I've just scared myself silly and read about snapped crankshafts on RRS's and was wondering how much of a problem this is and which models are the most affected?

The common cause seems to be put down to a manufacturing defect and oil starvation. Is there any way to prevent this happening or is it luck of the draw?

I am now trawling the net for a decent warranty provider..........

No prevention, and no way of predicting if/when it will happen.

Pot luck, really, and JLR usually don't bother helping with the repair costs.

IIRC even their own warranty excludes this. --
2010 Defender Puma 90 + BAS remap + Alive IC + Slickshift + Ashcroft ATB rear
2015 Range Rover Sport Supercharged V8 HSE Dynamic



Defender Puma Workshop Manual: https://bit.ly/2zZ1en9
Discovery 4 Workshop Manual: https://bit.ly/2zXrtKO
Range Rover/Sport L320/L322/L494 Workshop Manual: https://bit.ly/2zc58JQ

All 2.7 and 3.0 diesels are susceptible to the issue, across all LR models. The 3.0 is simply an evolution of the 2.7.

The likelihood is low compared to the thousands of cars on the road. But when it happens...it hurts. Kev

MY2014 L405 RR Vogue SE 4.4 SDV8 in Corris Grey
MY2010 L320 RRS HSE 3.0 TDV6 in Stornoway Grey

If I remember reading something on this forum correctly, I recall that the problem is in the design of the big end bearings. In the good old days when I used to rebuild my MGB engine, you had big end shells with a little tab which located in a recess in the crankshaft. Once located and bolted up, there was no way that the shells could move. This meant that the oil ways all lined up.

IIRC the problem with the LR engines in question is that they have done away with the little tab meaning that the shells can slide around the crankshaft. It they do this then the oil hole no longer lines up and the bearing are starved of oil. Bang!

Of course I could have dreamed all this. I am sure that someone will be along to either confirm my recollections or tell me I'm talking out of my .... Robin
2008 Range Rover Sport TDV8
Gone:
Jaguar S-Type V8 4.2 Sport
MGZTT 190 2.5

No, your not dreaming it Robin. Lots of people think that.

The reality is though, the newer 3.0 have tabbed bearings and those bearings spin, block the oilways and cause the crank to snap also.

Whilst tabs *may* reduce the risk somewhat, they do not stop the bearings rotating.

There are many engines without tabbed bearings and they do not suffer with the same issue.

Here's a pic of one of my big end bearings from last year

Click image to enlarge

dumb question but when they occur is the entire engine just destroyed? i mean is a rebuild completely out of the question if i managed to buy the car at rock bottom prices?

I know it is off topic as I'm straying into MG territory, but I can't understand how the shells could move in the bearing with a tab - unless they break off, of course. Once tightened up, they can't move. My MG engine was built before 1967 and still works. Sounds to me like LR have designed out a perfectly serviceable and functioning part for no apparent reason.

From the MG Workshop Manual. That little tab "A" fits in the groove "B" and that that sorted!

Click image to enlarge

I thought for some reason that was part of the problem, someone in their infinite wisdom decided the shells/rods didn't need the locating tabs anymore.

Cheers
Col

In all of the 3.0 engine failures I've seen through our doors, every single one, without exception has been low on oil at time of failure...

mgrover wrote:

dumb question but when they occur is the entire engine just destroyed? i mean is a rebuild completely out of the question if i managed to buy the car at rock bottom prices?

What do you call low mike ? Below min?

Sub 3L...

The engine oil, while acting as a lubricant, also acts as a coolant, taking heat away from the hot metal spinny bits, and transferring it elsewhere to the engine. The hotter the oil gets, the less lubrication it can provide

One if these areas the oil flows through is the (aptly named) oil cooler

This has galleries of engine oil and engine coolant. The coolant draws heat from the oil, and flows through the radiator, whereby, it looses that heat. The "cooled" oil (still 90+ degrees) continues its flow around the engine, lubricating things as it goes. And its a continual process

The less oil in the engine, the less heat transfer can take place, and the oil gets hotter and hotter until it provides less and less lubrication, and thats when engine wear and damage occurs...

At a capacity of less than 3 litres, thats less than half the recommended amount of oil

And thats before we get into the chemistry of engine oil degrading quicker as its being worked harder as there is less of it. Its all above my head anyway, TBH

Of all these engine failures, I wonder just how many still had a full 5.8 litres of oil in the sump...

Humm. That is low.

I wonder if folks don’t check oil levels like we used to years ago  Visitor from fullfatrr.com
* GONE. 2012 RR Sport HSE SDV6 Orkney Grey. Now being piloted by RRSTDV8
* Current: 2011 4.4 TDV8 Full Fat. Amazing piece of kit.
* Current. 1974 Lightweight 2.25L petrol. Old skool
* GONE. Freelander GS TD4 Manual MY2013. Orkney Grey with privacy, cold and clearview packs, armrests (a must!) and a spoiler.
* GONE. Range Rover Classic '93 200Tdi Factory fit
* 1949 80" in family since 1975

The emissions friendly electronic dipsticks don't help. You need the engine to be "just so" where an old dipstick you could wander out and check it any time you liked.

But I have no doubt that people generally don't check the oil / coolant / PAS etc. like we used to. 2012 SDV6 - it's missing a couple of cylinders
2008 TDV8 - it was a labour of love and is much missed