Engine makes horrid bang whilst running. Continues to run but feels like it's on three cylinders only. Replace injector (stupidly unnecessary) - no change. Still runs, but only - apparently - on three. Strip out inlet manifold thinking it might be a port deactivation flap being eaten, but all is stickily well. Instead I find the item shown in the 'photos attached.

Questions: What the hell is it ? Where will it have come from ? Should i now be performing the "last rights" on this engine ?

Any thoughts or comments welcomed.

I dont know what it is either, had a quick look in the manual - cant find anything looking like that.
Are you able to do a compression test ? Jules

Thanks for at least considering it for me. An alternative view might mean I haven't just been stupid in overlooking something. A compression test is exactly what I was going to try when I took off the inlet manifold ... However, the finding of this mystery object means that I fear I'll have to remove the cylinder head anyway, and trace all the inlet tubing back to the turbo to find out from whence it came. Not only that, but I don't have the right size adapter for the glow plugs - yet. Ebay here we come.

Wild guess here but could it be something you have dropped whilst dismantling the engine and therefore nothing to do with your original issue. Now at the point when I learn something new something old is lost out the other side !
Now retired so it doesn't matter anymore.
Freelander now gone.

Nice idea, I approve of your thinking. Sadly the dismantaling didn't start until the issue appeared. So, sadly, I'm still none the wiser.
So many conumdrums, so little indefinite continued progress of existence and events in the past, present, and future regarded as a whole...(time)

gasman wrote:

Wild guess here but could it be something you have dropped whilst dismantling the engine and therefore nothing to do with your original issue.

Yes, clearly a bolt that has been polished up by the engine. Could it be one of the short ones that hold down either the cover for the air filter or the cover for the engine? If that has gone all the way through from the air filter, I'm guessing the turbo won't be in great shape!

EDIT: thinking about it, these short bolts are pretty common across the engine, holding all the components, heatshields etc. 2005 D3 2.7 Auto
Previously:
2010 MY FL2 TD4e GS - Now gone at 199,500 miles, about 135,000 of them mine.
‘93 Defender 110 200TDi CSW
‘87 Defender 90 4 cyl Petrol
‘83 110 CSW V8 - best ever!
Range Rover 2-door V8 (not sure of year - 4-speed box and vacuum diff switch)
Series III SWB Diesel

It is very polished and smooth though, how long was it rattling around in there? Landrover - turning owners into mechanics since 1948

2014 Orkney grey Freelander SD4 GS.
2004 Zambezi silver Discovery 2 Td5 (Gone)
1963 Surf blue Morris Mini Minor Super de Luxe (my little toy)

Just a thought but it's a bit early for an April fools joke

merlinj79 wrote:

gasman wrote:

Wild guess here but could it be something you have dropped whilst dismantling the engine and therefore nothing to do with your original issue.

It looks to me like a bolt that's been severely rounded, hex head and threads polished off by bouncing around for a while in the mechanicals.

If a bolt got into the combustion chamber, then it would be flattened. So I suspect it's been unable to make it's way past the valve, the action of the valve has smoothed it off like that. I expect the valve in question is bent, hence the loss of compression.

I found a nut in my engine, presumably dropped by a previous incompetent repairer.
It's was only just recognisable as a nut.

Click image to enlarge

I needed a replacement piston,

Click image to enlarge

and should also have changed the head, but I couldn't find a suitable replacement at the time, so I spent many hours repairing what I had. 2009 Rimini Red SE TD4. Soon to be sold.
Gone. 2006 Tonga Green i6 HSE.
Hyundai Ionic 5 Ultimate on order.

Chris

What was the sequence leading up to this issue. Has there been any resent engine work or did it just start making a noise and then run on three cylinders.

I still can't see how the engine could ingest something like that if dropped into the air intake, it would destroy the turbo on impact.

Give us more information to work on please.  Now at the point when I learn something new something old is lost out the other side !
Now retired so it doesn't matter anymore.
Freelander now gone.

Thank you to all who have spared the time to look at this and give me a second opinion.

Sadly GundogSD4, it isn't a joke - I wish it were. Following your suggestions Worms and Merlinj69, I examined the item under a strong magnifier and bright light, and yes it could possibly have once been a bolt, although the lack of any sign of thread made me dismiss that theory at the start. However, on further consideration it is the most probable answer as to what it is.

Gasman, you suggest it could have been disturbed during dismantling, and then fallen in. I consider this unlikely - although I'm by no means ruling out my incompetence as a cause.

The most recent work on the engine was a change of timing belt at 130,200 miles. This was 1,200 miles ago, and I feel that if I had screwed it up (see previous caveat) issues would probably have surfaced earlier. When the problem occurred, it was within a mile from cold on a winter morning as I accelerated quite gently (the wife was in the car at the time!) up the first incline of the day. There had been no previous signs of a pending issue - even the code reader subsequently showed up nothing relevant.

Nodge68, I would like to say that I feel your pain, but that, hopefully, I have been luckier as it hasn't gone into the combustion chamber, although there is some light scoring evident visually in the throat leading to the valve, and therefore possibly damage to the valve itself.

I have decided that in order to be certain about the level of harm done - and to find out the cause of this problem - I will, reluctantly, strip off the cylinder head - and possibly all the plumbing back to and including the turbo. Fortunately my Hippo remains active so I have transport. Lack of time after work will, however, mean that this could take some considerable time to be able to report back on my findings.

Thanks once again to one and all.

Best of luck Chris Jules

Good luck Chris

Hope it's not as bad as you think.  Now at the point when I learn something new something old is lost out the other side !
Now retired so it doesn't matter anymore.
Freelander now gone.

Will be interested to hear the outcome and cause. Landrover - turning owners into mechanics since 1948

2014 Orkney grey Freelander SD4 GS.
2004 Zambezi silver Discovery 2 Td5 (Gone)
1963 Surf blue Morris Mini Minor Super de Luxe (my little toy)