1HD-T woes

[Captain Echidna Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Captain Echidna]

Hi all

I am having the engine rebuilt on the cruiser. Had all the warning lights come on, so presumed alternator had once again failed, so kept pressing home to make the auto electrician before he closed. Was keeping an eye on the battery volts, not taking much notice of the temperature....but did noticed when guage was off the dial, pulled over and found the haromic balancer had spun on the crank, so no alternator or water pump, and one corner of the engine being steam cleaned. (harmonic balancer bolt was still tight, but the keyway had failed) Then the geat question, repair crank and reinstall, and run the risk of cracked head, damaged piston rings etc and repull out the engine, or go the rebuild?
went the rebuild, had turbo checked out, injectors and injector pump. Ranged from not great (IP) to stuffed (turbo, lots of wear) Head has cracktested ok, crank got a new nose on it, bored out, new pistons etc. Engine should arrive this week, ready to reinstall.
Lessons?
1 If your car fails about 40ks from home, its probably cheaper to get it towed home than use the RAA (it was in this case, by the time taxis, trailer hire and a dodgy RAA service agent)
2 Veggie oil and the injector pump.
Seemed to have what I can only describe as a "straw coloured varnish" coating many inside parts. It comes off with a fingernail, but I think this has blocked up the "out screw" which has a fine hole and gauze blocking it. I will clean this on a regular basis in the future. The hole and gauze helps set the pressure of the pump internals, if it blocks the pump cannot regulate pressures.
Advance piston in the bottom of the pump does not look fantastic (it has been hammered on the end where it hits when air is in the fuel, but this may have happened with the CAV filters.
The mechanic has said some pressure on the inlet will not hurt the pump, so I will change my setup and add a pump, so hopefully any leaks will reveal themselves as puddles.
for $360 retail you can get a thing from VDO that can set off a siren if the temp gets too hot, oil pressure gets too low (it can monitor 3 things) I think I will get something similar.....

[Johnnojack Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Johnnojack]

Re: 1HD-T woes

Hi all

...............
2 Veggie oil and the injector pump.
Seemed to have what I can only describe as a "straw coloured varnish" coating many inside parts. It comes off with a fingernail, but I think this has blocked up the "out screw" which has a fine hole and gauze blocking it. I will clean this on a regular basis in the future. The hole and gauze helps set the pressure of the pump internals, if it blocks the pump cannot regulate pressures. .

The pump pressure won't be changed by a blocked fuel return, but experts will tell you the fuel will overheat, air can't escape and a handful of other problems will occur.

Advance piston in the bottom of the pump does not look fantastic (it has been hammered on the end where it hits when air is in the fuel, but this may have happened with the CAV filters.

Hmm numerous times running out of fuel when I used a 20 liter container as a fuel tank must have given mine a hammering too.

The mechanic has said some pressure on the inlet will not hurt the pump, so I will change my setup and add a pump, so hopefully any leaks will reveal themselves as puddles.

Certainly easier to find diesel dripping than air missing from the atmosphere.

for $360 retail you can get a thing from VDO that can set off a siren if the temp gets too hot, oil pressure gets too low (it can monitor 3 things) I think I will get something similar

You need it to monitor radiator level too as a popped hose can wreck an engine before the temp gauge even rises.

[froggo Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close froggo]

Re: 1HD-T woes

Hi Captain Echidna,

thats a crook way to loose your engine.

(harmonic balancer bolt was still tight, but the keyway had failed)

like how often would that happen?

On my new engine I've added some extra gauages. The old origional ones are still connected but I've added a extra oil pressure and temp gauage.

Any thoughts on how long to run on dino before going back to wvo on a new engine?

God bless, froggo.

[Captain Echidna Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Captain Echidna]

Re: 1HD-T woes

The new engine has a 12 month warranty, so will be a few months before its on 100% cooking oil. I think I will change a few bits on the conversion and filtering process (probably in a few months) and start on a blend, Probably 50/50. I will loose "across engine bay heat exchanger" this is made of copper pipes brazed together with a lot of elbows and loose the 8 hose clamps and potential leaks in the process. I will replace it with one FPHE, and add a fuel pump. I will also check the out banjo and check its not blocked regularly. i think if it cant bleed off excess pressure the pump internals operate at the pressure the fuel delivery pump pumps to. This is as far as I have heard of by the injection guys.
The bolt holding the harmonic balancer coming loose is not unheard of, but rolling the keyway is odd. Strangely enough you could see indentaions in the crank and the balancer where the key had rolled, otherwise I would say I knocked it out when I assembled it. Nothing like being the one in a million to make you feel good if you win cross lotto, or terrible if you do this.

[froggo Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close froggo]

Re: 1HD-T woes

Hi Captain Echidna,

my engine has 12 months on it also, but I was interested to note there was not mention of alternate fuel use.

The lift pump and inline ip when rebuilt, there was also no mention of any unusual wear or crud after 2 years on wvo.

On the new engine I want to make sure the rings are well bedded before I go back to wvo reducing the chance of it building up in the ring grooves.

I was thinking of a 50% dino, 50% wvo blend in the wvo tank also for about 10,000km's

I must say the new diesel engine does not seem to use any oil at all, that I can see via dipstick.

I thought it would burn a bit like many petrol engines I've rebuilt while running in.

God bless froggo.

[oztec2007 Member Find all posts View Profile Close oztec2007]

Re: 1HD-T woes

Hi captain
I know how you feel
Mine has done it too
good luck with your rebuild.
I'm undecided yet which way to go?
Pulling the head off again for something else so soon is a pain.
I wasn't on veg when it happened as I've been in the process of upgrading my filters after my IP rebuild and was still waiting for it to arrive from the UK when it happened.

