300 Tdi Rebuild

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Brown said:
Sounds like things are bedding in nicely. I wouldn't worry about the smoke. The critical thing is that it passes the MOT smoke test, and it is clear that yours has, with plenty of room to spare. So even if it gets a little smokier over the next few years it will be a long time 'til it fails.
Click to expand...
Good point, Brown! Hadn't thought of the smoke in relation to the MOT. Had been thinking about it in terms of what was wrong mechanically or otherwise.
When I changed the turbo/intercooler pipes there was a little oil in the old ones that seemed fresh. Now that it has ran a week with the new pipes on I'll have a look this weekend and see if there is much oil in the new pipes, then I'll know how much is getting through the breather in to the air system and through the turbo.
Cheers. :)
 
Al2O3 said:
Good point, Brown! Hadn't thought of the smoke in relation to the MOT. Had been thinking about it in terms of what was wrong mechanically or otherwise.
When I changed the turbo/intercooler pipes there was a little oil in the old ones that seemed fresh. Now that it has ran a week with the new pipes on I'll have a look this weekend and see if there is much oil in the new pipes, then I'll know how much is getting through the breather in to the air system and through the turbo.
Cheers. :)
Click to expand...

In the run up to the MOT I often spend time sitting revving it, looking at the puffs of smoke in my left hand mirror and wondering whether it'll get through. It always does.

I don't know whether the 300 TDi has this, but on my TD5 there's a thing called the depressor valve where the breather joins the air inlet pipe. Apparently this can fail with the result that a lot of oil gets in the inlet tract. It's supposed to be a good idea to change it as part of the service schedule but I haven't done so on mine yet.
 
It's a bit controversial but I sometimes add two stroke to my TD5 especially if I am expecting a long run, there are loads of arguments if this is good or not, but I find it seems to tick over a bit smoother and of course the TD5 injectors work as pressure pumps so any help must be welcome, now that diesel has no sulphur in it I am sure it can't be a bad thing bit like the famous old upper cylinder lubricant. I also feel mine runs a bit better on BP,s premium diesel, probably old engines miss the old diesel.
 
Brown said:
In the run up to the MOT I often spend time sitting revving it, looking at the puffs of smoke in my left hand mirror and wondering whether it'll get through. It always does.

I don't know whether the 300 TDi has this, but on my TD5 there's a thing called the depressor valve where the breather joins the air inlet pipe. Apparently this can fail with the result that a lot of oil gets in the inlet tract. It's supposed to be a good idea to change it as part of the service schedule but I haven't done so on mine yet.
Click to expand...
Pretty sure my breather joins via a Y shaped connector - no valve, but I'll have a look as I've not 'looked' for it before. :)

raywin said:
It's a bit controversial but I sometimes add two stroke to my TD5 especially if I am expecting a long run, there are loads of arguments if this is good or not, but I find it seems to tick over a bit smoother and of course the TD5 injectors work as pressure pumps so any help must be welcome, now that diesel has no sulphur in it I am sure it can't be a bad thing bit like the famous old upper cylinder lubricant. I also feel mine runs a bit better on BP,s premium diesel, probably old engines miss the old diesel.
Click to expand...
Mine's ticking over quietly enough, just smoking a bit.
 
I've just done a bit of investigation gents. I'd appreciate your thoughts and advice.
I took the new top intercooler pipe off to reveal a lot of oil.
IMG_6378.JPG

IMG_6379.JPG

The oil free blue section at the front is where I rubbed my finger through the oil.
I checked the oil depth and it was way below minimum. It's taken nearly 1.5 litres of oil to get the level mid way between the max and min lines. This oil has been used in about 820 miles.
When I was filling the oil up I noticed this.
IMG_6380.JPG

Brand new and, apart from a thread of rubber, completely split around. I hate to say it, but It's a britpart one.
I know this is just the vent from the sump, but might this make a difference now I've refitted it?
It's a new cyclone breather, again a Britpart one, do you think that isn't working properly?
 
I miscalculated the oil consumption before. It's used about 1.5 litres in 670 miles :( Something is not right.
On cold start up she produces a lot of grey smoke, as I rev it a bit.
When she is hot and driving along you can't see anything out of the passenger side mirror. That I can tell!
If you stop, even for a minute, you get a blast of black smoke at start up.

When she's ticking over you can feel a reasonable amount of chuffing pressure coming out of the oil filler when you put your hand over.
I can't see how it can be the piston rings and bores. I reckon I did enough to bed those in properly.
I can only think it could be the valve guides or the head gasket is blowing in to an oil way slightly.
 
Al2O3 said:
I miscalculated the oil consumption before. It's used about 1.5 litres in 670 miles :( Something is not right.
On cold start up she produces a lot of grey smoke, as I rev it a bit.
When she is hot and driving along you can't see anything out of the passenger side mirror. That I can tell!
If you stop, even for a minute, you get a blast of black smoke at start up.

When she's ticking over you can feel a reasonable amount of chuffing pressure coming out of the oil filler when you put your hand over.
I can't see how it can be the piston rings and bores. I reckon I did enough to bed those in properly.
I can only think it could be the valve guides or the head gasket is blowing in to an oil way slightly.
Click to expand...

if you remove head you can inspect the bores,was it rebored and honed ?
 
neilly said:
Is it worthwhile doing a compression test, at least it might give you an idea of which cylinder / area to look at.

