90 200TDI producing clouds of white/grey smoke

Have a 90 200 tdi which has started producing lots of white smoke in the exhaust gas.

Have checked the following:
cylinder compression, maximum difference between adjacent cylinders only 20 PSI (70 PSI limit), so that's ok.
checked injectors by loosening union on each one in turn to see if the smoking would stop, it didn't.
Glowpulugs and timer unit, all ok (plus the smoking can go on for some time longer than just warm-up time)
Checked for water in diesel, no. Checked for petrol! in diesel, no.
Checked hoses to and from turbo (for air leaks, similar problem on audi once which produced white smoke, simply becasue not enough charge air was reaching the cylinders), all ok.

Suspect timing belt may have jumped a tooth or the injection pump is to blame.

Engine starts as easily as any 200tdi. Occasionally when revving it sounds as though you get a misfire only very briefly and then it's fine, but still chucking out white smoke.

Any ideas?

White smoke usually points to unburnt fuel or water

presume cylinder head gasket ok? Can also sometimes be a small crack in the cylinder head

could be timing slightly out as you suggest

does the white smoke smell of diesel? If so, retarded timing would be favourite

One thing, is check the smoke, put your hand in it and then rub your fingers together, it isn't steam is it?

I had exactly the same issue a couple of years ago with my 300tdi, everything was fine and it was removing diesel from each injector not changing the smoke output that pointed me down the lines of - something else burning.

Turned out to be the valve stem seals were letting oil into the engine.

I took the inlet manifold off and ran the engine, oil was actually splashing about above the valves.

Also, oil does burn blue, when its going in as a mist or up on the cylinder walls, when its just pouring in it burns grey/white. Anyone who's started a standing engine with a squirt of oil into the cold start plunger will know it kicks out CLOUDS of white/grey smoke.

i would not think it will be a timing issue, could be injectors as they are two stage or as you said could be valve stem seals, you could drop the exhaust manifold off to look if any of the exhaust ports are wet with oil.

Not had it near water have you? I hydrolocked my engine a few weeks ago and had exactly the same symptoms, ran but was pumping out clouds of white smoke.

Piston, con rod, rings, shells, belt and a pile of other bits later and it is now fixed.

I replaced all the rings and shells and honed the barrels while it was apart.

Thanks for the replies. Have got the landy back (it is a pal's) so will continue the investigation...

jonp said:

Thanks for the replies. Have got the landy back (it is a pal's) so will continue the investigation...

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If it's not loosing any water, it definitely sounds like a timing problem to me. With the compressions all up and relatively uniform and with the smoke not stopping as you work across the pots, loosening each injector; the timing becomes the next most plausible cause. It is easy to check that the injection pump timing is correct with the belt on and without the need to strip the timing cover off. Set piston no 1. to top dead centre (use marking on crank pulley and notch in fly wheel through wading plug) and then remove the inspection cover on the front of the timing cover (secured with 3 bolts). With piston no.1 at TDC, a 9mm drill bit should slot through a hole in the injection pump pulley and fit snug into a hole in the pump body its self. If you have to rotate the engine clockwise for the drill bit to slot through (working on the basis of piston no.1 being at TDC), the injection timing is retarded, if you have to rotate the engine anti-clockwise for the drill bit to slot through, the injection timing is advanced. It will create **** loads of white / blue smoke if the fuel injection is retarded and it doesn't take too many degrees to make all the difference. You can also re-set the injection pump timing in this way by ensuring piston no.1 is at TDC and then slacken BUT DO NOT remove the three retaining bolts on the injection pump pulley. Turn the centre bolt on the injection pump pulley / drive flange clockwise to advance the timing until the drill bit slots through, remove the bolt, advance it ever so slightly further and then nip the three retainer bolts up. If the cam shaft is out a tooth however, you will only tell with the timing cover removed.

-Tom

Turbo? Had similar problem on van.

looks like it's out by a tooth, not enough adjustment on the pump sprocket/hub assy. Checked the timing on my own 200tdi 90 and it's dead on. My pal's seems to be a few degrees retarded. Turbo is fine, but thanks for suggestion. Will check the full belt timing and sort that for now.

jonp said:

looks like it's out by a tooth, not enough adjustment on the pump sprocket/hub assy. Checked the timing on my own 200tdi 90 and it's dead on. My pal's seems to be a few degrees retarded. Turbo is fine, but thanks for suggestion. Will check the full belt timing and sort that for now.

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I'll give Station House top marks for diagnosis

lucky guess my friend - if you fire enough bullets eventually one will hit

So, the search function does work sometimes. Recently changed Scratchy's cam belt (with a little help from Buster's guide), been off the road since (changing UJs and fitting an x-brake), drove up to North Dorset yesterday accompanied by clouds of white grey smoke.

Turns out Scratchy was a bit retarded. A quick search, bit of spannering and ee's all sorted. Fanks LZers.

A guy that can use a search function - damn rare that Scratchy!

Scratchy canna use the search finger, ee's me Landy. I'm Dom and I can. Thanks again...

(I think I went a bit advanced, loads of noise and not much go. Tweaked it back a degree or two and it's all good now).