Well I barely made it to LA from SF. This is a two part story adventure but I'll skip the first part !#$$$* rear axle story. The second part started about 2 hours after I got back on the road. 40 miles before the Grapevine on hwy 5, my engine suddenly started making a nailing sound especially with accelerating, gray smoke started blowing out the exhaust with accelerating and the idle was rough at stop lights. This is all new but I'm sure these three symptoms are related. I'm guessing it is a dirty, clogged injector or a cylinder problem but I'm not sure of my evaluation skills.
I called my indy mechanic from SF and asked him about it and he could only offer possibly a dirty fuel injector . He really can't diagnose if he is not here to drive and hear the problem. He asked if I had a compression test done in Los Angeles today. I might do that, it would help pinpoint which fuel injector.
What are the other possibilites and is this a common problem with these fine old cars?
Thanks ahead of time for your input.
Frankie

__________________
Frankie
It never ends!
1985 300D Turbo 181K Anthracite grey, "SOPHIA"
1984 300 SD Turbo(sold)
2004 Subaru Forester XT,Cayenne red.

Try loosening each injector's line until you isolate the cylinder with the problem. Then try swapping the injector of the problem cylinder with another injector and see if the problem follows the injector.

__________________
1979 240D- 316K miles - VGT Turbo, Intercooler, Stick Shift, Many Other Mods - Daily Driver

1982 300SD - 232K miles - Wife's Daily Driver

1986 560SL - Wife's red speed machine

bgkast-
I'm limited on the tools because I am not home. Do I need a special wrench ? I just have a 1 inch wrench and a phillips screwdriver. I do know where the injectors are and am doing a search for tutorial on how to pull the injectors. Could the poor performance caused by dirty clogged injector affect the other injectors too. Can it spread like a cancer?
I wonder if I can drive back home (400 miles) like this? Safe or not safe?
Frankie

__________________
Frankie
It never ends!
1985 300D Turbo 181K Anthracite grey, "SOPHIA"
1984 300 SD Turbo(sold)
2004 Subaru Forester XT,Cayenne red.

If it's an injector that is the problem it can not spread. You need a 14 or 15 mm wrench (can't remember which) to crack the injector line and a 27 mm socket to pull the injector.

I would also have the valve clearances checked. My car had similar symptoms (with out the nailing) when an exhaust valve was way too tight and hanging open. If you drive with a valve not seating properly the valve seat can erode and that is a lot of $$ to fix.

The nailing does sound like an injector though. .

__________________
1979 240D- 316K miles - VGT Turbo, Intercooler, Stick Shift, Many Other Mods - Daily Driver

1982 300SD - 232K miles - Wife's Daily Driver

1986 560SL - Wife's red speed machine

Now that I think of it the easiest thing to do would be to try a diesel purge. If you can't find the purge locally (it will be hard to find) you could try using a bottle of ATF for biodiesel. Hook up the bottle of what ever you use like this: http://www.dieselgiant.com/injectorcleaning.htm

Can't hurt anyway. If the nailing stops the problem is an injector. Hopefully the purge will clean it enough for your return trip.

__________________
1979 240D- 316K miles - VGT Turbo, Intercooler, Stick Shift, Many Other Mods - Daily Driver

1982 300SD - 232K miles - Wife's Daily Driver

1986 560SL - Wife's red speed machine

Frankie,

It could well be an injector that is making a bad spray pattern.

I think you were planning on running SVO/WVO on that trip???

Do the DP and then burn D2 or Bio the rest of the weekend.

27mm is unfortunately equal to 1-1/16".

You can prob use your screwdriver or tire iron as a stethoscope and listen to each injector line and find the bad cyl.

Keep your hair and clothes out of the fan belt, etc.

__________________
Terry Allison
N. Calif. & Boca Chica, Panama

09' E320 Bluetec 77k (USA)
09' Hyundai Santa Fe Diesel 48k (S.A.)

[QUOTE=bgkast;1438012]If it's an injector that is the problem it can not spread. You need a 14 or 15 mm wrench (can't remember which) to crack the injector line and a 27 mm socket to pull the injector.

17mm open end for injector line nuts.

__________________


1985 Euro 240D 5 spd 140K
1979 240D 5 spd, 40K on engine rebuild
1994 Dodge/Cummins, 5 spd, 121K
1964 Allice Chalmers D15 tractor
2014 Kubota L3800 tractor
1964 VW bug

"Lifes too short to drive a boring car"

