My tdi300 is doing my head in

[V.W.Dave]

I have done some reading on here and aulro and I still having a few issues.

I had a perfectly running Disco with a Tdi300 in it but the body was a little beat up so I found a good body with a blown motor. The story tells it self. But the problems started when I had a mate transport the engine from my house to where Inaput it into the other disco. He didn't strap it to the trailer very well and the injection pump was damaged. (one of the fuel line ports on the back was cracked) so ones the engine was put in I pulled the front cover and replaced the pump with the one off the old engine that was in the car. ( the old engine 240000ks was running but had the normal bad bottom end knock and when the oil was drained it was filled with metal so in that I assume the pump was ok.) I went ahead and replaced the timing belt and tentioners while I was in there.

It idles fine and there is no bad noises at all at anytime driving or revving.

Got it all back together and got it started she ran well but was a little under powered. So I had a little fiddle with the dynamic timing and it helped a little but it still feels like the turbo just isn't fully boosting up. So I thought I might have messed the timing up by a tooth so I pulled it all back apart and double checked everything was lined up and it's spot on. When I did the timing belt I did the old white out trick but just to cover my steps I still wanted to visually check it. With it all ok I put everything back together and drove it for a few days to have it start blowing a hell of black smoke.

I know the smoke was oil because it was dry and sooty not wet like if it was fuel. I pulled the intake tubes and induction hoses off to find the oil was getting pumped in through the breather hose that goes to the other side of the head. (for the life of me I can't think of the name of the black thing on the side of the head the hose is attached to) I am thinking its the crank case breather. I found the engine was about 700ml over full or about 6mm on the dipstick over. I drained the extra oil and the smoke is significantly less but still there under acceleration there is a clowed fallowing me. I pulled the hose off the breather and blocked the hose off and the smoke has almost completely gone away but it's still there. I think there is still some to burn out of the exhaust. But as soon as I hook e hose back up the smoke is back within a few minute. So for now I have left it off and blocked.

After all that mess around I went back to looking for my lack of power problem. After spending a few hours reading on here and a few other sites I thought my problem might be in the lifter pump. As it is not revving over 2800 rpm. So I did a little bush mechanics on it and have put a 12psi electric fuel pump between the lifter pump and injection pump. Doing this it has helped it a little and it will rev to about 3000rpm and my top speed it 100ks on a looooong flat.

I am flat out of ideas, I am starting to thing the injection pump might be shagged. Or could it still be the lifter pump? The fuel filter is only 12000ks old (according to the markings on it) could it be causing the problems?

I also pulled the turbo off this afternoon and there is only about 1/2 a mill play in the shaft and there is no scaring on the housing. No sign of any exhaust leaks.

I am all ears because right now I feel like I am all thumbs. Is there something I have missed or and I avoiding the elephant in the room by thinking the injection pump isn't my problem?

[Bush65]

The smoke issue sounds like you are getting too much blow-by. This would usually mean compression is down and could affect performance and starting.

The extra oil in the sump, together with finding an improvement when the electric lift pump was added, could indicate a damaged diaphram in the original lift pump - split diaphram lets diesel into the sump. Old diaphrams can split when the manual lever is used to prime the fuel system because it is possible to stroke it further than the cam normally does.

[Simo63]

Have you checked the engine number of the motor you put into the new body to confirm it's the one you had in your old girl

[V.W.Dave]

Yahh its the same motor.

I ended up finding out that the guy that was helping me put the engine in had put the timing belt on with the cam a few teeth out and turning it over by hand. In doing so we slightly bent all the exhaust valves. after he turned it over and it didn't line up he then fixed it but the damage was already done.