2.8 Tappet cover explained!!!!!!

[chutsy33]

Hi All. I have just reringed a 4M40 from my NJ Pajero and straight away pumped my very clean intake pipes/catch can and intercooler full of engine oil. Less than 50km and 250mm of oil in the catch can and from there back into the intake pipe to the turbo and up to the intercooler.. Pulled the hose off the top of the tappet cover and found it blowing oil out. The 4M40 has a fair bit of blow-by and as read in this forum if the magic inside the tappet cover is not working correctly then out comes the oil. This valve cannot be serviced as it is hidden behind a thin plate attached with blind bolts/ rivots. So i had a spare tappet cover froom a Delica, cant be used on a Pajero turbo as the oil cap would be under the intercooler. I drilled out the rivots and pulled it out.

Extremely simple bit of gear. Pressure from inside the engine goes up the rectangle opening and passes through 2 steel screens that separate the oil and particulate. Any excess oil caught makes its way to the bottom and down the long tube to the little bucket and overflows back into the engine.

This is where the oil consumpton comes from. The 2 screen block up with crap and the pressure forces the oil up the small tube into the intake pipe. Directly above the round tube in the tappet cover is the 20mm pipe that sticks out the side of the tappet cover and is joined to the intake pipe with a hose. The little bucket inside the engine continuously fills with oil which goes up the tube and the whole show starts all over again draining the oil from the engine and blowing it onto the turbo and intercooler.

If your 4M40 is putting oil into the turbo and intercooler do not dispair, and DO NOT GET TALKED INTO A ENGINE REBUILD UNTILL YOU CLEAN THIS VALVE.

Remove the tappet cover, turn it upside down and fill the rectangle opening with kero, you can use what you like but I tried and kero is the BEST, it will melt all the crap and clean this valve properly. As you cannot see the valve to make sure it is clean I would advise you to the job this way. Let it soak. Put your thumb over the 20mm pipe and give the tappet cover a good shake to loosen up the gunk. Flush it out and repeat the process until resonably clean kero comes out. Flush it out with water, both ways through the rectangle opening and the external 20mm pipe, blow it out with compressed air and refit it to the car. If you still have an issue with oil repeat the process. I drove the Pajero home and flogged it a bit, pulled off the hose to the 20mm pipe and it was dry, dry, dry. Try this and you may have just saved yourself 5k on a rebuild. I hope the photos go up as I have not posted them before.

[lovespaj]

About 3 years too late for me. But your exactly right, that valve does block and causes oil out of the motor. I will back up your findings 100% as I had the same experience.
My catch can still fills a little , but its so little I cant be bothered taking the cover off again for a new round of cleaning. My rebuild has only done 15k if that.

If it gets worst I will soak it overnight again.


Good Advise thanks for the post.

Cheers
Mike

[hootnah]

Hi chutsy33, even though i have a petrol model i thought your post was great informative reading.
Cheers, Jim.

[chutsy33]

I did notice a few posts about engines showing the same problem after a rebuild and I think one that was rebuilt twice. I do hope I give enough people a heads up to question their mechanics and hopefully enough mechanics read this and offer their customer a cheap cure for this annoying problem.

My NJ is a rocket from 60km up and over the 110km/hr mark. It just pulls and pulls. Only done the 3mm spacers and turned the diaphram about 70 degrees. I will back it off to 45 degrees as the black smoke behind me scares the kids.LOL

Just a quick note for all those who want to do it themselves. you will need 10and 12mm sockets,screwdriver to remove the hoseclamps and thats it. Took me an hour from pulling up, working on a hot engine and very hot tappet cover,clean and flush ( 4 times with kero,then water and compressed air) test run with no intercooler on to see if oil came out put it back together and drive away. Just remember to cover the head with a clean rag and stick a rag into the turbo outlet when the intercooler comes off. I am a Diesel Fitter but this is a very low level job to do and it will let you have a look inside the engine. remember to remove the rags.
DO NOT DROP ANYTHING INTO THE TURBO OR THE EXPOSED HEAD. THIS WILL BE VERY BAD.

Petrol engines also have PCV ( Positive Crankcase Ventilation) valves as well. But usually the pipe on top of the tappet cover is just open and not as involved as the 4M40 job.

These are a very strong engine inside with features that would make petrol engine modifiers green with envy. Fully floating flat top pistons,H beam conrods crank cradle,a very involved gear drive and double row timing chain. This is high performance petrol stuff. We just need to keep an eye on the head.

