AAZ engine starting behaviour.. Lumpy, smoky. Fuel pump?

[FRAJ]

Hello all. After reading this forum for a while I finally joined...
I have a t25 with aaz diesel and a question about what could be causing a starting problem please.
Symptoms:
Starts on first turn every time.
Very very lumpy idle for about 10s
Big white smoke when lumpy
In that 10s ish, it does not react properly to throttle pedal - the revs don't rise much for a big input.
In this phase, the fan belt squeals like a pig to every poke of the pedal, whilst as the revs do rise a little the Rev counter is totally static at zero or about 500. The belt does not squeal so much in normal driving.
You can tickle it along and it comes to life, Rev counter swings up, after this 10 to 15 seconds,
After that it runs fine, a little smoke when cold. This behaviour happens worse when cold, but can do it after only being left for an hour or so.
If anyone has any thoughts on what is causing it that would be great, I am worried it will let me down one day as I think it is getting worse. I am thinking the symptoms point to fuel pump, but I don't know where to start with that.

Van details: 1989 t25 westfalia, imported about 2000, I have had it a little over a year. I am not sure when the aaz was put in , but it has always been a turbo diesel.

Thanks

[lhd]

Check you crankshaft pullley.
if the keyway starts disintegrating it messes up the timing, then some serious "pooh" happens.
it sounds very much like the symptoms I have just had and that was what it was!
Rob.

[chrisbeck]

Hi
As rob says above, but that is worse case.
I would check all of the fuel hoses as well, especially the injector bleed off pipes as it sounds like it's getting air into the fuel system to me, also check or replace the fuel filter and the plastic valve on top of it.
sounds like the power steering belt and altinator belts could do with tensioning or replacing while your at it.
I have the same set up in my california and it always needs a little rev for the rev counter to start working.
Hope its a nice cheap fix for you.
Chris

[Oldiebut goodie]

Start at the beginning - grey/white smoke is unburnt diesel. First port of call is the obvious - glow plugs not working, either due to failure or problem in the circuit, fuse/wiring/busbar/connections inc glow plug relay. Sounds like you are starting on only one or maybe two glow plugs so change any glow plugs that are not working.
I think that you can discount timing issues due to the symptoms presented which are typical glow plug. You don't mention any other running issues like power drop which timing issues would cause. (the timing would be out across the whole rev range). Starting easily says to me that it isn't timing.
I would say you can discount the air/fuel issue possibility also as you experience the problem on a restart after a relatively short switch off period. These engines need glow even when warm.
Ignore the rev counter slowness to register - it is run from the alternator when it is charging and the alternator needs a kick of revs to begin charging on most engines.
There is no fan belt on these engines - no fan!!! Adjustment needed of the alternator/any other drive belts needed.

[lhd]

My first port of call was glow plugs, this made no difference,I had no power loss issues and it started every time but was taking longer and longer as the weeks went by, my first inclination that something was seriously wrong was that the the tickover was getting lower and lower. I spoke to someone who said it could be the fuel pump so I got that reconditioned.
The timing was going out because half the key way was missing so when I reved it up it seemed fine, but when I tried to pull away with my foot on the brake the the tickover would become very low again, this was because the crank pulley was moving back and forth, thus changing the timing.
Take a look at your pulley damper and see if it has a wobble.
Rob.

[FRAJ]

Thanks for the replies - I hadn't seen them till recently. I think it is glow plugs and I had been missing the obvious. The alternator belt just needed tightening but the plugs can wait as they look really awkward. I have done a couple of hundred miles in her this week without a hitch (once the smoke cleared) and running at a proper temperature finally with a new thermostat. Cheers.