2000 ZD30 blowing blue smoke

[pjhsv]

So I recently bought a 2000 GU ZD30 manual. Absolutely love it.

However....I went to head out to Mt Disappointment last weekend, and I made it to about 20 mins on freeway when the engine lost power, and started blowing blue smoke. The amount of smoke was ridiculous - looked like a I had a bushfire attached to my towbar.

Anyway, a combination of limping it up some of the steeper hills, and getting a tow from a 2.4D Hilux had me home. Spoke to a friend who is a diesel mechanic, and he said it sounds exactly like a blown turbo. Started pulling off all of the turbo pipes, intercooler etc, and everything is soaked in oil. Oil around the exhaust at the back of the car too.

I drained the oil today, and was fearful of seeing small bits of piston 3 and 4, but everything is perfectly clean, no signs of any metal at all on the sump plug, so I have some renewed hope that it's just a turbo, and not the engine itself.

My question is, is there any point even trying to rebuild the turbos with new gasket and bearing kits, or are they just a dispose and replace job? What seals are most likely to go bang that will cause oil to go through teh intake?

I haven't managed to get the thing out yet (after pulling off all of the heater hoses, I realised that I should be able to get it off after taking off the actuator on the front, which will allow me to slide the heat shield forwards....hopefully..

One last thing... I also noticed that I now have oil on the drivers side of the engine, towards the front. There definitely weren't any oil leaks there before this, but I can't really see where it's coming from. Not sure if this is coincidence, if I've just managed to leak oil all over the engine as I was taking parts off (I don't think so), if it's symptomatic of a greater problem, or lastly, if the oil in the inlet has caused another seal or gasket to fail (head gasket overpressured and blew from oil in the cylinder??)

[Rossco]

Far out doesn't sound good unfortunatly. Guess a compression test should tell what's going on. If it is the just the turbo (hopefully), have a second hand one here off Roofys motor that he could possibly be interested in selling.

[BillsGU]

As far as I am aware that particular model year turbo is not repairable. It's a throw away. I replaced mine last year at around $1000 including labour. You may have oil on other parts of the engine because the oil from the turbo would have gone into the intercooler and you most likely have intercooler leaks.

[threedogs]

Take the engine cover off and check you havent blown a hose off sounds like you have.
it will be the blue hose in the pic, as it happened to me too
These mighty ZD30 TD motors dont like being overfilled with oil
keep it just below the top mark.

[Sir Roofy]

Mate doesn't sound good at all sounds like what mine did
can you start the engine if so is it very lumpy
does the oil smell burnt badly
compression test now before you go any further

[pjhsv]

Take the engine cover off and check you havent blown a hose off sounds like you have.
it will be the blue hose in the pic, as it happened to me too
These mighty ZD30 TD motors dont like being overfilled with oil
keep it just below the top mark.

Thanks. Already gone further than that. All hoses were tight when the issue happened, so don't think it's that.

[pjhsv]

Mate doesn't sound good at all sounds like what mine did
can you start the engine if so is it very lumpy
does the oil smell burnt badly
compression test now before you go any further

Oil doesn't smell bad. It's reasonably black but still mildly transparent. Yes, idles and drives even but feels the same as a petrol when missing a cylinder. I assumed major damage was done till I saw zero sign of any metal in the sump when draining it.

Now I just need to work out how to get the turbo off. All bolts are out. Just need to work out how to get the hoses in the bottom out.

[Sir Roofy]

There's a banjo bolt at the front and one behind on the block also a oil line under the turbo
when I drained the sump there wasn't any shrapnel in there either on the sump plug
hope I'm wrong but think you might have a hole in the piston #3or4
from what you have said above the smoke and oil coming out of the tail pipe
if I'm wrong yes there's a turbo up for grabs

[pjhsv]

Got the turbo off and it has a fair bit of freeplay. Compression test shows no compression on front cylinder. Rear three all around 380, but wasn't cranking exceptionally fast.

[pjhsv]

Sent it to an engine place.

Cracked piston 1. Two teeth missing from the timing gear. $7k to get it rebuilt, + the removal/refit fees. Ouch.