Builds 1990 LJ78 in Montana

[pradoblivious]

What are the temperatures outside in that video?

It was December 23rd, so IIRC it was jacket weather. high 40's ?

Could be a few things going on. Are you losing any oil?

I've had nagging oil leaks around the cooler, similar to yours, and given the rebuild shop gave me a 1year unlimited warranty on the work, I've been having them fix it all, so I'm not entirely sure whether or not I'm losing oil internally.

Overfuelling

That's what the rebuild shop thinks.

Injectors dirty - this can be fairly cheap to have them rebuilt/cleaned. Easy to pull.

I'll probably go ahead and send the injectors out to the place you mentioned in oregon, whether they need it or not.

Rings - did you break this in good? could be not seated yet

no long idles, no long drives at the same RPM, also the shop added a "seating" additive to the oil, which got removed at the 500 mile mark. I *think* they're set. fingers crossed.

check breather hose from valve cover to intake. Lots of oil in there?

I have a PCV catch can there, so one of the few things I'm sure of, is I'm not aspirating oil from there

Turbo - did it get rebuilt? Possibly oil leaking there

It's a ct26, which hasn't been rebuilt. It is blowing a tiny bit of oil, but I disconnected the entire intake to bypass it, and the truck still blew smoke, so I don't *think* the smoke is a result of aspirating oil from the turbo?

Does this clear up at all on normal acceleration?

Nope, it pretty much blows full-time, more gas == more smoke.

 

[pradoblivious]

With a leaky turbo seal, does the smoke come from oil entering the intake and being burned inside the engine? or does it come from oil blowing into the exhaust and being burned by the hot surface of the exhaust pipe?

 

[AirheadNut]

With a leaky turbo seal, does the smoke come from oil entering the intake and being burned inside the engine? or does it come from oil blowing into the exhaust and being burned by the hot surface of the exhaust pipe?

I think it can be either way depending on which side of the turbo is at higher pressure (and which side is more worn out). When I've had plugged PCV issues I sometimes get oil spatters coming out the exhaust, which would indicate to me that it is leaking out the exhaust side.

 

[FJBen]

It was December 23rd, so IIRC it was jacket weather. high 40's ?

I've had nagging oil leaks around the cooler, similar to yours, and given the rebuild shop gave me a 1year unlimited warranty on the work, I've been having them fix it all, so I'm not entirely sure whether or not I'm losing oil internally.

That's what the rebuild shop thinks.

I'll probably go ahead and send the injectors out to the place you mentioned in oregon, whether they need it or not.

no long idles, no long drives at the same RPM, also the shop added a "seating" additive to the oil, which got removed at the 500 mile mark. I *think* they're set. fingers crossed.

I have a PCV catch can there, so one of the few things I'm sure of, is I'm not aspirating oil from there

It's a ct26, which hasn't been rebuilt. It is blowing a tiny bit of oil, but I disconnected the entire intake to bypass it, and the truck still blew smoke, so I don't *think* the smoke is a result of aspirating oil from the turbo?

Nope, it pretty much blows full-time, more gas == more smoke.

Not a bad plan to check the injectors out.

I'd also check the timing.

What engine oil are you running in it? Have you changed the original break in oil and to what type/weight?

What does the smoke smell like? Get in that exhaust and get a huff of it (not too much lol) if your eyes water and burn it's excess fuel. If not, then it's most likely oil.


Does it start up easy?

 

[pradoblivious]

Not a bad plan to check the injectors out.

I'd also check the timing.

What engine oil are you running in it? Have you changed the original break in oil and to what type/weight?

What does the smoke smell like? Get in that exhaust and get a huff of it (not too much lol) if your eyes water and burn it's excess fuel. If not, then it's most likely oil.


Does it start up easy?

yeah the break-in oil came out at 500 miles and it got new oil/filter. I usually run a synthetic 15w-45 in it, but I haven't had it in my hands long enough really to do an oil change, so it's running whatever the rebuild shop put in. Seemed like every time I got it in hand, it was back in the shop a few days later. I'll see if I can find out what they use (they're not very chatty).

The smoke has a distinctive burning smell to it, but I wouldn't describe it as acrid... I don't think it bothered my eyes, and it didn't smell like diesel fuel, whose aroma I'm intimately familiar with.

It starts right up with a light pressure on the pedal, idles more or less smooth around 850. It's been running a bit choppier when it gets up to temp.. like getting off the freeway I've noticed I need to idle it up a little bit

 

[Rigster]

I thought from the video that when you increased throttle the smoke went away, that was why I was thinking fuel timing. If it smokes more with increased throttle, then I am inclined to think it is something else. Granted, bad injector(s) could cause excessive smoke, but that is generally more of a gradual thing. Not a sudden problem, unless you had some bad fuel and it fouled the nozzles. But under those kind of pressures, I still doubt a sudden change like that.

Not to cause alarm or anything... but did the shop send the head and block to a machine shop? Did they make sure the mating surfaces were even, or at least within spec? I am wondering if there is coolant seeping into one of the cylinders. That would also cause the rougher idle, excessive whitish smoke. I realize you have not put a ton of miles on it yet, but check the coolant and oil levels, condition. The fact you are saying it does not smell like diesel smoke concerns me as well.

Again, I would take it right back to the shop and get them to fix it up right, on their dime since it is under warranty. Though it could go a long way to make sure they fix it right if you provide some evidence of what the problem(s) are.

 

[pradoblivious]

They specialize in engine rebuilds, so the shop is 1/2 mechanic shop and 1/2 machine shop. They located the rebuild kit (from spectre) and did all the machine-shop work on site, including truing the head etc.. I've smelled/seen headgasket smoke and it doesn't seem like that to me? Sigh. I really hope they didn't screw it up.

