home, also lost a little oil pressure, no smoke of any kind. Due to the loudness of the banging, like lump hammer on steel girder, I though would be rod bearing or something bottom end. Have got sump off after much swearing and many hours, and found some metal debris which i would liken to shim steel.
There is about 10thou lateral movement in rods but cant feel any vertical.
Im not sure now what it is, but noticed engine is far too easy to turn over with a spanner, but not sure if there is an auto decompressor for easy starting on surfs. any advise would be much appreciated.

[zekeo]

update

Ok have checked out big end shells, and they are fairly unmarked apart from small amount of pick up, so now have to go topend, maybe piston hitting the head, perhaps due to knackered smalls, ( would have expected that more with big ends ), before anyone suggests Timing belt, have taken off and was timed up perfectly.
The debris in the sump, I cant figure what it is, unless maybe a ring, looks maybe like bits of oil ring but definately not compression, and no smoke remember.
Will continue to update.

[Vagrant No2]

I have known of a few 2.4 engines break up No.4 piston . I got one here with the same noise.

[chaz]

Banging noise

Hi Zekeo,
I had a similar problem and it turned out that the cam had thrown a shim, the shim had worn through and snapped in half. The noise is very loud and sounds like a hammer hitting metal. the camshaft was damaged with grooving on the lobe. anyway as i needed it quick i just replaced the whole head with a new built up unit, shame as the head was fine. Just thought i would add this as you mentioned a shim type material was found.My wife mentioned that even with a 1000 watt amp she still could not hear her music, bless her cotton socks, got her 140 miles home though.OH! almost forgot one half of the shim was lodged in the oil drain off and the other half behind the camshaft so it didn't quite make it into the sump.

[zekeo]

Found the probem

Well at last found the problem, I changed the big ends but they were ok, took the head off and cleaned up but nothing wrong there, so it was still makeing the banging noise.

Decided to try the mains, couldn't believe mains would make a noise like that, buy maybe thrust washers? so stripped the bottem end down again, took centre main bearing cap off, hoorah thrust washers are buggered, then noticed the culprit, SNAPPED CRANK. Boo hoo

[stormforce]

i got a 2.4 bottom end if you want it.£150 delivered