Looking for a diagnosis

My 1987 Land Rover 90 with 19J engine just lost power after spewing black smoke from the exhaust for about a mile in stop and go traffic. Now I'm stranded in a parking lot and the engine is knocking hard with white exhaust. Anyone have any idea what the issue might be? I'm working on uploading a video I just took but mobile connection is horrible on outskirts of Gloucester.

Sounds like a possible head gasket failure.

white exhaust is usually, but not always, water

has the oil light come on?

If it's knocking hard that tends to imply something incompressible in the cylinders or a big end that has let go. The white smoke sounds like steam or oil is getting into the cylinder although oil is usually more blue looking. The black smoke implies unburnt diesel though...

Is there oil in the coolant or coolant in the oil - check the expansion tanks and dipstick.

Actually thinking about this- I had a Transit - I know its a totally different engine... but that had an internal injector fault. That was smokey for a couple of days and then suddenly lots of white smoke and sounded like a bag of spanners... it needed recovery but it could just be a stuffed injector.

Does the white smoke stink of fuel?

I'm waiting for my video to upload. There is no smell of fuel in the smoke, no oil in coolant, and the oil level is at the low line. I just changed the oil and filter about two weeks ago as well as the starter yesterday. This is getting painful!

How are you fixed for recovery home if it comes to that?

I'm fairly close if I can help, depends what the issue is and whether you have recovery?

I'm at Hempstead recycling center and AA is on the way.

My wife is also coming to grab all the boxes in my truck that I was going to recycle!! It's a family affair.

Is there any air coming out from the cylinder head?

I keep going back to that as I had 2 HG failures on 2 different 19Js and these symptoms sound a bit like mine!

OneZero said:

I'm at Hempstead recycling center and AA is on the way.

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It sounds like it just consumed a bunch of engine oil. What is your turbo like? Was the engine speeding up when it spewed black smoke?

Excess oil in the cylinders could have bent a conrod. Go take the turbo output pipe off and see if it is full of oil.

OneZero said:

AA is on the way. Thanks so much for the offers though.

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Cool, I'll stop rummaging fer me straps and put the kettle on then

Knocking and white smoke would often suggest gasket or injector but I'm not sure why the black smoke before?

OneZero said:

...the oil level is at the low line. I just changed the oil and filter about two weeks ago...

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Are you sure you filled up properly? If so where did all this oil go is my question...

blue beasty said:

... and put the kettle on then

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Make me one too...

discomania said:

Make me one too...

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If ya bring the biscuits

blue beasty said:

If ya bring the biscuits

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McVities Gold and KitKat's?

OneZero said:

My wife is also coming to grab all the boxes in my truck that I was going to recycle!! It's a family affair.

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I knew it, Recycling is more bother than it is worth... You save some cardboard and you kill a Landy...

Here is the video. The LR is with GX Land Rovers now. My first choice is typically Tim Fry's in Cheltenham but they were booked. I'll close this thread out with diagnosis once GX gets back to me.