I've already taken it back to them for the smoke, they kept it for a month (its still there) and haven't found anything wrong with the engine. They think it's a fuel delivery problem. I think what I'll do is:

- Before I bring it home, have a conversation with them about timing. How did they time it? (do they know you can rotate the pump to fine-tune? etc..) If I'm not satisfied they knew how to time it properly, give them the procedure and have them do it.
- get it home, pull the pump and the injectors and send them out to rule out a fuel delivery problem.
- while those are out, pull the turbo, assess the amount of oil on the exhaust side and probably send it out for a rebuild either way.
- reassemble, and, if still smoking, send it back to the rebuild shop as officially their problem.

 

[Rigster]

Sigh, Ok. Sorry you are going through all this, there is nothing worse when you have invested time and money into a full rebuild, only to find other issues, or the possibility it was not done correctly. So frustrating. I hope your plan fixes this right up once and for all and you then have another 30 years of dependable, pain free driving pleasure!

 

[FJBen]

yeah the break-in oil came out at 500 miles and it got new oil/filter. I usually run a synthetic 15w-45 in it, but I haven't had it in my hands long enough really to do an oil change, so it's running whatever the rebuild shop put in. Seemed like every time I got it in hand, it was back in the shop a few days later. I'll see if I can find out what they use (they're not very chatty).

The smoke has a distinctive burning smell to it, but I wouldn't describe it as acrid... I don't think it bothered my eyes, and it didn't smell like diesel fuel, whose aroma I'm intimately familiar with.

It starts right up with a light pressure on the pedal, idles more or less smooth around 850. It's been running a bit choppier when it gets up to temp.. like getting off the freeway I've noticed I need to idle it up a little bit

So did the smoking occur right after the 500 mile change?

A bluish smoke that doesn't smell like unburnt diesel is most likely oil. Whiteish smoke can be timing and injectors/fuel issues.

On my 13BT, it seems to run rougher on lower RPM's. I usually keep/adjust it to 700 and all is smooth. 650 is borderline for smooth.



Bluish smoke can be:
Turbo seals
Valve seals leaking oil. (doubtful if they just replaced them)
Ring issue/compression issue (very easy for the shop to run a compression test)


I think the idea of overhauling the IP and clean/test injectors is a great start. If the turbo is original, how many miles??, might not hurt for a rebuild.
You spent A LOT of money rebuilding the engine, making the the pump/injectors and turbo are good will be another good step.

 

[AirheadNut]

If the injectors weren't rebuilt when the engine was it is probably worth doing as a matter of routine maintenance, especially considering the unknown maintenance history of the engine and its condition before the rebuild. The same goes for the turbo.

 

[pradoblivious]

Picked up the truck today. Had a long chat with the rebuild shop about how they timed it, what they ruled out WRT valve seal / ring problems etc.. I came away with a renewed sense that they know their stuff. The guy who did most of the work on my truck actually rattled the timing procedure off from memory, and showed me the books they take the factory specs out of. He also said the smoke smelled like unburnt diesel to him and he was pretty confident an injector rebuild would solve the problem. The truck was smoking when I picked it up, but by the time I got it home it wasn't smoking anymore (of course).

I'm going to carry on with the plan, pull the injectors and IP this weekend and hopefully get them in the mail. Reading over the b-series manual they say an SST is necessary to pull the injectors. Is that true or do I just need a deep socket of some sort? Anything else to know? I know I need to mark them so I can put them back in the correct order..

 

[AirheadNut]

I think the SST you’re referring to is just a large deep socket, but that is only for the B and 3B. The 13B-T has a different style of injector that is held in with clamps and requires no special tools to remove. Just unbolt the clamps and wiggle the injectors out.

 

[pradoblivious]

Hah thanks.

 

[pradoblivious]

pulled out the driver's seat this morning because the recline hasn't been working right and found this.

The truck was imported from Japan to canada in the late 90's, so this 10yen would have been from 3 owners ago

 

[pradoblivious]

Busy day-job week. not much progress. Called around and found a local rebuild shop for the turbo, as well as a local shop that can do the injector work. I'll probably pull the injectors and turbo today

 

[pradoblivious]

I was up under there quelling a fuel leak on the lift pump today and noticed this tie-rod end was like a millimeter away from the wheel (RHD Passenger side)

I don't know anything about suspension but that can't be right can it?

 

[AirheadNut]

That looks like a wheel offset problem. At first I was going to say as long as it isn't rubbing it should be fine, but on closer inspection it looks like the tie rod end boot is wearing through on the wheel.

 

[Felde]

I had the same issue on mine. It became critical when they had to place some weight pads on the outer side of the rim, which then tore the boot.
The issue is with the offset of the rims.
I put some mild spacers (6.5mm) on. That's what's just acceptable with the length of the original wheel studs.

 

[pradoblivious]

finally got a chance to pull the injectors this weekend and put the ac compressor back in. I labeled the injectors with twist-ties and threw them in individually numbered bags, but I'd like to mark them in some way that's going to survive their trip to the shop, how do yall label these things before you ship them? Etch some lines in them with a dremmel?

Having those holes exposed in the top of the engine block made me super uncomfortable, so I came up with some field-expedient injector-cavity caps, curious what other people do for this as well..

 

[AirheadNut]

I love your solution to covering the injector ports! One of the sets of TDI injectors I got came with the cylinder number etched/scratched into the injector bodies, so something like a dremel would probably work just fine. That said, the EPC data I see indicates all four injectors are the same (23600-58020), so it shouldn't matter which one goes where after they're rebuilt.