LJ 77 1992 cold start smoke

[Amir Habib]

it has 2lt engine, no problems since I imported it from Europe last year .All Gp /tb/ water pump done as maintenance by a local previous Toyota mechanic ( not familiar with diesels but can work on simple things )

Drives smooth all the way 80 miles , no over heating . Seems well kept by previous owner in Spain . Every thing is original . About 14ok miles .
Problem is ——>Will start right up on half ignition, run rough with blue smoke from exhaust for several minutes all the way to big cloud . Once warms up no smoke .
My local non diesel guy had checked gasket leak test & none on coolant test . Will talks it to TDI ( turbo diesel injector ) of Indianapolis after holidays for diagnostics but they are very expensive if need a motor or else .
I am not sure what to do . A dedicated LC mechanic who works on 2lt motors will be better option . Willing to travel 300 miles radius if needed .
Truck is reliable to go any where
Appreciate any one’s else .

 

[speycaster]

My 13BT likes to smoke until it warms up. Standard practise for diesels.

 

[coldtaco]

do search in diesel section about smoke on start.

 

[Amir Habib]

do search in diesel section about smoke on start.

I am hoping if any one could refer me to LC guru specialized in 2 LT in Midwest.
I am willing to drive to him or share pic of excessive cold start smoke which is more then normal

 

[GTSSportCoupe]

I am hoping if any one could refer me to LC guru specialized in 2 LT in Midwest.
I am willing to drive to him or share pic of excessive cold start smoke which is more then normal

The best thing you can do when you own these vehicles is learn how to work on them yourself. You'll save a pile of money and hassle. The manuals are out there, download them and start troubleshooting. Tons of posts on this too; search and read.

Are you sure it's an LJ77? Or is it an LJ78?

Start by checking the glow system, then fuel system, then compression.

What is your procedure when you start it? Ignore the glow light indicator. Wait until you hear the main glow relay click in the engine bay after about 7-8 seconds. You can also turn your key off after the first glow, wait a couple seconds and then do the 7-8 second glow cycle again. Should start perfectly clean and no smoke if everything is in good order.

 

[Amir Habib]

It’s LJ 77, it’s not GP for sure. I wait for relay click rather light ( makes no diff ) start right up . Then after 2-3 sec starts running rough like excessive diesel coming or oil burning . Not sure
Runs rough till truck warms up
Problem has progressively got worse

 

[oldblue]

If it has electric hubs , the click that you hear at approx 10 seconds more or less ? could be the timing ECU for the electric hubs.
Try turning the key on for another 10 seconds before starting.

 

[SNLC]

It is a diesel, they smoke when cold. No biggie.

Now if it is blowing huge clouds of white smoke or blows blue smoke 24/7 you have an issue.

Otherwise, seriously don't worry to much about it. Could it use a tune and injectors gone through? Probably, but again it is a diesel and some smoke on a cold morning is nothing to worry about. It is not like this is a 2018 USA spec diesel.

Cheers

 

[SNLC]

There is also a good procedure for starting a grumpy old diesel on cold mornings.

Crank it for 5-10 seconds with no glow to build compression. Then glow it, perhaps twice. Then start and crank your hand throttle to say 1500rpms and let it warm up. Good to go and will start at negative temps with this method even if you have a failed glow plug or two and injector issues.

These are old trucks, often they have never seen cold temps. Use it occasionally.



Cheers

 

[ozcrusier]

Sounds like you need a compression test you may have one cyclinder down on compression.

 

[Amir Habib]

It’s not normal smoke of 2LT start up
I agree it will need a compression test & tune up if needed
Can any one refer me to any diesel mechanic around Indy or near by states
Also if motor / cynlider is bad , what are options out there
Engine swap or rebuilt

 

[Omoitsurugi]

I have the same problem when i start my LJ73, so the mechanic and I went debunked it to a bad injector. After doing some research myself around online learning more and more abou diesels it seems to be the case. if the injectors are leaky/dirty then it will smoke kind of gray-ish smoke until it warms up.

it also means your cylinders may not be hot enough (if a little smoke) when cold start, so the gray smoke (please, correct me if i'm wrong) is from fuel not being burned.