Wow TM, you have some good ideas. I happen to have my stethoscope with me to listen to my sick auntie. She has a history of pneumonia.
So do I listen for which one of these does not sound like the others?
I can do this.
I did drive down to LA on mixture of B50% 9 gallons with filtered dewatered WVO 7 gallons and 16 ounces Power Service diesel cetane boost. This was to help keep the WVO thin and try to get 1 mpg increase. My normal city is 20 mpg and the long trip gave me 23.4 mpg! Including the right rear axle mechanic trip interruption. Soon as the first tank emptied, just before the Grapevine, I refilled on only diesel but no immediated changes occurred and then in LA/Santa Monica I filled with 4 gallon of B100%. By this time = B50% and more Power Service.
I went to a Russian mechanic near Studio city/Hollywood, (my auntie lives nearby) on recommendation of a dude. I do not know this area. I approached the 3 mechanics on their lunch break, quietly, coldly munching on their sandwiches. It was very Russian mob movie feel to it! Well the first thing I told him was that I have a diesel, he could see it, I described the symptoms, he opened the hood, started the car and said, "It's a diesel." Oh boy. He whispered in Russian to another mechanic, as if I learned Russian working as a CIA operative. Joking aside, I am sure this is just the most comfortable way to tell the other guy, what's up. Ten minutes later, he said that something is wrong with the engine, piston 5th cylinder probably. The engine might need to be rebuilt but I can drive it slow until the car won't go anymore. They did not do any diagnostics and they never test drove my car! No charge for telling me sh#%. I got out of there so fast!
I called my SF mechanic AGAIN, I have him on cell phone speed dial. Poor guy. "Hello Nick? It's me again, sorry." All you retired mechanics out there are still invaluable! Don't you forget it!!!!
Well I told Nick the newest and that's when he told me that it's probably a dirty injector, told me to buy Dextron III ATF and stop the freakin' WVO. He thinks I'm crazy. He's right but this is all part of a very careful study that I'm doing to determine which veggie oil conversion kit I will buy ! There are 3 companies that are reputable and each have slightly different components. Now I will run the ATF in each filled tank. It is already helping. Yesterday the car sounded better and has a smoother idle again. Still lots of gray smoke with accel. I wonder if I should do a diesel purge with the next tank instead of the ATF?
Thanks for that BGKast, I didn't think of it. There are NAPA auto stores in LA, they would have it.
I'm running B50% and ATF right now. My trip home, if the car sounds OK, I'll put 12 gal dino diesel and 4 gal WVO and ATF.

Frankie

__________________
Frankie
It never ends!
1985 300D Turbo 181K Anthracite grey, "SOPHIA"
1984 300 SD Turbo(sold)
2004 Subaru Forester XT,Cayenne red.

I had a feeling that a 27 mm socket would be precisely what I needed! I do not have this right now. Will consider purchasing if Sophia is not feeling better by Monday morning. That tired Sophia. One month ago the major maintenence was done (valve were adjusted too, ofcourse). Afterwards I do remember, I asked my indy mech Nick if he thought Sophia would do OK on this long trip. He replied "Ofcourse, it's a diesel!"
He did also adjust the injector timing in attempt to improve the mpg because I complained that it only got 19 mpg in December. I bought her in late November.
Frankie

__________________
Frankie
It never ends!
1985 300D Turbo 181K Anthracite grey, "SOPHIA"
1984 300 SD Turbo(sold)
2004 Subaru Forester XT,Cayenne red.

I did not know about the WVO. A plugged injector is even more likely now. Run dino diesel or Bio-diesel on the way back and maybe it will clear up.

__________________
1979 240D- 316K miles - VGT Turbo, Intercooler, Stick Shift, Many Other Mods - Daily Driver

1982 300SD - 232K miles - Wife's Daily Driver

1986 560SL - Wife's red speed machine

Frankie,

The DP would be run from a temporary tank so it goes in 100%, not in the main tank, that would dilute it too much to help. A good percentage of Bio would probably help more than DP in the tank.

I'm not certain how you set up the temp tank on your engine. There are more than enough folks here who can tell you for certain tho.

I suspect you disconnect the small filter, plug the end leading up from the tank so it doesnt all leak out and put the other end into your 1 qt container of DP (temp tank) along wiht the return fuel line from the main fuel filter housing (the one leading back to the main tank). Requires that you buy ~6' of hose and some clamps probably.

__________________
Terry Allison
N. Calif. & Boca Chica, Panama

09' E320 Bluetec 77k (USA)
09' Hyundai Santa Fe Diesel 48k (S.A.)

The procedure is in the link I posted. Basically you just disconnect the supply and return lines in the engine compartment from the steel lines that run back to the tank and hook them to the bottle instead.

__________________
1979 240D- 316K miles - VGT Turbo, Intercooler, Stick Shift, Many Other Mods - Daily Driver

1982 300SD - 232K miles - Wife's Daily Driver

1986 560SL - Wife's red speed machine

See Frankie, told you so.

__________________
Terry Allison
N. Calif. & Boca Chica, Panama

09' E320 Bluetec 77k (USA)
09' Hyundai Santa Fe Diesel 48k (S.A.)

I saw that link yesterday too. Yup, lots of smart guys here! In fact at the first sign of trouble in Los Banos (yes this is a town, not the bathrooms, I think it means hotsprings?), I wanted to email you guys before emailing my personal friends about what happened with my busted rear axle! There was no internet access at the crappy hole in the wall motel I slept in overnight!
I admit it, I like the 4 star hotels but I can stay at Best Western (BW is dog friendly). This motel was worse than Best Western.
I digress. Typical LA driving is crappy mpg. The frwys are so congested that I consider this tank all City driving. I calculated 19.7 mpg tonight.

My new question is; will driving on the dirty fuel injector cause damage to that cylinder piston??
Frankie

__________________
Frankie
It never ends!
1985 300D Turbo 181K Anthracite grey, "SOPHIA"
1984 300 SD Turbo(sold)
2004 Subaru Forester XT,Cayenne red.

Uh oh, I just read the thread titled Why am I not surprised? by Jack G. The thought is roaring through my head eventhough I have no conversion and I definitely would not choose a Lovecrap conversion, what if my injector pump is bad?? I guessing it is fine at this time but would the sypmtoms be the same or worse if the inj pump is bad?
Frankie

__________________
Frankie
It never ends!
1985 300D Turbo 181K Anthracite grey, "SOPHIA"
1984 300 SD Turbo(sold)
2004 Subaru Forester XT,Cayenne red.