My Name is Craig Posted June 22, 2009 Share Posted June 22, 2009 An invitation for anybody to confirm to me what I think I already know... Background: Took the landy on a fishing trip a few weeks back, having just done the necessary post timing belt snap works,, new push rods etc, also fitted a new fuel pump, recent mot pass, everything in the garden was rosey. Until... I use the landy mostly as a weekend vehicle, fun and practical, so came to start it up a week later, the 200tdi fired up as usual, seemed to be running well, if a bit reeky, I had anticipated the smoke clearing after a mile or two but it just seemed to get worse, then the power started to drop off, by the time I limped home I had to use low 1st to crawl up the not terribly steep drive. I lifted the bonnet to see if there was anything obvious, and there was, exhaust gas coming out the crankcase vent, or the oil filler cap if I took it off, If I cracked injectors 3 or 4 the engine stalled, there seemed to be a lack of pressure at injector 1 and 2, so I whipped the fuel pump and had it reconditioned, which wasn't cheap. I took the pump out and replaced it without removing the timing belt cover, being an incurable optimist, replaced the pump (a job which now takes me about 20 minutes) cranked the engine over manually to make sure the valves wouldn't come into contact with the pistons, then started the engine.. Still being down on power I set about cracking the injectors again, cracked the first injector and running got significantly rougher, but didn't improve when I tightened it down, cracked the second injector and the engine nearly stalled, injectors 3 and 4 the same, do these injectors 'stick' if not used for a long time, engine didn't turn for nearly 5 months at one stage. Engine also slow to rev up and probably reaching a max of about 2500 rpm (by ear) Also, if it's possible it seems that the level of oil in the sump has increased, I intend to drain it and let it seperate, I'm not losing water, could it be shot piston rings and unburn't fuel passing by, there seems to be plenty of compression when turning the engine over manually, does anybody know wether it would be possible to turn the engine over without contacting a valve if the belt was 1 tooth out? Fuel pump came back with a slight leak, and rather than sending me the bits the place apolagised and asked me to send the pump back for them to repair, at no cost to myself fortunately. I'm aware that there are almost definately multiple issues at play here, but what's the best way forward?? Is it worth doing a compression test, pop testing the injectors, or do I just whip the head off now? What are the most likley routes of exhaust gas to crankcase? I look orward to hearing what folk have to say. Cheers Craig Eleanor Roosevelt: 'Learn from the mistakes of others. You can't live long enough to make them all yourself.' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rusty_wingnut Posted June 22, 2009 Share Posted June 22, 2009 have you re-checked the timing belt? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
My Name is Craig Posted June 22, 2009 Author Share Posted June 22, 2009 I haven't, that's on the 'to do' when the fuel pump gets back, wether to remove all the timing belt covers or to just check that no1 valve is in TDC at the correct time, I always fear breaking the bit of the alluminiau cover that goes round the water pump, so delicate. I know that I had the fuel pump to crankshaft timing perfect, and reckoned on not being able to turn the engine over without contacting a valve if the timing betwen the crangshagt and the camshaft were out even by just 1 tooth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
western Posted June 22, 2009 Share Posted June 22, 2009 reset the timing as per the workshop manual, I'm sure you don't want to repair anything else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darkman Posted June 22, 2009 Share Posted June 22, 2009 I would put a fiver on the head gasket, trust me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les Henson Posted June 22, 2009 Share Posted June 22, 2009 Timing out won't chuck exhaust gas out of the crank breather and filler cap, so forget that. Retarded timing will be difficult to start from cold, chuck out loads of white/grey smoke from the exhaust, need lots of revs to get moving/change gear. Advanced timing will make the engine rattle like crazy (detonate). I would suspect the head gasket, although cracking the injectors, getting worse running, then not recovering seems a bit odd to me. A blow from a cylinder to the camshaft housing seems to be the problem, and what I would look for initially. A busted timing belt wouldn't cause the head gasket to go, so just an unfortunate coincidence. Les. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
My Name is Craig Posted June 23, 2009 Author Share Posted June 23, 2009 So, really what I thought then, head coming off, I'll wait till I get the pump back on and engine running. Then make a start from the top down, how long should I set aside for this job? it looks relatively straight forward, and what would be the usual things to do at the same time, replace/re-lap valves, clean up the ports, check piston clearances, and bore for unnecessarry wear. I have access to a machine shop, should I be thinking about skimming the head? Are difarent gasket thicknesses available? I'm sure there are some on here who have done more cylinder heads then they care to remember. This will be my first. off to the tech archive!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markyboy Posted June 23, 2009 Share Posted June 23, 2009 So, really what I thought then, head coming off, I'll wait till I get the pump back on and engine running. Then make a start from the top down, how long should I set aside for this job? it looks relatively straight forward, and what would be the usual things to do at the same time, replace/re-lap valves, clean up the ports, check piston clearances, and bore for unnecessarry wear. I have access to a machine shop, should I be thinking about skimming the head? Are difarent gasket thicknesses available?I'm sure there are some on here who have done more cylinder heads then they care to remember. This will be my first. off to the tech archive!!! It's a pretty straightforward job, set a day aside and that should give you plenty of time. Of course if you find that the head is warped or the valves need the seats grinding and lapping in then it may take a bit longer. In terms of skimming the head, you should check it for warping with a good straight edge and feeler gauges. As for the valves, pop them out and have a look to see if the seats are clean and in good condition or if they're dirty and pitted. As you will have everything stripped down it's probably worth doing them as a matter of course. You wouldn't be able to check the psitons for excessive clearance without taking them out, at least not with any degree of accuracy. Of course you should do a visual inspection of the bores to look for excessive wear/ridges from the piston rings. You can also physically try to move the piston from side to side in the bore to see if there is any obvious movement. Different head gaskets are available, there should be a tab on the side of the gasket with a series of dots on it (IIRC). Replace like for like unless you have to skim the head. The Tech Archive will almost certainly contain all this info and more. Let us know how you get on. HTH. Mark. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les Henson Posted June 23, 2009 Share Posted June 23, 2009 Removing a 200TDi cylinder head http://forums.lr4x4.com/index.php?showtopic=30111 Les. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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