The V8 Owners Forum -

good morning and a happy new year everyone
my 1987 3.5efi (zf auto) started coming up with some annoying noise after the camshaft was renewed. camshaft is an etc6850l from turner engineering UK, lifters are new orig. land rover 4949 ones timing chain and its wheels came new too (even turner eng.-parts) new 20w50 oil incl. filter naturally...and the job was done by a so called oldtimer workshop next village here.
i say "so called" as the young mechanic was told by me that after the oil sump had been off (dont know why he took it off) the oil pump has to be primed with vaseline as it won`t be able to suck the oil in by itself. and i told him to check lifter preload. but he told me that it would be ok without doing so.--and fired the engine up after all work done. but as i told him-the idiot light did not go out. the engine had been running like this for about 5-10mins. he revved up to 2-3k rpm several times hoping oil pressure would come on--but naturally it did not. now it has developed an annoying tapping/clacking nois appearing under even light load. while shifter is in P or N position you can rev up to 3-4k rpm and there`s no such noise.
my supposition now is--he kind of killed my engine while running without oil pressure which in my eyes could have caused a conrod bearing damage..or piston-"damage" (ring(s) broken/piston slap maybe. whats your thoughts about this please? i got a video of this sound too but dont know how to insert it here
best regards
alex

The sump gasket can tear when you remove the front cover.

My answer would be yes and no.

I cannot see that Rover would ever do anything other than just start the engine when new and eventually hothead oil pressure will come up.

Ticking is often a failed exhaust manifold gasket which is an easy and cheap fix and you may have dodged a bullet.

But for a current year mechanic too not pack the pump with Vaseline, or not prime the oil system with an electric drill via the distributor with all the evidence now available is not professional and he should be held accountable for his actions. However evidence of proof is needed in order to achieve any claim. This may not be available.

Ian

I'd guess at the factory the pump was packed with petroleum jelly at engine assembly time?

DaveEFI wrote: ↑

Sun Jan 02, 2022 11:40 am

I'd guess at the factory the pump was packed with petroleum jelly at engine assembly time?

It would never prime if something similar was not done. They're not great pumps

Although it'd be interesting to know

Interesting Stevie, without Vaseline we got oil pressure spinning with a drill.
Admittedly I had overfilled the sump slightly.

If I was brave and just started the engine and hit 2000 rpm I guess the same would have happened."………but I never tried that!

Ian