Engine troubles any ideas?

[jslootweg 0]

My 2.0l 16v has been making a quiet rattle for a while and I am currently building up a new engine to go in. The other day I was driving home from work and all of a sudden i lost all my power and the engine started smoking when i tried to accelerate and started making a horribly loud tapping noise. I manage to get my car home. I thought maybe that my cambelt had slipped or something like that. So i took all the gubbins off the top and aligned the engine to TDC and that cams are fine. I took advice on my engine rattle and was told that it is probably main bearings (hence the engine rebuild). Although now i'm suspecting otherwise. I am thinking it possibly be a piston ring due to the loss of power. Any other ideas? oh yeah by the way no.1 spark plug looked like it was oily. I don't think it would be a head gasket failure either because that wouldn't explain the noise.

 

I don't know whether this is going to be easily fixable or I should get another daily driver while i fix this up properly. Any help/advice is kindly appreciated.

[Crasher 3]

Head gasket failure could explain the noise. When the gasket blows between two cylinders (usualy between 1 and 2) you get chronic detonation, that is the noise-purely pressure waves and not mechanical.

[jslootweg 0]

Right i'll pull the head off tomorrow night and have a look and see. I'll keep you posted.

[Crasher 3]

If I am wrong, I have left the country!

[swiftkid 1]

sounds exactly like what happened to me and that head gasket is pretty much exactly how i found mine!!!

[jslootweg 0]

Had a go at removing the head tonight but i couldn't even get the heat shield and exhaust manifold to down pipe bolts undone. Bloody annoying!