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[wilsonj]

Hi Folks , good to meet you's all, ive been reading the forums for sometime. just got round to registering..

My problem is -

I bought a 03 plate 2.2cd automatic,(LPG) about year and a half ago from a chap in durham ,he said head had been done (paperwork to prove it)  after i got it home , after about 4-6 month it starting loosing coolant , running like crap, loosing power, then water started to go all mayonaise's, so straight to garage , they put a new head gasket on it and belt and water pump ,also reset EML.

This lasted for about a week, EML came back on , i took it back they said misfire in cylinder 2 , so they fitted plugs and a front lambda sensor...problem seemed to go away.......for a few weeks.....i put up with it , but again it started to loose coolant, drive like crap, loose power, so i parked it up .......sick to the back teeth that the head had obviously gone again ( the mayonaise was back again) (also i had lost all faith in garages, so left it in drive, and went and got a 09 renault megane(which i still use).......eventually a few weeks agpo i decided to do the head gasket myself ( P.s. when i left school i done 3 years as an apprentice at abercromby vauxhall....this was back in 1993/4!!!!!

I took head off , got local garage to sent it away for pressure test and skim... i got it back all fine and dandy with gasket kit etc , i built engine back up, once it was all built it took about 15 seconds of turning over and it started fine , BUT WITH A TICKING NOISE COMING FROM JUST BEHIND THE EXHAUST/INLET TIMING SPROCKETS, i flushed the engine out with flush and hoped that a nice thick oil would remedy the ticking, but this hasnt been the case,

When i rev it in the driveway its responsive as as hell, really good (but very ticky)
If i reverse back a few meters and pull forward in either 1/2/3/D it pulls very quickly, but when i take it on road it will only pull in 1st.....in 2nd, 3rd or Drive it seem very limp and almost wants to die.also i just cant work out what the bloody ticking noise is....its seem to be right at front of engine ( could be hydrualic buckets , but ive had it running in total for over 2 hours now at high and low revs and the noise just wont go away,
 I'M AT MY WITS END!!!!   PLEASE HELP
at no point at all since ive put head back together have i put the LPG on.

I suspect  the knock sensor could be to blame for the limp response on the road  (maybe?)
but what about the ticking noise ? any idea's anyone?
are the faults connected??

 

[PhilRich]

I would check the exhaust manifold for cracks first as this will cause a distinct ticking, & tracing the exact location of a engine noise is notoriously hit & miss? I wont insult your intelligence by asking about cams etc

[wilsonj]

Thanks for reply,
funnily enough there is a exhaust bolt (top front ..missing) but it dont sound like the tick is coming from there......

[PhilRich]

I'll bet you a £1 to a pile of dog poo that's where your tick is coming from!

[RobG]

Is the "spanner" light on. Knock sensor rarely fails but if the wire or co-ax sheath is damaged it will result in a noticeable power loss whilst driving but will idle perfect and rev through the range whilst car is stationary. Have you popped the cambelt cover to investigate "ticking" noise :question

[wilsonj]

No spanner light at all......
Going to remove the cam cover tommorrow and see whats up , but how can i check ,where tick is coming from without starting it with cam cover off???

yeah , iremoved the cam belt cover today, but nothing noticeable...

[wilsonj]

could it be possible that the lack power could be lack of back pressure caused by missing exhaust bolt???

[PhilRich]

could it be possible that the lack power could be lack of back pressure caused by missing exhaust bolt???

Quite possibly (and the tick too!)

[russ b]

ihave just remedied the same problem it was exactly same symptoms and effects as you it was caused by cracked manifold it cost me a bit i saw some cheaper from the same engine vectra but didn't want to chance if anyone here knows if they will fit save you a couple of quid.
by the way the car was quicker and better mpg afterwards

[wilsonj]

Thanks folks,
first thing tommorrow i'm gonna replace missing bolt, and try that......failing that , off with cam cover and visual inspection...............any more idea's more than welcome

[tidla]

slight valve/piston contact?

[wilsonj]

could that idea be based on 3 head skims???   

Today i started the motor and put a blockage over the missing bolt hole and the ticking more or less halfed in loudness???      

tommorrow am going to extract broken bolt in exhaust manifold( in head)  and replace with new bolt and tighten FT.

fingers crossed!

[wilsonj]

Had a go at retracting bolt from head....what a bugger!   think i might end up doing more damage than good....so leaving it for next door neighbour , who is gonna look/fix it on thursday night

bloody nuisance!

[PhilRich]

steady away son, you'll get there, don't worry 

[wilsonj]

Well, finally got stud out, and had to retap hole, exhaust manifold is now solid, with no leaks whatsoever,
The ticking is still there, so i took camcover off and had a look about all seems well, put it all back together ...ticking still there!!!!!

One thing had keeps entering my head.........this is the third head gasket to be done in 2 years......as Tapper888 said piston/valve contact?   but surely the engineers (who knew it had been skimmed 2 times before would have advised or alerted me to the possibility of piston/valve contact.............if it is that problem.....any solution anyone?    i can rev the car right up to just before the red and everything is normal(apart from ticking)  so cant imagine any damage if i was to give it a thrashing...is this the answer ? 
please help  at wits end now

thanks guys
J