RIP My 1992 J-Top - Hello My 1995 Metaltop

[Chris_McCartney]

Well I been in the house for a week with a flu and I took the Pajero out to drive my mum into town and on the way back it starts getting noisier and noisier, sounding like a flat tyre I started to find a place to pull in and right as I was edging towards the footpath.... dead silence. The engine went. Managed to freewheel up onto the side of the road and had a look. No smoke, no steam, but no life at all. Electricals all still work but it doesnt even attempt to start. So I check my pocket for my phone... its at home!! So I began walking, made it a few miles home (still with the flu) and rang my dad.. phones off, and my mums phone is sitting beside me. Now I have to wait 3 more hours til dad gets home and I can greet him with "Hello, grab the tow rope". I don't think I'm angry just extremely disappointed, it went pretty quietly too, just like a flat tyre then dead silence... Its a 1992 4D56-T with 190,000KMs.

So a flu, mouth infection, and my first car blew its engine, worst week ever?

[Chris_McCartney]

OK heres a more detailed description, it started as a quiet knocking sound (almost identical to the noise of a flat tire on tarmac) and was almost unnoticeable until I got of a main road and was heading up a residential road with a great big hill. It got louder and louder up the hill until I put the window down to listen, slowed, and suddenly my engine shut off. I still managed to freewheel up onto the kerb and out of harms way but I thought that was the end for her. Went back 3 hours later, towed it home, got it into the driveway and voila... it started... but with a very loud knocking. So one of the valves must have went on the engine or the timing belt, I have no idea. Anybody had similar problems (on any cars)?

[-Scott-]

The sequence you describe is a little strange.

A failed timing belt (chain?) would stop the cam turning, so the valves wouldn't move, and the engine wouldn't run (and would probably do some disastrous damage on your 4D56).

The progress of noise starting out soft, building then engine stopped could be a bearing issue, but that wouldn't explain why the engine wouldn't even attempt to start. How's your oil level & pressure? Did you get no noise at all, or could you hear something clicking but not turning the motor?

[FrankR]

Sometimes a failing engine will seize from heat caused by lack of lubrication. The parts grow in dimension until there is no clearance available for rotation. This often happens when pistons seize - the engine won't restart, but after it cools down, there is enough clearance for it to rotate and start - but the damage has already been done.

Frank

[sick01]

^^^^^^yep, what he said.

Drop your engine oil, if it is full of flakey metal, you have your answer.

The fact that it will starts again once its cooled down would indicate its 1x unhappy rod bearing from my experience.

My pajero died the same way....and my crown.....and my bluebird,twice.

[Chris_McCartney]

That sounds exactly right. Dont know what the plan is with the Pajero now, its starting to get very cold and wet outside and almost freezing point at night so repairing a soft-top may seem illogical for Ireland in October, theres a few 2.8s for sale local to me but with a holiday coming up next month it seems like a bad time to be getting a loan!!

[VooDoo]

check a spark plug hasnt fallen out

makes a knocking noise and is easy to fix

[Chris_McCartney]

Diesel mate, the glow plugs are still in there. Thanks for the suggestion though!

[Guy]

bearings, heat siezed, once the motor cooled off it would turn again ... but that is pretty well terminal ... major rebuild time

[Chris_McCartney]

Wheeled it around the side of the house and decided to forget about her for now. Going to have it trailered to a breakers yard.... I've already replaced her with an absolute beauty of a 95 Pajero..... pics will follow in the next few days, this one is in a league of its own compared to the J-Top, I possibly found one of the best bargains ever so I will keep you posted!!

[4x4boi]

Congrats for finding a new paj. Get some pics so we can see your new beast

[scorpion 42]

Chris, dont bother your head about the J top lad, just get the battery off her and leave around the side or back of your house, till the Spring comes around, then you can sort her out, its only the timming belt, all the noise you could hear, before she died, was the balence belt slapping about, till it took the timming belt out with it slapping about. with a bit of luck, thats all it will be, that and the adjuster to replace, If it was me, I wouldn't bother replaceing the balence belt Chris, because thats just Japanese over engineering, just change the timming belt and the adjuster and check for any bent tappets or broken rockers, because they do break and are designed to do so, to save the camshafts from cracking or snapping, just forget about it for now and try and enjoy your 2.8, OK lad. All the best Jack.

[Chris_McCartney]

Thanks Jack, really love this new one, it's complete luxury compared to how basic the J-Tops are, not only that but it's taller, wider, and generally a lot meaner looking!! I'll let the pics do the talking! The Shogun is my dads 3.2 DID, great machine, he fitted the General Grabber AT2s, side steps, and bull bar, next on the list is spotlights for the front. So far all I have done is moved over my Cooper STT's from the J-Top, for almost standard I think it looks pretty tough!! What you guys think? Chris

[4x4boi]

Hey chris,

Your new paj looks sweet man. Looks to be in really conditon as well. Bet your stoked with the buy well congrats again and enjoy

[Chris_McCartney]

Thanks 4x4boi, just need a stainless bullbar like yours and some spotlights on the roof. I plan on fitting one of them silver alloy roof racks and mounting the spotlights onto the front edge of the roof rack and some nice 100w to 130w spotlight bulbs!!

[4x4boi]

so your considering 100w bulbs for your top spot lights? and how much are you going to get 4? and im guessing you will have 2 in the front right? and are those going to be 100w bulbs aswell? Im just asking this because my lights on the top are 55w each and the ones i have on my bar are 100w also each my driving lights have 55w aswell, so i run about 530wat when everything is turned on. what i have noticed is when coming home at night wth al lthe lights on, in the morning the cars starts but like ehhh ehhh ehhh So probably i need a stronger battery or a bigger generator, or drive enought that it will back charge.

I dont know if this was uselful to you or not but this is what ive experienced, thought id let you know

Cheers

[Chris_McCartney]

Thanks 4x4boi, never thought of that!! Sounds like a lot of drain on the alternator!! Do you have the winter pack (2 x batteries)? Mine has the 2 batteries so hopefully this shouldn't be too much strain. I plan on having 6 x round spotlights on top, probably 4 of them using 55w driving light bulbs and the other 2 using 100w spotlight bulbs wired to another switch. The roof lights should will be fitted as follows left to right:-
Driving light, driving light, spotlight, spotlight, driving light, driving light.
I've seen this setup before on a Land Rover and it looked great. Well 4x4boi did you get that SWB? Chris

[4x4boi]

No i only have one battery. But if my LWB doesnt sell i plan on buying one. And for the shorty, will i have someone come look at my LWB tomorrow morning and if he doesnt buy it i have another fellow coming to check it out thursday. So hopefully it will sell and i can get the shorty

[Chris_McCartney]

Great job, hopefully all goes well for you!! If the Pajero has the winter pack there will be an orange sticker on the inside of the driver door and there will be two batteries under the bonnet and an engine preheat (to warm the glow plugs before starting on cold mornings). I am unsure if the engine does this automatically or if operated by a switch, I do have a switch on the dashboard which I am clueless to what it does!! Many people will tell you the winter pack includes a 40mm body lift but this is rubbish, the 40mm body lift is to alloy for the larger gearbox of the 2.8TD and the petrol engines, the 2.5 is the only one without this. If you have any questions feel free to ask, I've done quite a bit of research on Pajeros!!

[-Scott-]

40mm body lift is to alloy for the larger gearbox of the 2.8TD and the petrol engines, the 2.5 is the only one without this.

Here in Australia, only the 2.8L td and 3.5L V6 engines got the "factory body lift". My 3L V6 certainly doesn't have it.

[Chris_McCartney]

Oh sorry my mistake!!