As owner of this site, I have a very bad situation. Today 5 miles from my home a ticking sound started coming from the engine causing me to pull over asap. Not wanting to cause any further damage to the engine, I turned it off and checked the various fluids with no losses at all. No warning lights came on and all seemed okay except for this ticking noise which increased in speed and volume as the revs increased. A friend has said it is either end bearings ( big or little ) or tappets. The mechanic who eventually towed me home said it sounds more like bearings and it is not serviceable. Apparently, from the mechanic, it means a new engine at a cost including fitting of £2,500. Can anybody comment on this as I am in danger of losing the vehicle that caused the creation of this site....... - (#260) Mark, 4 Jun 01

Sorry to hear about your problem. If, ( and it may not be, ) a worse case scenario, and a replacement engine is called for,
In Trafford Park near Manchester, there's a Japanese breakers, who specialise in anything Japanese. Many of their parts are only 3 years old. I was taken there by my brother in law, some 18 months ago, ( for parts for my then, Toyota Spacecruiser. ) We even managed to buy what I wanted 'under the counter' ( minus the dreaded vat. ) If further inspection warrants such measures, check yellow pages or one of the car rags which should carry the contact number. If you can't find it, let me know, and I'll trace it for you. I would imagine the cost to be considerably cheaper than you have been quoted.
Good luck. - (#261) Kevin Savage, 4 Jun 01

Mark
The number that Kevin may be referring to is 0161 230 7500. I rang them a year ago when after an exhaust manifold. Apparently they buy up decent Townaces in Japan then completely strip them down and ship to the UK. At the time of phoning they claimed to have 16 engines in stock.
However, I feel your mechanic friend may be over-reacting. If it is bearings then they should be replaceable, its finding parts that is the issue. Find a good mechanic to diagnose the fault then an engine dismantler and get him to strip it down. There is a dealer in Derby with a Toyota sub franchise. They stock a lot of parts and if not in stock they order direct from Japan and pretty reasonable. let me know if you want contact details. Consider all options in terms of time and cost but first find out what the problem is! David may give some good clues when he picks up the post.
Good luck, let me know if you need any further contacts.
Regards
Ian - (#262) Ian Dunse, 4 Jun 01

Mark,
Don't panic too much yet. The big-ends and mains are replacelable, the valve clearances are set by shims. But it could be any number of other things- exhaust manifold gasket (honest!!)timing belt or idler, oil or water pump, alternator etc etc.
A secondhand 2c-t should only cost £500, I would have thought.Especially as you would only need a block...
Delve in, check valve clearances, pull the timing belt cover & check within. Check too the crank pulley for tightness- cf. Stephen Judges' problem.
After that, before dropping the sump, get an oil pressure check done.
HTH
David - (#263) david miller, 4 Jun 01

You're right,
I am panicking, I think shock took over when I realised the costs. You are right in saying the engine would be £500 but the extra £2000, yes £2000 was the garages costs for the removal and fitting.
Once more garages are unwelcome in undertaking such a job, excusing this with the 'we can't get the parts' phrase. My local dealer "Beadles" said they wouldn't be able to remove the big end bearings, if this is the problem, because they wouldn't be able to re-set the engine or get hold of the parts, there it is again. For this reason they suggested I try and get a garage to fit a re-conned engine which is the easiest, if most expensive, solution.
I'll try and check some of the suggestions here tomorrow, thanks for all your input.
Mark - (#265) Mark, 4 Jun 01

Oh yes, and one I forgot- a bad injector could do it...
David - (#266) david miller, 5 Jun 01

Mark
£2k labour for fitting an engine is outrageous. My father very recently had his 2litre Talbot engine in his camper fully reconditioned with new crank, shells etc etc. for £950. That's for all parts, labour and after service. I know this isn't quite the same as our Townies but the vehicle is 18 years old, Talbot ceased trading some years ago, so its hard to get parts and the vehicle is an absolute pig to work on, almost as bad as a Townace engine. He shopped around all the "engine rebuild" specialists and got quotes between £900 and £1500. He finally went to a one-man backstreet garage who has built up a really good reputation over the years.
The point I am trying to make is that you shouldn't be paying anywhere near £2.5k. Shop around and get some quotes. First of all though you need to find out what it is. Is it driveable? Does it make the noise when stood or only when moving. As david says it could be a number of simple, relatively inexpensive things. Is there a local diesel expert that could look at it for you? For what its worth, twice I have had loud ticking noises, only noticeable when moving, got faster the faster I went. Scratched my head for a while and feared the worst. Turned out to be a large stone wedged in the tread of a tyre and clicked every time it hit the road. Also had a stone stuck between a brake disc and back plate. Created a hell of a row, scared me to death, but fortunately easy to fix once found. Easy to say but try not to panic, could be something simple. let us know how you get on.
Good luck
Regards
Ian - (#267) Ian Dunse, 5 Jun 01

You need to find out is this noise high or low inside the engine. I would say high is less expensive than a low noise.i.e camshaft Vs Crankshaft.Take a long metal bar and with the engine running place it against various parts of the engine. Then place your ear against the other end of the bar. Try the rocker cover, the air con, the fuel pump, the timing cover and then get under the vehicle and try the sump ( make sure its in park ). This is a long established method of test. Take care so you don't loose your ear! If you can reach the throttle rev it gently to help. You should be able to establish what area of the engine is the source. By this method I was able to establish my problem was low / frontal and a quick dismantle identified a loose Chrankshaft pulley as the problem. Hope its a simple one! - (#275) stephen Judge, 5 Jun 01

Thanks Stephen,
I have now gone through the checks as detailed by David and found nothing obvious, I didn't want to delve too far, my mechanical knowledge is quite limited. From the screwdriver method I felt it was coming from the lower section of the engine but sounded loudest from the second injector area. Perhaps it was echoing around the underside. It was taken away this afternoon, to Essex because I couldn't find a diesel specialist in Kent. The company it has gone to were the ones who rebuilt the engine two years ago, just before I bought it, ( Benchsound Ltd ).
The person I spoke to on the phone was very helpful and reassuring stating a rough price for removal and refitting of the engine at £300 and a price in the high hundreds if it is big end bearings pending further damage.
I will of course keep you all posted as to the progress of my dilemma, with costs.
Mark - (#279) Mark, 6 Jun 01