In my case i actually have a leaky injector, i can actually look at the engine and when it's running and see a little diesel leak out of 1 of the injectors.

Also: You said you got your truck from Spain? I actually saw a truck on base here that looked almost exactly like what you had don't see it anymore.

 

[roscoFJ73]

Sounds like a compression problem to me. It may only have 140000 miles on it but high speed driving will kill these old diesels pretty quick. Keep them around 2500max for cruising. Merc and BMW spent hundreds of millions making their diesels suitable for high rpm cruising, Toyota didnt do it with these.
When diesel engines are worn, the compression is low when cold. As the engine warms, the piston and ring expands and the compression rises and normal combustion begins. As it gets older, the smoke takes longer to clear.

 

[Amir Habib]

I agree with you guys. Needs both compression & injector tested
Not sure whom I take it to
Kind of waiting for weather to get clear . Don’t want to drive it while salt still on the road

 

[Omoitsurugi]

I agree with you guys. Needs both compression & injector tested
Not sure whom I take it to
Kind of waiting for weather to get clear . Don’t want to drive it while salt still on the road

Find yourself a Diesel specialist in the states, or someone who specializes in the 2L-T engines?

 

[roscoFJ73]

I agree with you guys. Needs both compression & injector tested
Not sure whom I take it to
Kind of waiting for weather to get clear . Don’t want to drive it while salt still on the road

For the cost of paying someone to do a compression test, you could probably buy the compression tester and do it yourself. Its relatively easy.
And taking out the injectors will also save you an hours labour, it's not much harder than removing a spark plug. You only need a good deep socket.

 

[Omoitsurugi]

For the cost of paying someone to do a compression test, you could probably buy the compression tester and do it yourself. Its relatively easy.
And taking out the injectors will also save you an hours labour, it's not much harder than removing a spark plug. You only need a good deep socket.

While that's completely true, I've always been told not to touch diesel injectors cause you could ruin them?

 

[roscoFJ73]

I've always been told not to touch diesel injectors cause you could ruin them?

Its just the nozzle tips at the very end that should not be touched and when they are being rebuilt you must wear latex gloves etc. The bits circled in yellow are the nozzle holder and tip. Human skin oil can leave tiny marks on them that upsets the high pressure being pumped into them. Those bits fit into the bits up the top on the RH side.
Those are 1HZ injectors but they are fundamentally the same as the 2lt etc.
When they are new or freshly rebuilt, they come with plastic caps to protect them.

 

[Amir Habib]

Update ,
TDI ( turbo diesel injector ) ran diagnostics, all compression were at ? 400 & at spec , they said no gasket leak @ it has second gen upgraded head
Rebuild all 4 injector , chafed Diesel filters & notes that air filter was clogged .
No smoke on start now . Cost $700

New problem , diesel pump is leaking & needs rebuilt .
They quoted $700 labor + 200 parts / seals
Is that some thing done cheaper elsewhere

 

[GTSSportCoupe]

Update ,
TDI ( turbo diesel injector ) ran diagnostics, all compression were at ? 400 & at spec , they said no gasket leak @ it has second gen upgraded head
Rebuild all 4 injector , chafed Diesel filters & notes that air filter was clogged .
No smoke on start now . Cost $700

New problem , diesel pump is leaking & needs rebuilt .
They quoted $700 labor + 200 parts / seals
Is that some thing done cheaper elsewhere

You can seal the pump yourself for $20 in parts. It's lots of work though. Here are some pictures from when I did it: Resealed my rotary injection pump

If it's just the lid or pump head that is leaking you can do the job on the vehicle. It's tough also though.

Depends on how badly you want to save money....LOL.