Smokey TD5 possible valve problem?

**Designosaur** · 29th November 2021, 09:37 PM

Good evening all,

I wonder if I can ask some TD5 questions.

Long story but I have a D2 TD5 that has been off the road for years. Problems started with a collapsed hydraulic lash adjuster and a bent valve. I put it away and come back to it now and then. I put a new valve in and then there were other problems, put it away came back to it etc. Anyway sorted them and it was running sort of OK and I have been getting it ready to re-register. I did the ball joints and the TC output seal and handbrake shoes.

Almost there with the roadworthy items and the TD5 decides to get all smokey on me. Much more smokey than I like. I think that the extra smoke coincided with the injector seals failing to seal (again). Things I had done prior to this, swapped out the turbo with one that I got from a member here that was supposed to be good, I have put the old one back on because there was more oil inside than felt safe so probably the seals are gone. I currently have the intercooler out to clean it but it wasn't very dirty so the smoke isn't from the turbo sucking oil through at least.

So my next thought for where to look for a problem is with my replacement valve. If this is a problem either from the valve not seating well enough or from damage to the stem area when the valve bent, I will get a smokey motor?

To test this do I need to do a compression test through the glow plug? If number 2 is low and the others are OK it would point that way is that correct?

What else should I be looking for? Could the rings be all gummed up from non use? Although, it was much less smokey when I started on this round of getting the Disco going (this round started last Christmas when I did the ball joints, one cant rush these things). As above I had replaced the injector seals on a previous round of wanting to get it going and it has only done a couple of Km around the paddock since then but now the fuel system needs to be primed when it has not run for a little while. So there may be some other head problem. I think I need to take the head off again.

All thoughts are welcome

Thanks
Bernie

**shack** · 29th November 2021, 09:59 PM

You could get a Smokey motor from a poorly sealing valve, you should also get a rough idle, in fact rough throughout the rev range.

Is it doing that?

How long have you run it?

Make sure there is no blockage/sealing cap on the turbo oil return line, I've seen that before.

It shouldn't be from the motor sitting.

Cheers
James

Edit... When I said run rough, a small "miss" is probably what would have described it better.

If it's one cylinder that's not carrying it's own weight, a nanocom or Hawkeye should show which cylinder balance is out of whack.

**Tins** · 29th November 2021, 10:18 PM

Originally Posted by shack

Y

It shouldn't be from the motor sitting.

Cheers
James

Agreed. Mine sat for around five years, more or less. 320.000 and no smoke.

**Tins** · 29th November 2021, 10:25 PM

My question is, what colour smoke?

Like shack says, if a valve is not seating the thing would miss. As for the valve guide and stem seal, I would imagine you would have noticed any damage serious enough to cause your issue.

Is your car a D2 or D2a? The FPR is different on each. Check for leaks there. Obviously I'm talking about the need for priming here.

**Designosaur** · 29th November 2021, 10:37 PM

Originally Posted by shack

You could get a Smokey motor from a poorly sealing valve, you should also get a rough idle, in fact rough throughout the rev range.

Is it doing that?

How long have you run it?

Make sure there is no blockage/sealing cap on the turbo oil return line, I've seen that before.

It shouldn't be from the motor sitting.

Cheers
James

Edit... When I said run rough, a small "miss" is probably what would have described it better.

If it's one cylinder that's not carrying it's own weight, a nanocom or Hawkeye should show which cylinder balance is out of whack.

Hmm good thoughts, turbo return line looked fine, I swapped turbos twice. I have a problem with the touch screen on my nanocom not responding but I will try to get it to work enough to get to the cylinder balances. It is not missing, sounds OK, well apart from a squeek from the front of the engine. Something on the drive belt because it goes away when the belt is taken off but that is another rabbit to chase.

Thanks

**Designosaur** · 29th November 2021, 10:45 PM

Originally Posted by Tins

My question is, what colour smoke?

Like shack says, if a valve is not seating the thing would miss. As for the valve guide and stem seal, I would imagine you would have noticed any damage serious enough to cause your issue.

Is your car a D2 or D2a? The FPR is different on each. Check for leaks there. Obviously I'm talking about the need for priming here.

Well it is smoke colour, not black like when an overboosted TD gets the boot put in on an uphill. I will try to get a video on the weekend once I have put the intercooler back in.

It is a D2 99 10P motor I have not seen a leak from the FPR but I will recheck that.

I am thinking to check the injector seals again because I found a fairly recent thread here which had that problem and a smokey motor. Mine got more smokey when the need for priming came back. This has me thinking. This thread Smoky TD5 esp idling

Thanks for the thoughts!

**Designosaur** · 29th November 2021, 10:50 PM

Originally Posted by Tins

Agreed. Mine sat for around five years, more or less. 320.000 and no smoke.

Is this a competition? HAHA I found my original thread when this saga began and it is October 2015!

I have been doing this on off dance with my disco ever since. Can you spot someone who has too many projects and not enough time?

**Tins** · 30th November 2021, 12:42 AM

Originally Posted by Designosaur

Is this a competition?

NO. there are many threads and references on here to the travails of my Disco. I don't expect you to look for it, but you might pay attention.

I'm going to stick to diesel here.Smoke nay be black, which is usually an overfuel situation. Smoke may be blue, which is usually engine oil consumption. Or, smoke may be white, which has a number of reasons.

Seriously, if you want help you need to answer questions in the spirit in which they were asked.

As for this

Originally Posted by Designosaur

I have been doing this on off dance with my disco ever since. Can you spot someone who has too many projects and not enough time?

Haven't we all. That's why we are here.

I will add, it is easy to get misconstrued here. Don't mean we ain't friends... Hardest lesson I EVER learnt on this place.

**Graeme** · 30th November 2021, 05:49 AM

If white smoke then I would check the tension on the injector clamp bolts. Had I known at the time, that smokey TD5 esp while idling problem could have been resolved simply by retorquing those bolts.

The squeak from the front could be a cracked harmonic balancer, where the 3 bolts hold the balancer to the pulley but also the bearing in the belt tensioner.

**Designosaur** · 30th November 2021, 07:17 AM

Originally Posted by Tins

NO. there are many threads and references on here to the travails of my Disco. I don't expect you to look for it, but you might pay attention.

I'm going to stick to diesel here.Smoke nay be black, which is usually an overfuel situation. Smoke may be blue, which is usually engine oil consumption. Or, smoke may be white, which has a number of reasons.

Seriously, if you want help you need to answer questions in the spirit in which they were asked.

Hi Tins,

I think that my HAHA was not obvious enough! I was just laughing that I was not the only one who had a Disco sitting around for this long. This was a non serious answer which was why I put it separate.

Thanks for the input on my question it is most appreciated.

I would have to rate the smoke colour more towards white, definitely not black and I don't think it's blue.

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