Club 80-90 Forums

Ready for a saga? Try this - its driving me round the bend!!!

My 1600TD JX engine was coming to the end of its natural (144000 miles) so it got a reconditioned block with new pistons and rings (Engine Shop Erith), a brand new cylinder head with new cam, valves etc and for good measure the turbo and fuel injection pump were overhauled by a reputable agent (Watsons in Wimbledon who are Bosch agents).

It now starts, runs and pulls lile a dream, just with some unburnt fuel smoke when starting from cold.

However it is definitely burning oil - around half a litre per 1000 miles. When my wife followed me in our Caravelle to Milton Keynes recently she said she could smell oil smoke when pulling hard uphill (approaching Chorleywood clockwise on the M25), and you can definitely smell oil in the smoke when I reverse onto our drive (we live on a fairly steep hill so the motor works hard for the last half mile.

There is no oil in the exhaust which suggests it is not the turbo and the exhaust is clear in normal driving. The problem only arises when travelling uphill when the engine is working hard. I have a feeling the it is not breathing freely and oil is being forced past the valve stem seals to burn in the combustion chambers. I don't think the breathers got any attention when the engine was fitted. I intend to remove the breather on top of the rocker box today and try to clean it out (seems like a sealed unit) and I know from past experiemce with an old Passat that there is a gauze inside the rocker box top which can cause problems if not clean.

The engine has covered 3000 miles since installation. Before I go and throttle the indiviual who arranged it all and fitted it has anyone got any clues as to the problem? Any advice much appreciated.

Bill

I would have said with new pistons and rings that it would take a few miles to run in and bed properly but after 3000 miles I would have thought this has happened by now.
Wouldn't have thought it was the valve seals as the head is new.
Did you run it in properly after refitting and what oil did you use? I only ask about the oil because oil quality today is quite good and can actually prevent the rings from bedding in properly and 'glaze' the cylinder walls, allowing no further wear to achieve a good seal. Most people now use a cheap oil for running in purposes and switch to a better oil when this process is done.
The breather is a possibility but unlikely as you should have very little combustion gasses entering the crankcase with a new build.
Apart from that I can only think of an oil level problem ie. too high but I think you know if thats right or not!

Thanks for your thoughts. Couldn't have used a cheaper oil - £7.95 a gallon from Asda and changed after the first 500 miles!