Blowing Blue/White Smoke....is my Engine dead?

[GingerGQ87]

Hi Guys, my 2.8 GQ patrol has been blowing plenty of blue/white smoke recently, Its not hard to start, I have a to wind up the choke for about 20 secs on cold mornings and then its fine. But blowing smoke when I first crank it over, then there is a small amount of smoke on idle but getting huge plumes of smoke when turbo is spooling up and in between gear changes. Ive put about 2 litres of oil in it over the past month. There is a small crack in the air intake pipe where oil was leaking from just before the turbo which the previous owner just bogged up with gasket goop. Also getting plenty of oil coming through the crankcase ventilation system. I spoke to Mike Vine Turbo @ Capalaba and they seem to think that its possible that the turbo has been sucking in dirt and dust through the crack in the intake pipe and into the engine...which in my mind means the engine is toast. I then spoke to Diesel Australia @ Slacks Creek and he recommended a compression test, but thinks that the engine could have little to no compression. Am I better off getting the compression test done and going from there or should I be looking to source another engine to dump in there? any information would be greatly appreciated

[the evil twin]

White smoke is unburnt fuel from poor/no compression
Blue smoke is burnt oil
Sounds like you may have both issues

[Touses]

Sorry to hear about this bloke!

Best to get compression test done, If it comes back ok look for other problems.

the evil twin , what are the odds on glazed bore? If compression is ok just work it's rrs off for a bit?

Ginger you should also drop the intake off the turbo and check out damage to the vanes.

Your donk may have ingested bits and pieces of same, in which case it is sayonara this engine!

[4bye4]

I agree with Mike Vine Turbo @ Capalaba. Sounds as though you have dusted the motor, which means that dirt has got into the engine and polished the cylinders. This wopuld account for the hard starting and unburnt diesel. Once the motor does start and run you would be pulling some oil from the sump past the rings which would give you the black smoke. You would also be loosing some compression into the sump.
I get this all the time on some of the machines that I work on, usually because the customer has removed the air cleaner or blown it out with compressed air. If you are early enough you may be able to fix it with a hone and new oversize rings. I am not sure if that motor has liners that can be changed or not but if liners are available you can rebuild with new liners and rings. Unfortunatly it is a head and sump off repair, in other words a major rebuild.

[GingerGQ87]

I was scared that this was going to be the case. It isn't exactly hard to start, turns over first go but its a little bit spluttery in the morning if its very cold, otherwise its not too bad. But when I get home from work Ill take the intake pipe off and check the vanes on the turbo. But I think I'm already accepting the fact that the engine is toast. I bought this 4wd of a copper...you thought he would of looked after it! If that is the case, know of any good 2nd hand motor sales?

[4bye4]

I was scared that this was going to be the case. It isn't exactly hard to start, turns over first go but its a little bit spluttery in the morning if its very cold, otherwise its not too bad. But when I get home from work Ill take the intake pipe off and check the vanes on the turbo. But I think I'm already accepting the fact that the engine is toast. I bought this 4wd of a copper...you thought he would of looked after it! If that is the case, know of any good 2nd hand motor sales?

Yea mate get a compression test done - I'm several thousand K's away so its a bit of a guess. I may be very wrong. Good luck with it. if you do go ahead with a rebuild, get the cam shaft checked. I have heard of them breaking at the timing chain end and doing lots of damage.

[GingerGQ87]

I'll take the intake to the turbo off on the weekend and have a look. If the vanes of the turbo feel like sandpaper I'll doubt I'll need to get a compression test. Unfortunately I'll more than likely have to sell it as is and give up on the 4x4 dream for a few years.

[4bye4]

I'll take the intake to the turbo off on the weekend and have a look. If the vanes of the turbo feel like sandpaper I'll doubt I'll need to get a compression test. Unfortunately I'll more than likely have to sell it as is and give up on the 4x4 dream for a few years.

This might help, from a Ford truck site. (and for the haters, GM's do it too).
67736

And this from a motorcycle site so on a car it is a bit more difficult, but the principal is the same.

The piston and rings are always first to suffer after an engine has been ‘dusted’. The term dusted refers to engine damage caused by dust or grit entering the engine, usually through the air-filter. Dust rapidly wears out the piston and rings, which causes a massive loss of compression and power. A dusted engine is usually very easy to kick over, but can be hard to start and will definitely suffer a lack of power.

Repairing a dusted engine, be it a two or four stroke, is quite simple. It usually only requires the replacement of the piston and rings. Modern-day plated alloy cylinders can usually withstand several dustings before a new cylinder is required. Older cast iron liners can be rebored after a dusting. Now it’s important to establish where the dust entered the engine to stop it happening again. Usually it’s the air-filter. A filter can only trap so much dust. Once the filter is completely full of dust and the oil is dried out, engine suction will draw grit through the filter into the engine.

Again good luck and cheers
tony AKA 4bye4

[GingerGQ87]

Well I took the intake pipe off from the turbo and look what I found....67850 . Looks like its a new turbo, rings and pistons at the very minimum!

[the evil twin]

Bugger !!!

Oh well, a rebuild and she'll be as good as new.

[GingerGQ87]

Bugger !!!

Oh well, a rebuild and she'll be as good as new.

Hopefully! Ill have to tear the engine down a little bit and see how badly damaged it is, If its not too bad I'll do most of the work myself and all the hard stuff to the professionals!

[4bye4]

Sorry to hear mate but recoverable. When you posted
There is a small crack in the air intake pipe where oil was leaking from just before the turbo which the previous owner just bogged up with gasket goop. Also getting plenty of oil coming through the crankcase ventilation system. I spoke to Mike Vine Turbo @ Capalaba and they seem to think that its possible that the turbo has been sucking in dirt and dust through the crack in the intake pipe and into the engine... I guessed it would be that. Anyway good luck with the rebuild and seal the intake system so that all air is coming through the filter.

[GingerGQ87]

Sorry to hear mate but recoverable. When you posted I guessed it would be that. Anyway good luck with the rebuild and seal the intake system so that all air is coming through the filter.T

Thanks mate, I'll keep updating this thread as I carry on with a rebuild.

When I took the air intake pipe off I didn't have to loosen the hose clamp on the turbo housing, the pipe came straight off! It looks like they just filled it with gasket glue and a smaller diameter rubber house or something to try and create a snug fit. The previous owner bought it off someone who lived in NT so its possible that they didn't look after the air filter and dirt and dust got sucked in along the way. Now I'm paying for someone else's negligence! But in saying that, had I done a compression test before buying the troll I wouldn't be facing this problem, hindsight is amazing!

[GingerGQ87]

Well, I just thought I'd update the thread as I've been a bit slack lately. I had my mechanic go over the car and unfortunately its a cracked head, the head was cracked the entire time I owned it, so as I don't have the funds to fix it I'm just going to sell it. If anyone is interested in it for an engine conversion get back to me.

[threedogs]

not good to hear, hopefully selling it will get you into another Patrol

[Touses]

Sorry to hear it Ginger! Another Patrol from someone hopefully less dodgy.

[GingerGQ87]

not good to hear, hopefully selling it will get you into another Patrol

Thanks all, unfortunately I don't have the funds for another patrol even if I sold mine now. I'm hoping for a miracle that a cheap engine will turn up but I doubt it. fingers crossed!