316 CDI engine replacement

The breather goes from the top left (as you look at the engine) valve cover down to the suction side turbo hose. This is the hose connected to the air filter box. The hose can be removed and blocked, and a new hose fitted to a temporary catch can.

What colour is the "very smokey" smoke and where is it coming from?

If its white smoke coming from the exhaust, then that suggests the damaged cylinder is still getting fuel and the white smoke is from incomplete combustion presumably due to low compression. In that case try to find a resistor or scrap injector to plug into the loom instead of the real injector, like described earlier. It could be that their ball bearing didn't seal... it is trying to hold back 1500Bar of pressure after all (yes that is over twenty thousand PSI).

If it is coming from the breather then you would be unwise to proceed any further with trying to get it derivable. That would suggest there is a massive hole rather than a crack in a piston, and you could risk getting into a runaway situation.

owner said:

What colour is the "very smokey" smoke and where is it coming from?

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I only saw it smoking myself before the fuel was blocked. The smoke was a medium gray colour, noticeable but not alarming.

Friday afternoon late I spoke with the very unhappy mechanic. He took it for a drive to warm up the engine to see if the smoke lessened, and going up a hill he said a seal failed, but he could not tell me what seal it was. It spewed a lot of oil on the street and he spent some time cleaning up the street and workshop floor. He was not a happy camper. In his opinion it is NOT driveable. I hope to get in to see it Tuesday. Monday I should hear back from one of the two transport firms I tried to contact on Saturday.

I'm wondering if it was the oil filler cap blowing off again, but the oil not immediately combusting since the engine and exhaust were still 'cold'. I'll find out more on Tuesday.
Bob M on Bruny Island

Just a quick update to cover the past 2-1/2 months!

Lead time for a shop engine rebuild according to Fleetway Motors in Hobart was 8 weeks, so I had the vehicle trucked to Eric's shop in Officer Victoria. Eric had a salvage vehicle with an identical engine. My Sprinter arrived 2 weeks later than promised and we eventually did an engine swap. Eric has wealth of knowledge after his 20 years of Sprinter experience and helped Judy and me clean up a number of problems and potential problems, many of which we were unaware. Thanks Eric!

Might be worth noting that after the engine was changed I topped up the fuel tank with petrol, wondering why they had two diesel bowsers (Vortex) at the Caltex servo, without one being marked 'High Flow'. The vehicle came several km back to the shop working fine. When I tried to restart it to check the HVAC which was not working, it would not start. Changed the camshaft position sensor which Eric said was a common fault for a 'no start when hot', but still no go. Over supper Judy asked if I had put diesel or petrol in the tank. Receipt said Vortex 98. Smelled the filler pipe. Petrol. FYI - The mix would have been about 65% diesel/35% petrol. Pumped the tank out via the fuel oil filter suction line, added about a litre of diesel and pumped it out. Put the remainder of 20 litres into the tank and it started in a few seconds. No aftermath. Maybe as good as my old LandCruiser after all!

Bottom line is a good engine which is now back in Queensland with better fuel economy than the old engine. A bit slower to start, but runs fine. With two EEs working on the engine it was no surprise to find the horn and heater module lighting do not work. A replacement horn is on its way and with a bit of luck it will sound more like a horn than a backup alarm. Heater module removal is on the work list. Perhaps at that time I'll get the new air con controls on 'D+' instead of on 'Run/Start'.

Some shoddy Brissie work shop repairs were revealed during the Officer work shop visit. All up a worthwhile way to be sidetracked for 5 weeks or so. Hard work, but a lot learned. If Eric had ever considered hiring an apprentice I'm sure my time with him would have changed his mind. He is a patient man!

I brought the #5 injector back to Brisbane to have the shop that supplied the new injectors last year test it. Fine by their Bosch testing device. It has gone back to Melbourne to have Eric's trusted shop test it. So still no determined cause yet for the cylinder failure. Eric will take the head off the engine some day. Maybe when we come through on our way to Tassie next summer? More to follow in a few months?

Bob M 2002 MWB 4x4 in Brisbane. 2003 long and tall 2WD in New England and Brisbane

Eric always came across to me as very knowledgeable, honest and sincere. Certainly never braggadocios like one particular member.