Cheers
Click to expand...
Yes, I agree neilly. I did buy a cheap one of ebay, but sent it back because I got what I paid for. I'll have to look for a better one.
James, this is a picture of one of the bores from when I was checking the ring gaps. Honing marks look ok to me, but I'm no expert.
IMG_6059.JPG
 
Al2O3 said:
I've just done a bit of investigation gents. I'd appreciate your thoughts and advice.
I took the new top intercooler pipe off to reveal a lot of oil.
View attachment 126167
View attachment 126168
The oil free blue section at the front is where I rubbed my finger through the oil.
I checked the oil depth and it was way below minimum. It's taken nearly 1.5 litres of oil to get the level mid way between the max and min lines. This oil has been used in about 820 miles.
When I was filling the oil up I noticed this.
View attachment 126169
Brand new and, apart from a thread of rubber, completely split around. I hate to say it, but It's a britpart one.
I know this is just the vent from the sump, but might this make a difference now I've refitted it?
It's a new cyclone breather, again a Britpart one, do you think that isn't working properly?
Click to expand...
I had the same pipe go on me at the other end after only a few months (was an Allmakes one), got a replacement (same again) but this time looked a bit closer at the installation. The pipe was slightly too long overall (but the same length as the failed one) so it was a bit compressed lengthwise when fitted. I trimmed a bit off of the long end of the pipe so that it fitted neatly and its been like that for a couple of years now.
 
Kwakerman said:
I had the same pipe go on me at the other end after only a few months (was an Allmakes one), got a replacement (same again) but this time looked a bit closer at the installation. The pipe was slightly too long overall (but the same length as the failed one) so it was a bit compressed lengthwise when fitted. I trimmed a bit off of the long end of the pipe so that it fitted neatly and its been like that for a couple of years now.
Click to expand...
I reckon mine was a bit long too, but I'd expect it to bend a bit rather than split.
 
Al2O3 said:
I reckon mine was a bit long too, but I'd expect it to bend a bit rather than split.
Click to expand...
It will bend a bit, but it is bending around the end of the metal tube it is slid on (inside the pipe) and if the edge of the metal tube has any roughness the vibration may be damaging the pipe enough for it to start splitting
 
Yes, either that and/or the jubilee clip. It was a perfect line around close to the jubilee clip. It might have been too tight, but I would still expect decent rubber to withstand that.
 
Al2O3 said:
Yes, either that and/or the jubilee clip. It was a perfect line around close to the jubilee clip. It might have been too tight, but I would still expect decent rubber to withstand that.
Click to expand...
You did mention Britpart, and also remember you can have descent rubber, and low cost, but not necessarily at the same time! :(
 
I've done two 'top to top' tank mpg checks. Need to do more to get a better average but........
Did one on the 20th June when I'd done 229 miles on 36.47litres. That works out at 28.62mpg. I was happy with that as it included miles when I had been driving it hard still.
Did another today. Was getting it hot to do a smoke test on a hot engine, so drove it 15 miles up the A1 doing 60mph occassionally up to 70pmh when overtaking caravans. Filled it up on the way back. Got exactly 25 litres in and had covered 182 miles since last fill up. That works out at 33mpg. Most of that has been the Mrs going back and forth to work this week, so easy driving apart from the 60-70mph stuff with me today.

Two decent figures for an engine burning that much oil :confused: Don't tell me the oil it's burning is saving diesel! :p
 
all the 300Tdi's I have owned give a puff of black smoke on initial start.

Remember, White smoke is unburnt diesel, black smoke is burnt diesel with not enough air, blue is oil.....grey would be a combination of unburnt diesel and not enough air....which can happen as on starting, there is no manifold pressure so you always get a puff of black smoke, as for the unburnt portion, it could be a slight dribble from an injector.

As for the oil in the induction pipes, yes, check breather hoses and cyclone.
 
Saint.V8 said:
all the 300Tdi's I have owned give a puff of black smoke on initial start.

Remember, White smoke is unburnt diesel, black smoke is burnt diesel with not enough air, blue is oil.....grey would be a combination of unburnt diesel and not enough air....which can happen as on starting, there is no manifold pressure so you always get a puff of black smoke, as for the unburnt portion, it could be a slight dribble from an injector.

As for the oil in the induction pipes, yes, check breather hoses and cyclone.
Click to expand...

I could put the old cyclone breather back on and see what happens. Nothing to lose I suppose.
What colour do you reckon the smoke is? The video below is from cold start up.


The puff of black smoke happens after the hot engine has been switched off for even less than a minute. If I was to try and catch some of that smoke, say on paper, do you reckon I could tell by the deposits if it is oil or diesel? Dry sooty or wet? I need to do some sort of investigations?
 
A tad bit too much oil smoke....Is it possible the intercooler core could be soaked in oil which is getting blown into the intake and burning off whenever you rev it? As for the puff of smoke on startup, as others have said, I believe it's the norm with these things. If I'm not mistaken, I must have read it somewhere that it's on account of their double acting injectors or something of the sort.
 
ifloochies said:
A tad bit too much oil smoke....Is it possible the intercooler core could be soaked in oil which is getting blown into the intake and burning off whenever you rev it? As for the puff of smoke on startup, as others have said, I believe it's the norm with these things. If I'm not mistaken, I must have read it somewhere that it's on account of their double acting injectors or something of the sort.
Click to expand...
The intercooler core is undoubtedly soaked in oil. The unknown is why so much oil is coming through from the breather.
I held some kitchen roll in front of the exhaust at cold start up earlier. The smoke looks light grey, perhaps it's bluey grey, it's hard to tell. There's a video of it above.
Anyway, the kitchen roll immediately turned to this.
IMG_6386.JPG

It's pretty dark, but I can't really tell if it's burnt oil or soot from poorly burned fuel. I'm guessing oil based on the amount of oil it's using.
I've bought a compression tester off Amazon. Should arrive by Tuesday.
In the meantime, I've put the old cyclone breather back on.
 
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