Diesel Engine Runaway? (1 Viewer)

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Sep 13, 2020
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Zimbabwe
join the group with so much technical knowledge.

Have a '92 1HD-T. Owned it since 2012. About a year ago, I bought what should have been contaminated diesel - in Zim the liquid is not always available- sometimes even a supply from a small service station will do. Engine ran rough until the car was not starting ( within 2 days of topping up the 20 ltrs of "Bad Diesel".) Local Mechanic recommended Injector pump and injector service.
I replaced 4 injector nozzles and had pump serviced. The mechanic seconded "his boys to fit back the pump and injectors.
Idling was still rough, and power was very low. It had white smoke. I drove the car to the mechanic's workshop and as I was getting there, the car just increased its speed twice. 2nd time was as I was getting into the parking lot. Then it cut off. There was a leak of a mixture of diesel and oil on the pavement. The mechanics looked at the motor and tried to run it. AN INSANE REV and thick cloud of smoke was the result. VERY SCARY. They had to block the air inlet and within minute we were all quiet gain. They blamed it on worn piston rings and/or an out of service turbo.
I wasn't convinced but I'm no mechanic. My feeling was that something was wrong with the pump. Either the service or the front seal at fitting. The engine sump was full of oil mixed with diesel. Went to Cruiser specialists (whom I can not afford for routine service!). They agreed with me. I got the pump serviced again, this time by an Injector pump specialist they recommended. $$$$! Was told the Head was not the original and replacement was of poor quality. A few other technical stuff. "Shoddy job had been done", I was told.
Pump was put back on motor and I changed engine oil, cleaned fuel lines including lowering tank, changed filters.

The engine is running well... in the workshop, on flat tyres.... Compression is said to be good. Anything I should check before driving away. WORRIED ABOUT A REPEAT run away which may happen when I'm driving!


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I can only assume the engine was running on engine oil via the air intake to make it run away. Your sump was probably so full it got sucked up into the air intake via the breather. This is caused by the diesel leaking from the injection pump into the timing case and raising the oil level.
It shouldnt happen if the inj head and o ring/gaskets have been replaced.
They are expensive engines so you wont save money taking it to cheap mechanics.
 
I can only assume the engine was running on engine oil via the air intake to make it run away. Your sump was probably so full it got sucked up into the air intake via the breather. This is caused by the diesel leaking from the injection pump into the timing case and raising the oil level.
It shouldnt happen if the inj head and o ring/gaskets have been replaced.
They are expensive engines so you wont save money taking it to cheap mechanics.
Thanks. Will stick to experts. Should pick up the car from the workshop on Friday. Am sure it will be with bated breath.
 
Check the oil level before you start it .
 
Carry a CO2 fire extinguisher and discharge it into the intake if she wants to run away. They don't do it for no reason so if it's fixed correctly you don't need to worry
 
I had a minor run-on once, the 2H just kept running with just smoke resulting from a fried 12V/24V converter. These diesel engines will continue running on almost anything! I carry this little CO2 bottle from that time on.
 
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something really isn't right. I've heard of the same old bad fuel causing runaway in the past from mechanics. That one doesn't make much sense to me, aside from really damaging the pump and injectors.

The ring failure seems more likely, and the chance that you'll get out of this one with only a simple fix seems slim to none.

I do have a 1HZ block I can send you if that helps, should you find anything catastrophic.

You'll need to measure compression on each cylinder, and take the head off for further inspection.
 
I think there was no fuel problem. You just had seals let go in your injector pump.
 
I wasn't there, but what color was the smoke? Black smelling like diesel or light grey smelling like engine oil?? It might be more likely that you had an injection pump failure rather than a real engine oil runaway. It seems there are several gaps in the past maintenance here though.

You had the pump "serviced" at great expense. Did you have it rebuilt and setup properly by a Toyota diesel injection shop?

A holistic approach to your engine systems might help in troubleshooting here.
 
