M40 Services

It was somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the

Very possible. Not everyone gets dipped and I've never been dipped in
years of running diesels.

Otoh,,, I know of at least 4 who have.

--

Dave

GS 850 x2 / SE 6a
SbS#6 DIAABTCOD#16 APOSTLE#6 FUB#3
FUB KotL OSOS#12? UKRMMA#19 COSOC#10

 

<sums>

It's a quid. And scarily, it makes a difference at the moment. I'm
squeezing 50mpg out of my car for a very good reason.

 

**** 'em. I got less money on the dole back in September/October than
I used to pay in tax every month.

 

Mornings are best around 8. Drove straight in worth no queue this
morning.

No good, I like the clubcard points as I spend enough that I get a
decent amount of cash back from them.

Just south of Warwick.

 

It was somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the

Nice one; keeps your injectors lovely, that does.

--

Dave

GS 850 x2 / SE 6a
SbS#6 DIAABTCOD#16 APOSTLE#6 FUB#3
FUB KotL OSOS#12? UKRMMA#19 COSOC#10

 

Bear says...

Excellent

<orders 50 litres of ATF for the Golf>

 

That was the plan. Seems to have worked so far, but it's hard to tell
with a Landy that's only done about 200k. It's barely run in yet.

 

I bunged 1/2 a litre in 20 litres of diesel in an attempt to cut down the
blue smoke on the Leyland van (it's got the Austin/Rover - Perkins Prima
engine). It didn't seem to have a great effect; it's still quite smokey
if doesn't get a good long thrash along the dual carriageway.

Whilst I'm on the subject...

I'm assuming the blue smoke (it's not lubricating oil) is primarily due
to clogged injectors. I've got the chance of putting the injectors in an
ultrasonic carb cleaner. Is this a good idea? Do I just hand them over
and sling them in?

 

Blue smoke is usually oil - it doesn't need to burn much to smoke like
Bear on a night out. Often valve guides if it's at start-up. You say
it's not lube oil - what makes you say that? As I said, a little drop
down a valve guide goes a long way in a Diesel engine.

White smoke when cold is usually unburnt Diesel - usually a glow-plug
issue. Black smoke is excess Diesel (or not enough air - cleaner
clogged or turbo fecked).

However, it's worth getting the injectors re-conned. They're complex
little beasties are injectors, so they are worth getting done right.
Bunging them in a carb cleaing tank aint going to do much - apart from
make them look shiney and new on the outside.

They need stripping, cleaning then re-assembling with new pintles and
springs inside. Lucas on the Old Shoreham Rd used to do it for not too
much money, but there are prolly other places about. Get them done by
someone who knows all about injectors though, otherwise the engine will
never run right. They really are precision bits of kit.

 

It's done ~2000 miles since I got it and not used any lube oil. There
doesn't appear to be any fuel dilution either.

The blue smoke smells very diesely (IYSWIM) and looks very much like the
blue haze that the locos used to put out when they'd been left idling for
more than 4 or so hours.

I may check the timing as well. Is this relatively straightforward or is
it a special tools/knack/experience thing that makes it worth "getting a
man in"? Costly?

There's a place in Portslade (Automarine Diesels) that comes recommended.

 

They've moved, not far I grant (Victoria Rd) but what surprises me is the
use of the words "Lucas" and "not much money" in the same sentence
without the words "left in your wallet".

 

With big diesels (like loco's) left idling they will tend to draw tiny
amounts of oil in, and at idle it's not really burnt, and you open the
throttles the temp in the chambers goes up and the oil starts burning
off (and leaching out of the carbon on the piston crown and combustion
chamber).

My SOSeries Landy smokes like a trooper when you start it, or when you
pull away if it's been idling for ten mins. Doesn't use a drop on the
dipstick though (well maybe just noticable between changes at 3000
miles).

If you've not done the timing on a Diesel before, get a man in and
watch him! Shouldn't be pricey - 50 quid at tops. It's critical to
get the timing bang on with a Diesel - a degree or two out and it's
goodnight Vienna to pistons and conrods if it's advanced and valves and
seats if it's retarded.

If it's running rough, or using more fuel than you'd expect, then get
it done. If it starts well, ticks over smoothly and pulls well leave
it alone until the MOT man starts reaching for the turboboost extractor
fans when you take it in for its test.

As long as it passed a MOT it's in pretty decent shape.

 

Heh - Lucas service centres used to be OK - I still use them
occasionally to recon alternators and the like, they aren't the
cheapest, but seem to do a bloody good job. I've never needed to take
a Lucas recon back, whereas other cheaper recons are often just a set
of brushes and a clean, Lucas do the bearings and a proper job.

 

It runs quite well and starts first time every time, without any real
starter turning. It pulls fairly cleanly up to 70mph, hills don't kill
it and seems to do 30-40 mpg. Rather unscientific as I've not done a
proper test and a lot is town work.

Recent MOT but I didn't take it in.

 

I'd be inclined to not spend too much on it then. Sounds OK. Keep the
oil clean and the air filter and it should keep going for a while. If
it's starting OK at this time of year it usually means there's plenty
of compression and the glowplugs are working OK.

Not that many bent places about these days. It should have the print
out from the smoke test in with the MOT stuff.

 

One a Diesel? How's that work then? If it starts before you've smoked
the fag, the timing's OK?

 

Injector pump timing?

 

With a fag paper?

 

Simon Atkinson says...

You write the number of a good diesel fister on the fag paper.

 

the cont known as Lozzo says...

I'm worried about you Loz, you seem to be obsessed with fisting.