An unpleasant occurrence

**justinc** · 11th April 2009, 09:57 PM

Forgot to post this up last week,

We had a 110 Tdi rock up with a unusually high oil level, the owner said he started it one morning and got a funny smell from the exhaust, and when he checked the oil it was a full 50mm above full, and he was concerned that I had overfilled it with oil as we had serviced it about a month or so ago. I pulled the stick and sure, it was way up there but it wasn't the right colour....

I then checked the expansion bottle, which was empty.

Please leave your vehicle here sir while we investigate further. Another

.
It was then he added that yesterday it was difficult to turn over in the morning, like the starter was stuck...

(I'm explaining the horrors of hydraulic locking a diesel engine to him at this point

)

So,

Head checked out fine, in fact spent 12hours on the test bench at 300kpa. Ditto head gasket. We then wandered round to the local engineering firm who profile cut from a Tdi head gasket a blanking plate to test the block. After getting the plate back and surfaced we fitted it to the block face, filled the system with hot water and were about to add some compressed air to about 15psi when we noticed goldfish swimming around in pot number 3

The piston was at BDC and there was a steady stream of water dribbling in through a pinhole just above the piston crown.

Time for another block

This vehicle is owned by a lovely bloke, loves his landy and it has taken him, his wife and caravan all over OZ in their retirement. It has been regularly serviced, always had coolant/ inhibitors, only travelled 178k.

I'm not sleeving it because other bores may also have a problem in the future.
It'll need a block, rings and pistons to 10thou because the block I'm giving him(I have about 4 of them

) needs a rebore anyway. basically a short motor.

What a waste! I'm tipping manufacturing/ casting fault/ impurity/ bubble.

Anyone else come across an 'old faithful' Tdi do this??

JC

**cewilson** · 11th April 2009, 10:03 PM

That's a new one to me - poor bugger!

**long stroke** · 11th April 2009, 10:12 PM

Bloody hell, never heard of that

**Sprint** · 12th April 2009, 02:50 AM

not unheard of, i've seen a couple of engines where the block had a hairline crack that when at operating temp would open up enough to let water either into the cylinder or directly into the sump, at least this one was considerate enough to be clearly visible!

**Reads90** · 12th April 2009, 06:42 AM

I have heard of the same problem back in the early 90's with a 200 TDi but that was due to me over heating the engine. The heater pipe came off on the motorway and dump all the rad water on the passenger foot well at 130kph and cooked the engine
This caused very simular to what you have . And a pin hole that was letting in water into the 4th piston . Need a new short engine which was the only way to sort the prolem out

Are you sure this engine has not been cooked at some point

Normal the TDi's are bullet proof and the main thing that kills them is over heating

**Blknight.aus** · 12th April 2009, 08:56 AM

Thats a first in a TDi for me unless its been over heated and then butchered back into motion. Ive seen TDi bores that have been overheated, siezed and then tow started which has bulged the bore and cracked it but theres plenty of evidence that thats happened when you pull the engine down.

**rovercare** · 12th April 2009, 10:08 AM

Originally Posted by Blknight.aus

Thats a first in a TDi for me unless its been over heated and then butchered back into motion. Ive seen TDi bores that have been overheated, siezed and then tow started which has bulged the bore and cracked it but theres plenty of evidence that thats happened when you pull the engine down.

Not without pics you ain't

**justinc** · 12th April 2009, 10:09 AM

Definately not been hot, the bores otherwise are perfect. Head is perfect and gasket wasn't blown. I have been servicing this vehicle for about 80k now, and believe me it has been well driven also. The hole is a perfect round pinhole, and is easily opened further with a sharp pick

Definately looks like a casting bubble/ fault.

Like I said, it seems like a very rare and unpleasant occurrence for a Tdi.

JC

**rovercare** · 12th April 2009, 10:10 AM

JC gets away with not providing pics

Cause I have to host them and post them

That's a shame for him, but atleast now, it should be good for another few hundred thou

**justinc** · 12th April 2009, 10:23 AM

Originally Posted by rovercare

JC gets away with not providing pics

Cause I have to host them and post them

That's a shame for him, but atleast now, it should be good for another few hundred thou

Thats also because in this case there isn't much to see unless I have a VERY good camera, the hole is right down at the bottom of the bore, which would explain why the sump filled up when the engine was stopped with the piston at TDC, and hydraulic lock happened after the engine was stopped at BDC.

Yes, the 110 should see him out now, after this job. Not the most exciting way to spend $$ though as a self funded retiree

JC

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