One of those smoke questions

[Nick Shepherd]

Started up today after a few weeks sat and there is a trickle of white smoke at idle which becomes a big plume of white smoke with a hefty throttle input. The smoke smells dieselly (acrid and unpleasant, certainly not sweet)

Things checked so far:

Oil is slightly over filled, I'll take out a pint or two later.

The crankcase breather tube is smoking when removed from the air filter intake hose.

The turbo intake hose piece seems to have oil in it too.

All filters have just been changed.

My two most expensive possibilities, in ascending order of scary, seem to be the injectors are dirty (maybe some cleaner or even a tankful of biodiesel run through would help), the injector pump needs rebuilding or the turbo is knackered.

Does anyone have any diagnostic ideas for me to try out?

 

[karl webster]

The truck i just broke nick was smoking white smoke big time. That was part of the reason i broke it,along with the gearbox issue and the death wobble i couldnt get to the bottom of.

After it was broke i found the death wobble was the rear prop.

As for the smoke,i thought my engine was goosed but someone put a post on here with the same issues and he said it was a turbo seal gone i think.

Injectors , I suppose only way is having them tested. I will be having recon injectors on the shelf at some point but as everything else its just on the list at the min.

Pump wise i would be supprised if theres anything wrong with that.

karl

 

[Nick Shepherd]

Thanks for the input Karl

I just had an idea, I went out to try it just now and gave the glow plugs three turns of the key before starting up. This time there was a small amount of smoke which cleared up pretty much straight away. Even up at 2500rpm there was just a small amount of black smoke, no white.

So I'm guessing I could do with a new set of glow plugs as the combustion chambers aren't hot enough when they get fuel injected at startup?

The glow plug light goes out almost as soon as it comes on, is that the norm for the 1HD-T? My 2H light stays on for three or four seconds, even on a hot day like today.

 

[karl webster]

Glow plug lights always go straight out yes. I was told that the 80s dont really need them unless in adverse temps. Dont know if that info is right or not though.

So when your driving it you just get the usual dark smok when you boot it?

Karl

 

[Nick Shepherd]

Glow plug lights always go straight out yes. I was told that the 80s dont really need them unless in adverse temps. Dont know if that info is right or not though.

So when your driving it you just get the usual dark smok when you boot it?

Karl

I've not driven it anywhere except down the street, it's not technically insured yet

There was a wee bit of black smoke when I gave it some in the drive just now though, that's encouraging, I think.

Another thing that just occurred to me is that there must have been diesel drawn into the cylinders while I was moving the crank around changing the bearings, maybe some of that was getting fired into the exhaust as well?

 

[joinerman]

I'd stick a couple of bottles of diesel magic in the tank & blast it up the m/way for half an hour, drive it like you stole it,

Oh when your legal that is.

 

[Nick Shepherd]

drive it like you stole it,

Oh when your legal that is.

Is diesel magic the potion of choice then?

 

[Andrew Prince]

Take your pick, Nick - some people swear by Forte diesel additive, which I have used and I guess it works... To be honest it seemed just the same afterwards.
Or you could try running some 2stroke oil, maybe 300-400ml per full tank, which I do currently (I add about 150ml per tank but as a starting dose you might want to add more ). Again, some people swear by this - and it should help lube the IP and possibly do something good to the injectors.
Or just chuck in whatever additive is nearest to hand

 

[Nick Shepherd]

Take your pick, Nick - some people swear by Forte diesel additive, which I have used and I guess it works... To be honest it seemed just the same afterwards.
Or you could try running some 2stroke oil, maybe 300-400ml per full tank, which I do currently (I add about 150ml per tank but as a starting dose you might want to add more ). Again, some people swear by this - and it should help lube the IP and possibly do something good to the injectors.
Or just chuck in whatever additive is nearest to hand

I'll start with topping up with biodiesel and see where that gets us then

I'd best start saving up for another fuel filter, I suppose

 

[Andrew Prince]

Yes, the biodiesel is likely to free up all the accumulated crud in the tank and fuel lines. If you're trying to trouble-shoot, I'd go with a fossil-fuel based additive, rather than bio-diesel, which might add to rather than solve your problems

 

[Chris]

OK, well I like a bit of heresy. Not the first time I have been burned at the stake. Injector cleaners? Load of b****s. Injectors wear, the holes in the tips get bigger not smaller. Phenomenal pressure going through them all of the time so getting gunged up? Nah, don't buy it. Save your money. Better to pull them, have them tested for the price of a bottle of 'snake oil' and see what's really the problem. If they just need the break off pressures resetting, it's not too much, but if they need re-tipping it's quite a bit more. If sticking some magic juice in your tank was the answer, then all the diesel specialists would be out of a job. Nice to think that a bit of Reddex will solve your problems, but it won't. Having seen injectors on a test rig now, I won't be putting anything except diesel in my tank.

I'll get my own kindling thank you. You can get the fire started with some injector cleaner.

Chris

 

[Dave Docwra]

I agree fully with Chris, Forget the chip oil it will only make it worse.

 

[Ecoman]

I went down to my local diesl specialist to book mine in for an injector overhaul and general fuel system clean out. The chap there said before spending a fortune try running some of their injector cleaner through the truck. It was a stanadyne product. I used a bottle in about a third of a tank. I was sceptical but damn it has made a difference! I now have a lot less smoke on hard acceleration and general running seems smoother. I can recommend giving it a go

 

[chriscolleman]

A bottle of snake oil and some fresh fuel will do some good. If the smoking persists a visit to the local diesel place is in order.

 

[Ecoman]

Try getting your fuel from a different garage too. I was using Morrisons' and Tesco's fuel in my hilux as it was convenient but after a period of poor running, poor fuel economy and what seemed like excessive smoke/steam I moved onto shell. I almost instantly saw a transformation in performance and fuel economy and it now smokes a lot less. I put it down to a bad batch/ contaminated fuel but I have never been back.

 

[Bat21]

Everyone is going to have their own opinion on this one but here's mine.

On tick over my 80 used to do a very good impression of an old bus with regard to smoking, blipping the throttle used to result in loads of White smoke which used to clear once on the move.

This has virtually disappeared now.... my solution, as recommended by an old truck driver, was to add 3L of Morrisons finest rapeseed oil @ £1.05L every tank full

Mine is a 92 80 auto and now returns 20mpg combined and 24.3mpg on a run.... before 21.7 was the best figure, not sure if that is good, bad or normal?