Thread: Did You know this 'Can' happen to a diesel (Death by oil)

Originally Posted by uninformed

I just did Ben's viscosity test. I still have the bucket of oil I drained from the engine 30mins after the incident, on the side of the road. This has been untouched since. I did NOT stir it up?

using a tongue depressor, timber, 20mm wide. I dipped it in vertically and withdrew the same. The oil ran continuious for approx 4-5 seconds then started to drip. Using a stop watch and starting it from the time I pulled the tongue depressor out of the oil, I counted 10 drips in 30 seconds. This includes the first 4 or so seconds of flowing oil. Drip number 10 took approx 4-5 seconds from drip 9 and then another 4 or so seconds to the 30 second mark....there was an 11th, but it was very slow,

Oil is Castrol RX Super 15w-40 and was filled new that morning.

Id retry that test with new castrol rx super and see what that does as a direct comparison.

Injector problems won't stop it running. They'd just make it smoke various different colours.

If you've got enough fuel being injected and enough cranking speed then it should start. If it was a vehicle you didn't care about you can just tow it until it fires.

I just compared new out of the drum Castrol RX Super. When tested with the stop watch, dipped to the same depth etc it comes out pretty much the same. I then tested them side by side. The used engine oil does "run" for a second longer but drips seem the same. Whipping the oil off the tongue dipressors and leaving a drop has them eyeball them same size and thickness.......

very crude testing I know.

would the fact that the engine oil has run through and is now black have thinned it at all?

So if testing the injectors is not next on the list what is?

I just removed the rocker cover. All looks ok . No bits of metal floating in there. Is it ok to remove the wire from the back of the Injection pump and turn it over by key? ie it wont start? I want to see if the valve train is moving ok.

Originally Posted by uninformed

I just did Ben's viscosity test. I still have the bucket of oil I drained from the engine 30mins after the incident, on the side of the road. This has been untouched since. I did NOT stir it up?

using a tongue depressor, timber, 20mm wide. I dipped it in vertically and withdrew the same. The oil ran continuious for approx 4-5 seconds then started to drip. Using a stop watch and starting it from the time I pulled the tongue depressor out of the oil, I counted 10 drips in 30 seconds. This includes the first 4 or so seconds of flowing oil. Drip number 10 took approx 4-5 seconds from drip 9 and then another 4 or so seconds to the 30 second mark....there was an 11th, but it was very slow,

Oil is Castrol RX Super 15w-40 and was filled new that morning.

Serg - you need to repeat the test with clean castrol RX Super. I have drums of it in the lab, but would need a duplicate of your tongue depressor to do the test for you.

Also - stir up the drained oil and repeat the test to make sure the result is the same.

EDIT - I see you have. Stir the used oil and repeat the test. The soot in the used oil will increase its viscosity very slightly, but not by a measurable amount. You can also mix up a cupful of RXSuper and Diesel at say 10% ratio and compare.

EDIT 2- yes you can crank the engine, and even start/idle it, with the tappet cover removed. Just don't rev it or you will spray oil everywhere.

I may have missed it, but do you have diesel coming out the injector pipes???

Yes you can turn the motor over with the IP wire removed.
Hopefuly you see the tappets moving the vales.

I will have to check the injector lines again. But I did the last time I checked with the original lift pump still installed.

Im thinking about removing the glow plugs and turning over to see if any crap gets pumped out.

Is an increase in viscosity meaning thinner or thicker?

re hand priming the lift pump. Could someone look at their 300tdi and see what range of movement the manual lever has?

Originally Posted by uninformed

I just did Ben's viscosity test. I still have the bucket of oil I drained from the engine 30mins after the incident, on the side of the road. This has been untouched since. I did NOT stir it up?

using a tongue depressor, timber, 20mm wide. I dipped it in vertically and withdrew the same. The oil ran continuious for approx 4-5 seconds then started to drip. Using a stop watch and starting it from the time I pulled the tongue depressor out of the oil, I counted 10 drips in 30 seconds. This includes the first 4 or so seconds of flowing oil. Drip number 10 took approx 4-5 seconds from drip 9 and then another 4 or so seconds to the 30 second mark....there was an 11th, but it was very slow,

Oil is Castrol RX Super 15w-40 and was filled new that morning.

The easiest/best way I know outside of a lab to check for oil dilution is the blotter test.


Get a piece of cardboard (a business card is ideal) and drop some oil onto it and let it spread.
Fuel will show up as a light halo around the darker engine oil and spread quite a bit further as it's a lighter fraction.

http://www.aulro.com/afvb/discovery-...ml#post1320223





FAQ's :: Valvoline ::

If fuel is present you'll get a distinct ring like a halo outside of the 'colour'