Hope this is helpful as I get a lot of info from this forum and am happy to pay you back.

A coulpe photos of the catch can location and the new NJ. Blue one is gone now.

[khoshar]

I did notice a few posts about engines showing the same problem after a rebuild and I think one that was rebuilt twice. I do hope I give enough people a heads up to question their mechanics and hopefully enough mechanics read this and offer their customer a cheap cure for this annoying problem.

My NJ is a rocket from 60km up and over the 110km/hr mark. It just pulls and pulls. Only done the 3mm spacers and turned the diaphram about 70 degrees. I will back it off to 45 degrees as the black smoke behind me scares the kids.LOL

Just a quick note for all those who want to do it themselves. you will need 10and 12mm sockets,screwdriver to remove the hoseclamps and thats it. Took me an hour from pulling up, working on a hot engine and very hot tappet cover,clean and flush ( 4 times with kero,then water and compressed air) test run with no intercooler on to see if oil came out put it back together and drive away. Just remember to cover the head with a clean rag and stick a rag into the turbo outlet when the intercooler comes off. I am a Diesel Fitter but this is a very low level job to do and it will let you have a look inside the engine. remember to remove the rags.
DO NOT DROP ANYTHING INTO THE TURBO OR THE EXPOSED HEAD. THIS WILL BE VERY BAD.

Petrol engines also have PCV ( Positive Crankcase Ventilation) valves as well. But usually the pipe on top of the tappet cover is just open and not as involved as the 4M40 job.

These are a very strong engine inside with features that would make petrol engine modifiers green with envy. Fully floating flat top pistons,H beam conrods crank cradle,a very involved gear drive and double row timing chain. This is high performance petrol stuff. We just need to keep an eye on the head.

Hope this is helpful as I get a lot of info from this forum and am happy to pay you back.

A coulpe photos of the catch can location and the new NJ. Blue one is gone now.

The head is pretty easy to take care of, I run a 2.5 inch exhaust from turbo to tail pipe with a good breathing muffler, draws all heat away from the engine really well, not sure on how/if you do this with your emission rules over there though. but the snorkel gives plenty of cold air in and I've hooked the intercooler fan onto a manual switch so I can just leave it on for hot days and the exhaust gets all the hot air out

[TheSaint]

does this work for the Gen1 4D56 engine (factory intercooled) as well?

also what brand of catch can is that - it looks mint!

[chutsy33]

does this work for the Gen1 4D56 engine (factory intercooled) as well?

also what brand of catch can is that - it looks mint!

Hi, I won't say that this will work on a 4D56 but it is basically the same type of fuel and turbo system. I think the fuel pump on a 4M40 T is a Zexel Bosch type. You would really need to check with someone who runs 4D56 engines. You should be able to put the 3mm spacers behind the boost dump actuator but I would first check if you can increase the fuel or you will probably kill it.
I think the tappet cover would be similar so rip it off and have a look.
The catch can came from Ebay and look even better up close, cost $49. You will need to pull it apart and seal it up properly with ultra blue or blue max, dont usesilicon as it is not as good with oil and diesel. Just go to a hydraulic hose place, ENZED or PIRTEK to match up the fitting to your hoses. PIRTEK up here lightened me up for nearly $70 for 2 fittings but I had to get them.

Good luck

[03gallagherj]

I did notice a few posts about engines showing the same problem after a rebuild and I think one that was rebuilt twice. I do hope I give enough people a heads up to question their mechanics and hopefully enough mechanics read this and offer their customer a cheap cure for this annoying problem.

My NJ is a rocket from 60km up and over the 110km/hr mark. It just pulls and pulls. Only done the 3mm spacers and turned the diaphram about 70 degrees. I will back it off to 45 degrees as the black smoke behind me scares the kids.LOL

Just a quick note for all those who want to do it themselves. you will need 10and 12mm sockets,screwdriver to remove the hoseclamps and thats it. Took me an hour from pulling up, working on a hot engine and very hot tappet cover,clean and flush ( 4 times with kero,then water and compressed air) test run with no intercooler on to see if oil came out put it back together and drive away. Just remember to cover the head with a clean rag and stick a rag into the turbo outlet when the intercooler comes off. I am a Diesel Fitter but this is a very low level job to do and it will let you have a look inside the engine. remember to remove the rags.
DO NOT DROP ANYTHING INTO THE TURBO OR THE EXPOSED HEAD. THIS WILL BE VERY BAD.

