Ford TD problem

[jgra1]

sorry but it looks almost like an XUD engine

all, my IT manager has asked me for help to fix his 80 YO dad's mondeo TD 1998.. its a lucas fueled TD with a small intercooler, but quite similar to an XUD it seems..

it's blue smoking and a little lumpy.. doesn't smoke at all when cold, but once warm a gentle plume from exhaust.. it doesn't seem nearly as acrid as I remember engine oil burning.. oil level fine and no evidence of HG failure.. turbo and power seem ok, just an occasional miss and the quite constant blue smoke - when warm only....

Did a comp test on a hot engine tonight..
4 - 420 psi
3 - same
2 - same
1 - 390 (but it took twice as long to get that reading as the other 3)
BOL wants 408-480 but doesn't specify hot or cold test..

what do you think?
will upload a vid in a sec, and more questions about the next step, to follow..

http://nowt-john.blogspot.com/2010/08/blog-post.html

it's a fair job to replace rings etc if it is not the problem.. I cant really believe valve issues.. turbo a possible I guess..

help with diagnosis needed..

[jgra1]

one scenario.. a re-ring from underneath.. not done it before, probably not what i would normally do.. not even sure if possible.. but would give me a chance to see the present rings, change them, and leave the top end alone.. and also the engine in the car..

also, these engines appear to have rubbish big and small end bearings... could change those too..

other option is engine out, head off, rebore new pistons etc.. then full gasket set and you have to ask, is it worth it...?

[Deanxm]

in that case i would just throw a scrapper engine at it, with so many mot'd and taxed cars brought in to the yards by the scapage thingy it wont be hard to find a good one.
It does sound like a bore problem though with the compression taking a while to come up although it does come up so i dont know.........does the low pot seem dirty compared to the others? shame you dont have plugs to look at on a derv

D

[CitroJim]

John, before diving into the engine, whip the boost sense pipe off the side of the pump. Lucas pumps can split the boost overfuelling sense diaphragm and this lets oil mist from the crankcase ventilation system present in the inlet tract straight into the pump, mixes with the fuel, gets injected, gets burned and gives rise to the blue smoke.

Worth a check. Lucas equipped 306 TDs suffer from this terribly...

I must take grave exception at your comparison of an XUD to a Ford Boat Anchor..

That engine is more suited to a Fordson tractor than Ford car...

[Deanxm]

thats not fair Jim!, its a good engine if moving isnt high on the list of things you want from a car

D

[HDI Dave]

suppose it could be a ring thing,ie as the motor warms up/expands oil gets through..
or Jims idea,

what's the mileage?

Here's the Number 1 Mondeo site,I've been a member for donkeys years:

http://www.fordmondeo.org/forum/index.php?

Might be worth a try?

[jgra1]

thanks all

Jim, hmm.... worth a check eh?
Dean, yep was my normal approach a while ago.. but .. how much labour if it is a bad'un costing £200 to start with.. hmmm

Mileage about 120K.. recent belt..
all injector bases looked exactly the same, for what its worth...

thanks Dave

[KP]

Sounds a bit like ring gumming maybe?

the Bio/Veg guys have come across this a few times now IIRC.

Does the guy drive it very gentle per chance and never really gives it a good thrash to clear it out??

If you do decide to do the rings then from underneath its not too bad a job depending on the sump gasket. my fiat coupe had this done a few times and gives you a chance to clear out the gunk that builds up in the sump after years of use using your local jet wash

Try putting some fuel injector cleaner straight into the fuel filter after draining the diesel from it and letting it run off that for a minute or two and then a thrash and see if it clears it out.

[jgra1]

thanks Will.. will definatley look into what Jim mentioned too.. would be great if that fixed it.. there is something about the smell and make up of the smoke that could in my mind fit with the idea it's been atomised via the injection pump more than just leaking into the cylinder... will bike back up there (sidcup) on monday and check this ..

this came in last night..

In talking to my dad it transpires the problems occurred after he had the glowplugs chainged - is it possible that a cross threaded glowplug on #1 could be responsible for the low compression

He waas very keen on getting the price of a ready-refurb'd engine - "short" engine? rather than a straight second hand one

[addo]

I thought you meant a Ford TD Cortina!

(Some of us are old enough to remember these beasties...)

[jgra1]

even I remeber them mark 1 through 5 .. never ever see them on the roads.. quite liked the old mark 2, I think it was the mark 2, had a curve in the back lights, and I always thought it looked like an american car back in the 70's when I were a nipper..

edit - the mark 3 i mean

[CitroJim]

I thought you meant a Ford TD Cortina!

(Some of us are old enough to remember these beasties...)

I can remember the MK1

Interestingly, the TD Cortinas had a Pug engine initially... The 2.3 if I remember rightly...

[addo]

My mate's Mum had a gold MkI (facelift) sedan with bone coloured interior. Even then, it was an older car at about twelve. By contrast, our R16 was five years old and only just discontinued locally!

[KP]

Fitting a refurb short block doesn't make sense. a good known tallback with ancilaries already on is a much cheaper option.

The cross threaded glowplug is possible but is that not where you comp test a diesel from anyway??

[jgra1]

Will, can use GP hole or injector hole, last night I used injector hole, didn't know this recent bit of info