I wasn't there, but what color was the smoke? Black smelling like diesel or light grey smelling like engine oil?? It might be more likely that you had an injection pump failure rather than a real engine oil runaway. It seems there are several gaps in the past maintenance here though.

You had the pump "serviced" at great expense. Did you have it rebuilt and setup properly by a Toyota diesel injection shop?

A holistic approach to your engine systems might help in troubleshooting here.
Just a general general diesel injection shop not specifically Toyota is where I took it. I have not seen a specialist Toyota Diesel Injection specialist around. Even the one recommended to me by Cruiser specialist, who rebuilt it is a generalist.
Servicing has been fair. I have sent it for service as per due date. The smoke when the engine went wild was thick grey. Thank you for the insights.
 
I think there was no fuel problem. You just had seals let go in your injector pump.
Ok that's another possibility. Just that it happened soon after I got fuel from a small neighbourhood service station because the traditional stations were out of fuel. It's always easy to look back at what you may have done differently preceding the trouble as the car had no issues prior. But yah, will keep a very close eye.
 
something really isn't right. I've heard of the same old bad fuel causing runaway in the past from mechanics. That one doesn't make much sense to me, aside from really damaging the pump and injectors.

The ring failure seems more likely, and the chance that you'll get out of this one with only a simple fix seems slim to none.

I do have a 1HZ block I can send you if that helps, should you find anything catastrophic.

You'll need to measure compression on each cylinder, and take the head off for further inspection.
Ok will ask them about compression measurements again. They had given them to me as fine. It will be test driven today.
 
something really isn't right. I've heard of the same old bad fuel causing runaway in the past from mechanics. That one doesn't make much sense to me, aside from really damaging the pump and injectors.

The ring failure seems more likely, and the chance that you'll get out of this one with only a simple fix seems slim to none.

I do have a 1HZ block I can send you if that helps, should you find anything catastrophic.

You'll need to measure compression on each cylinder, and take the head off for further inspection.
Thank you for offering your 1HZ block. Will keep you posted on developments.
 
Your same fault happened to me on a landrover diesel with failing rings and old injection pump of unknown origin. I fuelled up with a special diesel that had lots of biodiesel in it, to cleanup that old unit. Same experience as yours, but I was able to shutdown mine with the key.

I had badly worn cylinders when I rebuilt that engine. I put new standard sleeves and pistons in it. I gave away that injection pump and rebuilt another.

Setting up an injection pump and injectors properly is like working on a wristwatch. Don't send it to anyone. I used a specialist injection shop in England for that pump, it works amazing, all genuine parts in it too.

I have the same work to do on my other 1HZ here, and have a Canadian shop that does the rebuilds for the mines. It isn't the first 1HZ pump they've seen.
 
Thank you for offering your 1HZ block. Will keep you posted on developments.
Your same fault happened to me on a landrover diesel with failing rings and old injection pump of unknown origin. I fuelled up with a special diesel that had lots of biodiesel in it, to cleanup that old unit. Same experience as yours, but I was able to shutdown mine with the key.

I had badly worn cylinders when I rebuilt that engine. I put new standard sleeves and pistons in it. I gave away that injection pump and rebuilt another.

Setting up an injection pump and injectors properly is like working on a wristwatch. Don't send it to anyone. I used a specialist injection shop in England for that pump, it works amazing, all genuine parts in it too.

I have the same work to do on my other 1HZ here, and have a Canadian shop that does the rebuilds for the mines. It isn't the first 1HZ pump they've seen.
 
Hi. My car seems to be running ok for now (early days I guess but about 300km after getting out of garage) save for the fact that kick down cable was now stuck, rusty and burnt. Disconnected it from gear box, was already failing to sit on the pump. Will put a new one in 2 days time- got it this afternoon. Been going manual- all city driving. Initially had mixture of white and black smoke. Generally cleared
 
Did you have it rebuilt and setup properly by a Toyota diesel injection shop?


Is there such a thing? Toyota dealers in Australia send them to shops that do all sorts of injection pumps and I would have assumed they do that everywhere
 

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