Petrol engines also have PCV ( Positive Crankcase Ventilation) valves as well. But usually the pipe on top of the tappet cover is just open and not as involved as the 4M40 job.

These are a very strong engine inside with features that would make petrol engine modifiers green with envy. Fully floating flat top pistons,H beam conrods crank cradle,a very involved gear drive and double row timing chain. This is high performance petrol stuff. We just need to keep an eye on the head.

Hope this is helpful as I get a lot of info from this forum and am happy to pay you back.

A coulpe photos of the catch can location and the new NJ. Blue one is gone now.

Hahahaha you need to come do work on my engine! No one here is any good at the 4M40....... Mines showing a little oil in the lines recently i'll give this a go

While im posting up here, my 4M40 is really down on power and uses too much fuel, how do i know this? its my 2nd motor in the paj apparently the first one had a warped block??? was still running and not knocking so i dunno im still suss about what they said.
I have been told if the Tappets are adjustable to check out the measurements on them and see if they are within limits of factory specs, being a diesel mech what do you think? Oh and she misses at about 2,800rpm just a flat spot of power.... email me if you like at [email protected]

Cheers, Jackson

[Marcelo]

Hello guys. I know this is my first post, and I will cut short on introductions, but I'm brazilian and I have a friend who is experiencing the "oil in the air filter" on his Pajero, and I think that this might be it.

Can someone help me locating where this tapped cover is exactly on the engine?
I tried looking at a workshop manual (http://www.imperioautopecas.com.br/_...M40-Manual.pdf) but with no luck.

Any help will be highly appreciated.

[Pauly Faulkner]

Hello guys. I know this is my first post, and I will cut short on introductions, but I'm brazilian and I have a friend who is experiencing the "oil in the air filter" on his Pajero, and I think that this might be it.

Can someone help me locating where this tapped cover is exactly on the engine?
I tried looking at a workshop manual (http://www.imperioautopecas.com.br/_...M40-Manual.pdf) but with no luck.

Any help will be highly appreciated.

It's the top of the motor, also known as rocker cover, cam cover or valve cover. In your case goto page 51 in your manual that you linked to for the rocker cover diagram

[oldbitz]

Marcello the tappet cover or rocker cover it the top of the engine that covers the valves and cam.

[Pajenaro]

Hi Chutsy.
Thanks for the post. Mine is also coating the inside of the air lines with oil residue.
I've just finished removing the rocker cover and giving all the "magic bits" inside a good clean out and renewing the rocker cover gasket. Front and rear half moon seals were in good order and just needed a clean and reapplication of RTV.
As you stated, it is a very easy job to do.

Thanks again for sharing.
Scottt

[chutsy33]

Hi Chutsy.
Thanks for the post. Mine is also coating the inside of the air lines with oil residue.
I've just finished removing the rocker cover and giving all the "magic bits" inside a good clean out and renewing the rocker cover gasket. Front and rear half moon seals were in good order and just needed a clean and reapplication of RTV.
As you stated, it is a very easy job to do.

Thanks again for sharing.
Scottt

no Probs, just glad it was a help. it really is a very easy job to do but also a real money spinner for dodgey mechanics.

[pajero 96]

The info above is spot on as I bought a 2.8 and the guy told me that a mechanic told him the mtr was stuffed because it used to run on after he turned the key off and the intercooler and pipes were full of oil .So I thought ok and after reading the above info cleaned out the vent in the rocker cover and bingo problem solved .Now the previous owner sold it to me for $400 because he was told this motor was shot .Ive now done 1000 Ks since cleaning and all pipes and turbo and intercooler are nice and dry and oil free so turned out a cheap Nj Pajero 2.8 Td 4m40 for me

[chutsy33]

The info above is spot on as I bought a 2.8 and the guy told me that a mechanic told him the mtr was stuffed because it used to run on after he turned the key off and the intercooler and pipes were full of oil .So I thought ok and after reading the above info cleaned out the vent in the rocker cover and bingo problem solved .Now the previous owner sold it to me for $400 because he was told this motor was shot .Ive now done 1000 Ks since cleaning and all pipes and turbo and intercooler are nice and dry and oil free so turned out a cheap Nj Pajero 2.8 Td 4m40 for me

Wow that's a bargain. I didn't realise that I posted this so long ago. Glad to see that it is still helping out. I still have the NJ and its still going strong.Happy to help