All the best
Mark

[Captain Echidna Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Captain Echidna]

Re: 1HD-T woes

Mine should only be another 2 weeks. Its been about 6 so far... I probably should have cancelled the rego at this rate!
I am paying for the engine to be done, so I could gamble that it was all ok and just do the crank, or get the engine rebuilt while it was out. Of course if you are getting it rebuilt, the injector pump and injectors and turbo should get checked out before they go back in..... Well I have saved $4000 on buying another car, and this one will have a new engine in it.

On the bright side the injector place showed be a pump pull of all sorts of black crap in it, which blocked up the pump and it broke parts. That was running diesel only!

[Nuddy Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Nuddy]

Re: 1HD-T woes

You need it to monitor radiator level too as a popped hose can wreck an engine before the temp gauge even rises.

Coolant temp gauges can't measure the temp of the coolant when the sender/sensor is not immersed in the coolant.
much better to measure the temp of the cylinder head with one of these:

ENGINE WATCHDOG TM2, Engine Overheating Alarm, Gauge & Sensor

I'm getting one for each of my vehicles.

[Johnnojack Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Johnnojack]

Re: 1HD-T woes

Coolant temp gauges can't measure the temp of the coolant when the sender/sensor is not immersed in the coolant.
much better to measure the temp of the cylinder head with one of these:

ENGINE WATCHDOG TM2, Engine Overheating Alarm, Gauge & Sensor

I'm getting one for each of my vehicles.

Looks good. I made a coolant level sensor which I fitted into my top tank and connected to an alarm. The magnetic switch is now u/s and I need to get down to Dick Smiths and get a new one for 4 bucks or something.
Mini magnetic N.O. (normally open) switch.
Mount magnet on tiny float in top tank on end of large cable tie, silicon N.O. switch to top of tank above it.

[Captain Echidna Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Captain Echidna]

Re: 1HD-T woes

Was going to Adelaide about 2 weeks ago to a bucks show, so thought I could save some money and bring the engine back myself, but it wasnt ready, so wound up towing an empty trailer back. Arranged for it to be freighted back, and on my way to Adelaide 2 days ago to the wedding, and they ring up and say the engine is ready do I want it freighted back? Of course I am 100ks into the trip, and I dont have a trailer with me.
This is in the merc, but running on diesel, as one of my pumps has seized in the shed for oil transfering (and its empty from the bucks show trip) (9 years seems to be all a washing machine powered red motor oil pump lasts for)
Not that this is holding up too much as the turbo had been dropped and has a bent impeller blade, not that the bend worried me as much as the crack...
I did like last week though riding the bike, I did think what could go wrong, so the transport gods threw a flat tyre my way. Ha! I can fix that (I had all the tools on board) of course when I went to put the wheel back in discovered the back axle had broken, and there was no way it was going back in. Ever seen a 40 year old riding a 16" bike, towing a bike trailer with a dissasembled adult bike on it, with a four year old on the handlebars and a 6 year old standing on the back axle? (this was through a park) At least that bike held up!
Some days your are the pigeon, today I am the statue.....

[Tony From West Oz Vice Chairperson of WARFA Find all posts View Profile Close Tony From West Oz]

Re: 1HD-T woes

Commiserations mate.

I hope that this weekend will be much kinder to you.

Regards,
Tony

[Captain Echidna Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Captain Echidna]

Re: 1HD-T woes

Thanks Tony
I am not planning on driving any distance, so thats one way to limit potential disasters.
I went for a row in my single shell, and had a swim when I fell off it, but as I am learning I was expecting that!

[Captain Echidna Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Captain Echidna]

Re: 1HD-T woes

Well got injector pump, injectors, radiator and engine rebuilt, it got a new turbo, every coolant hose, clutch and steering box. I then started driving it (on diesel) wondering how many trouble free kilometers it would go before suffering major problems.

Answer? 200. yes two hundred. No I didnt miss the thousand. Put another way I had about 18 meters of reliable motoring for every dollar spent. (makes a taxi seem cheap)

Injector pump? The mesh screen in the out bolt is full of dirt and brass shavings. (brass shaving are probably from main bearing in the front of the pump)
Injectors? One is probably stuck open. funny how brass particles may do that.

At least the mechanic and the injector pump place are starting to get the idea I am not considering this bad luck.......

Time off the road? six weeks.
Time back on? six days.

[Tony From West Oz Vice Chairperson of WARFA Find all posts View Profile Close Tony From West Oz]

Re: 1HD-T woes

Of course, this was due to the veggie oil which had previously been used as a fuel in the vehicle and the warranty was, as a result, null and void.

Or did they repair it under warranty?

Did you buy a Lotto ticket?,
Tony

[Captain Echidna Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Captain Echidna]

Re: 1HD-T woes

You should drop in for a beer Tony, and what were you doing in the injector shop? For those of us not there the coversation went like....

"Its only run on pump diesel"
"what about the filter"
"only had diesel in it"
"is there veggie oil in the car"
"yes, in a tank that is not connected to anything"
"what about where it T's into the fuel system"
"that part is removed"
"what about the parts that have veggie oil in them also"
"except for the tank and line which end in the engine bay, they are all in the shed. It goes diesel tank, diesel line, diesel filter, new line to replace the veggie oil stuff, injector pump."
"where did you buy your diesel from" (expecting the discount fuel is the issue argument)
"caltex, the one that backs onto the truck dept" (having thought about that before I filled up)

Ok now that the easy options have been exhausted, I may go buy a cross lotto ticket, and settle in for a long battle.