I believe someone else previously posted, "WHen it rains, it pours...". Now it's...

[m3 bavaria]

I believe someone else previously posted, "WHen it rains, it pours...". Now it's...

...my turn.

Wednesday, I picked up my 1994 LWB 4.6 conversion after it ate its transfer case. After starting the truck, I hear a loud rattling sound and take it back to the shop.

They diagnose the noise as a rattling right cat and tell me that it had nothing to do with taking the exhaust apart to put the new transfer case in. I'm skeptical but realistic, so I accept this and picked up the truck Friday. Today, on the way to the ranch, the clattering from the cat gets a bit louder and I start to lose power. As I'm trying to figure out what's going on, I notice the my temp gauge is in the red.

I immediately pull over. As I do, the truck shuts itself off. I coast to a halt and pop the hood. Water is pouring from the expansion tank cap. The truck also dropped two quarter sized drops of oil.

Did I fry my head gasket or worse...?

The engine was installed by Premier Rover in San Diego only 10k or so ago. I sure hope I didn't melt it.

 

[proper4wd]

Sounds like you plugged your cat and cooked it.

These engines are not very forgiving to "thermal events".

My opinion is that the cat coming apart most definitely had something to do with it being removed/installed. I've seen it a few times before, someone is careless and drops them on the shop floor or something and they break apart inside.

 

[jh.]

Sounds like you plugged your cat and cooked it.

Sounds like something my dog would enjoy...

 

[DividingCreek]

My opinion is that the cat coming apart most definitely had something to do with it being removed/installed. I've seen it a few times before, someone is careless and drops them on the shop floor or something and they break apart inside.

I agree with this. Not being uber carefull with an old one when setting it down can ruin it. A service manager who tells you without hesitation that this new sound/rattle wasn't related to the work done is clearly not being honest with you.

 

[m3 bavaria]

Thanks again for the excellent advice Adam. When you say "not very forgiving", does this mean that I'm now in the market for a new engine?

Also, would the cat be removed to replace the t case?

 

[Eniam17]

You didn't necessarily crack a cylinder, you could have just blown a head gasket I would think. Do you know how to test to for this?

 

[DividingCreek]

Its impossible to say what if anything might be wrong with the engine until it can breath.Remember when Axle Foley shoved a bananna in the tail pipe of Rosewoods police car? Thats akin to whats happened with your truck. It can't run with half the exhaust blocked. It will quickly overheat and stall until the exhaust blockage is repaired. Addressing the engine before fixing the exhaust would be like throwing money in a bucket and burning it.

Think of the engine like a pump thats trying to pump through a pipe thats clogged. Working on the pump before clearing the pipe ...

Back pressure will overheat and stall an engine. Remove the y pipe and run the truck. See if it idles, runs etc ok. It will be loud but should allay or confirm your fears.

 

[m3 bavaria]

Its impossible to say what if anything might be wrong with the engine until it can breath.Remember when Axle Foley shoved a bananna in the tail pipe of Rosewoods police car? Thats akin to whats happened with your truck. It can't run with half the exhaust blocked. It will quickly overheat and stall until the exhaust blockage is repaired. Addressing the engine before fixing the exhaust would be like throwing money in a bucket and burning it.

Think of the engine like a pump thats trying to pump through a pipe thats clogged. Working on the pump before clearing the pipe ...

Back pressure will overheat and stall an engine. Remove the y pipe and run the truck. See if it idles, runs etc ok. It will be loud but should allay or confirm your fears.

This makes quite a bit of sense. I appreciate your thoughts. It's shameful how little I know about basic mechanics given how much I know about numbers and the lot...

I also think this works within what happened to the truck. Once I picked it up, I took it back to the shop. They said all was well. However, each time I started it up, it ran rougher and rougher at idle and only smoothed out once I had some revs.

Now, I'd like to strangle my garage. Sad thing is, they're only 1 of two options in my city.

 

[Skookumchuck]

I would definatly be having a discussion with the Repair shop and getting them to replace the cat. Is it even nessisary to have one did they come stock. If not required I would just remove it. I do not have one on my Series IIA

 

[m3 bavaria]

To clarify: the garage definitely would have removed the right cat to replace the transfer case?

 

[DividingCreek]

your cats are connected as one assembly known as a y pipe. They bolt to the two exhaust manifolds @ one end and to the exhaust via a two bolt flange @ the other. It would be easy to roll under the truck and look @ the three studs on the underside of the manifolds with a flash light and it should be readily apparent that the three nuts on each side have recently been disturbed. The nuts should be new but @ a min you should be able to tell if they were removed and re-installed. The exhaust runs under the tcase so yes removing the cats is part of the job.

 

[m3 bavaria]

your cats are connected as one assembly known as a y pipe. They bolt to the two exhaust manifolds @ one end and to the exhaust via a two bolt flange @ the other. It would be easy to roll under the truck and look @ the three studs on the underside of the manifolds with a flash light and it should be readily apparent that the three nuts on each side have recently been disturbed. The nuts should be new but @ a min you should be able to tell if they were removed and re-installed. The exhaust runs under the tcase so yes removing the cats is part of the job.

Thanks again for your help.

 

[R-Overland]

I took my tcase out without unbolting the exhaust.
I actually to the transmission out with the tcase still attached because I didn't feel like messing with the exhaust

 

[Keanan]

I took my tcase out without unbolting the exhaust.
I actually to the transmission out with the tcase still attached because I didn't feel like messing with the exhaust

Was this a real pain in the ******** or was it easy enough to work around?

 

[proper4wd]

I took my tcase out without unbolting the exhaust.
I actually to the transmission out with the tcase still attached because I didn't feel like messing with the exhaust

That is literally impossible on a Range Rover Classic. Stop spreading bad information.