HELP! Bearing problems

[Deleted]

Ive had my Rover p5 up and running now for a couple of month with every intention of using it every day. However, it has a very deep down knocking noise. Its a very slow knock, as if cam or distributer related. The engine has done 57000 miles, but has very low oil pressure. (Just below normal at start up, but virtually nothing when running.

Ive checked and adjusted the roller rockers, the tappet clearances. all good

Checked for cam bearing wear. (levering it up and down, doesnt seem to be any play)

Does this car have any common problems that would cause a knock like this. Or is it more likely to just be the main/big end bearing???

Dave


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[Phil Nottingham]

These engines have very long life although camshaft wear can produce knocking - low mileage if genuine anway is no guarantee of condition as if stood along time with old dirty oil, lube passages can become blocked and teh bearings will fail

The oil gauge sender will under read as it ages but in the six low oil pressure/rumbles/knocks is serious - it may be that the pressure relief valve on side of engine near filter has stuck open or even the oil filter bypass is sticking.

You need to verify the pressure - if it drops low ie below 35 when oil is hot and thin then the bearings are worn as are bores/pistons etc

Its worth checking these before removing sump and inspecting the bearing shells after removing the caps.

Worn dizzy advance weights/shaft can cause strange knocks which travel downwards so as to seem to emanate

[dmaxwell]

You might want to pull the oil pan and check the Crankshaft bearings, they can cause low oil pressure and also knock.

David Maxwell
Tehachapi, CA

[Deleted]

Yeah his s what im dreading ive just had to do the same job on my other car, and really dont whant to have t do it all again!

Im hoping it is something in the dizzydrive. If i put my hand around the distributer i can sort of feel a knock that synchronises with the sound. so hopefully its just the bob weights like phil said.

God please let it be!

[Deleted]

SOLOUTION

Checked the dizzy, no problems there.

I took the side rocker cover for about the tenth time today while the engine was runing to see if there was audible chage in the knock sound. There was!

Then i put my finger on all of the tappets still while he engine is running to see which one was synchronising with the sound. Minding my fingers of coarse.

The problem was the roller ball beneath the 2nd inlet rocker. I rotated it to see if there was a problem and sure enough the roller ball had a dip in its surfce. This dip was causing a dstinct jam. So this must be the source of the noise.

I hope

If anyone knows where these can be sourced from that would be good. Or do i just have to get new ones machined?

[dmaxwell]

That's good news! A lot less expensive (I assume) to fix though I wouldn't think a roller rocker would affect the oil pressure (I'm frequently wrong though).

David Maxwell
Tehachapi, CA