MG ZR 1.4 Not turning over

[JC]

Hope my winter runaround is retro enough for here! The other day when I started the car it had a bit of a plasticy sounding clattering noise for a few minutes after starting that soon stopped. When I got to work it stalled (first time it had ever stalled on me) as I was pulling into the parking space and didn't start nicely at all - it turned over quite a lot before spluttering into life.

I drove it home and it had the same noise on start, and again stalled at low revs when parking. There was an odd smell, a bit like hot transmission fluid or something. Tried to start it today to put it on the drive to check it over, but it's not even starting now. Wondered if the clattering noise was the lifters or something so checked the oil - it's low but not below minimum, but in the filler cap it is very black and sludgy with bits. Took the cam cover off and it looks like the gasket plate has shed it's coating?






Pictures don't really show it well but it's coming off in big flakes

Also took out the spark plugs and tried turning the engine by a socket/breaker bar on the crank - it wouldn't budge. Thinking maybe all this crud floating about has blocked an oilway and cooked a bearing or something? Any thoughts/ideas?

[ChasR]

Has that car seen many services?

I have seen many a car go on (albeit not running well) with black death present inside in the engines as it seems to be the case above. Have you checked the timing belt at all?

Not that it is worth trying, but an oil change (if you managed to get the engine spinning over) might eeek a few more miles out of the engine.

[JC]

I've only had it 5 months, but it had a decent amount of service receipts, with nothing really major showing. Thing is, it did seem to be running absolutely fine until last week

Edit: So it's a common thing then? Is it just the paint/coating in that gasket thing burning off or something?

Not checked the timing belt actually, you think it's maybe snapped?

[ChasR]

With the amount of crud present in that car I would question some of the service receipts (It has been quite some time since I have seen an engine with that much gunk inside. Whilst some are more prone than others to it, good servicing with the relevant products (right oil, good filter etc.) do seem to keep the oil clean for the best part.

On the basis it is not turning over by hand I would be tempted take the belt cover off and see if the belt is still intact/in the right place on the assumption it has not snapped.

[JC]

Thanks, new engine time I guess!

[customsinc]

Do a compression test first. The rocker gaskets do flake like that when the engines have been run hot (water or oil wise), and judging by the insides of that it pretty definitive! It's possible that detritus has got in the hydraulic lifters and it holding off compression, also a chance it has blocked the oil pick-up though.

I'd whip the plugs out, see how easy the engine turns over by hand with a socket on the crank pulley. If thats ok, do a compression test, and strip/clean and refit the lifters, do a thorough oil flush etc.

Or just bang a new motor in.

[jetronic]

Slipped liner could be a possibility. I'd get the belt cover off to have a look and report back.