GULP! Is this really the end?

[jimllshiftit]

Well, what a day......

Just jumped in my faithful 97 190di van. It started up straight away...as usual... then the oil pressure light came on and it conked out. Thankfully I was on a quiet country lane so I was able to just jump out and have a poke around. There was a horrible smell of burning clutch, the oil level was low but still between tolerance on the dip stick but the starter would not turn the engine over. The starter motor is near enough new, so is the battery and I recently rebuilt all the connections so I checked all that and all was well. As I was parked on a slope I was able to roll the van backwards and reverse bump start it which got me moving again but then there was an horrible rattling noise coming from the bell housing, if the revs dropped too low the engine would stop but I was able to bump start it again and then juggle the clutch throttle and handbrake until I got home.

The noise was awful when I got back and now the van wont turn over at all.

It doesnt really matter what has caused it as I will most likely get stuck into repairing it, but I would like to know what the likely culprit is and what the cheapest and most expedient repair would be.

Looking forward to reading your views.

[gotgcoalman]

Oil light on although oil is present in the sump.
If the engine isn't rattling it's arse out it's the switch that's at fault.

failing to turn over and noise from the bell housing.
fragments of clutch locking the flywheel up?

Try to feel inside the bell housing for "loose bits" in the bottom.

[Hondekop]

When the whole van is melted to a puddle, that is the end

[cherniy_chack]

The fact that the engine needs to be removed and disassembled is unambiguous.
The options are:
1-cranked the crankshaft.
Possible complication is the cylinder block.
2-destruction of the piston, piston pin and subsequent destruction of the connecting rod and / or cylinder block.
3-destruction of the clutch parts.
This is the easiest option.
The first two are engine replacement.

[jimllshiftit]

When the whole van is melted to a puddle, that is the end

Here f'in here!!!!!

The fact that the engine needs to be removed and disassembled is unambiguous.
The options are:
1-cranked the crankshaft.
Possible complication is the cylinder block.
2-destruction of the piston, piston pin and subsequent destruction of the connecting rod and / or cylinder block.
3-destruction of the clutch parts.
This is the easiest option.
The first two are engine replacement.

I've just gone to the van and it started straight away on its own starter....... but it is knocking seriously now........ It runs, but there is a steady and persistent "donk, donk, donk".......

So, im thinking, remove this engine and box and replace with a good engine and box......leave my current engine and box at the back of the shed and figure out what went wrong with the day that ive got nothing better to do, otherwise known as "the day that never comes"

[Chug]

I just read the thread and when I saw oil light came on and the engine stopped I thought it might end badly,

is it donking low down in the bottom of the engine as in main bearings?

[jimllshiftit]

I just read the thread and when I saw oil light came on and the engine stopped I thought it might end badly,

is it donking low down in the bottom of the engine as in main bearings?

Yup........thats where its "donking".....

[davetheshrew]

this cannot be, its simply impossible to destroy this engine, everything can be fixed with filler and sticky tape, I just simply refuse to believe that we have a dead nana engine....maybe...the clutch decided death was the way and the jamming up of the flywheel put a sh*t heap of strain on the timing belt and skipped it a tooth, see if you can get pegs/drillbits/nails/a bic pen into the timing holes and see if everything is good.

[cherniy_chack]

Motor accidents caused by lack of lubrication, do not pass by themselves.
Their elimination is expensive and / or takes a long time.
What the top-starter writes about is called the "knocked out motor" and the price of this phenomenon is from 1000 dollars.

[jimllshiftit]

Just thinking about the history of this motor, back in October the van was running well albeit drinking a little oil as it went, so I went for a gentle tootle down to Southampton to catch the boat to Bilbao and then drive down to Alicante and back. When I got to Southampton a faint but worrying grinding noise had developed from within the bell housing. I risked it and carried on driving all the way down to Alicante, then back, then two months later I did the same drive with the same noise and I got back fine then the van has worked its arse off every day since then.

When this happened on Monday, the oil was low. but not empty by any means. Ive just put a litre or so in it and its levelled out.

The clutch biting point is low but it functions, and the gearbox selects fine.

Tomorrow I should get a chance to at least start getting the engine out. Is it possible to "feel" the state of the crank while the engine is out?

[jimllshiftit]

This is weird....

Ive just started it one more time before I start stripping it and the yesterdays "donk, donk, donk" has gone. There is still a lot of chattering but the engine actually sounds pretty sweet.

Should be interesting getting to the bottom of this one.....

[vanfox]

You could remove the sump and check the journals and shells. May get away with new shells. Haynes has the procedure for dropping the sump.

[jimllshiftit]

Too late for that now, its very rarely I say this but out with the old and in with the new.

The new engine and box are in situ but Ive just noticed that the new engine has the fuel pump with the solenoid on the top of the pump and the old engine (and therefore the wiring loom) has the anti tamper solenoid on the pump.

What shall I do to get around this? Swap the pump of alter the wiring?

If alter the wiring can anyone explain what I need to do? The new engine was cut out so I still have most of the loom for that too.

[Chug]

IF I understand your post correctly, you need to find the live ignition feed in the old plug, I think its the purple and bluewire ? but try it with a multimeter to find it anyway.