New Rover: 2.25 diesel advice needed

[Jim-ME]

Make sure you use a diesel supplment. Todays' fuel is low on sulphur which is a lubricant so replace it. I run Optilube and my engine hardley smokes. I'd fill it up with a supplement in the fuel and run it for a while.Get fuel where you know it is fresh.
Jim

[roverjohn]

I always run a diesel supplement in my diesels; either CTS, 2 stroke engine oil, or some heavily filtered used veggie oil.

Yesterday, I gave it a really good scrub and it cleaned up nicely. Also, a friend of a friend who happens to be diesel mechanic stopped by and gave me some advice. He suggested running a heavy duty diesel injection cleaner like BG244K and just driving it for a tank or two. He thinks it might clear up after awhile. If not, we will try some new injectors or have mine rebuilt. If we change the injectors, we will probably do a compression test to see what kind of shape the engine is in.

Before I start driving it, I will change all the fluids and start fresh. Also, I have to get it titled and registered and it will be the first time in 18 years!

Anyone have much experience in diesel injection cleaners? The mechanic friend suggested BG244K but I have heard great things about the John Deere cleaner. I will most likely go with the JD one as I have seen it clean up fouled injectors on a Cummins 4BT. It was amazing how well it worked.

Thanks again.

[SafeAirOne]

I figure that if I strongly suspect a fuel injector problem, I might as well get new (reman) injectors for $45.95 each rather than screw around with my dogged-out, clogged, worn injectors.

[Jim-ME]

I just recently bought 4 reman injectors for my engine and with shipping they came to $37.50 ea. I have yet to install them but they sure do look very nice.
Jim

[roverjohn]

Where might you be sourcing these injectors? RN says they only go back to engine suffix J and mine is suffix F.

[antichrist]

Good diesel injection shops should be able to rebuild them for you. The pump as well, if you want to go that route, which might not be a bad idea.
Nice icing on the cake with the Diesel badge. I've been on the lookout for a number of years but don't want to pay the ebay prices. I have relatives on the lookout at boot sales in the UK.

If you're just going to toss the plow pump I'll take it off your hands.

[roverjohn]

I have called a somewhat local diesel injection shop and it is $30 labor to rebuild each injector. The tech said it could be $10-$60 for each injector in parts. Then I have shipping to and from so the cost is starting to really add up. If I can get new injectors for $60 each, then I would certainly go that route.

I had a very experienced diesel tech stop by my house and look at it. He confirmed that it is dumping fuel and this is what is causing the white smoke. He strongly suggested a heavy duty injection cleaner BEFORE I start messing with new injectors and/or pump. He says I should just run it for a tank or two and get some of the gunk cleaned out of it first. It won't hurt anything and it would be good for it. Besides, putting new or rebuilt injectors in and then having them clog shortly after would just plain suck.

I am hopefully putting plates on it tomorrow and then stopping to get some cleaner. I am going to drive it over the weekend and put a few miles on it and see what happens.

Tom: I don't have any plans for the plow pump but probably won't toss it. I will take some pics over the weekend before I remove it and see if you or anyone else wants it.

[Jim-ME]

Where might you be sourcing these injectors? RN says they only go back to engine suffix J and mine is suffix F.

I got them in the UK but mine are for a 2.5 NAD.
Jim

[antichrist]

How long did it sit since it was last driven. If the fuel wasn't treated before being parked, it likely has a lot of bacteria in it if it sat for very long. If you haven't, I'd drain the tank, change the filter (check the surface of it for slime, and indicator of a bad "infection") and even flush the fuel lines if it sat a long time. Then add some diesel bio-cide.

[roverjohn]

A little bit of an update: I have cleaned it up a lot and removed all of the previous owner add ons including the plow parts. If anybody wants any of it, it is fair game.

Antichrist: you had expressed interest in it so let me know if you want it. You have first right of refusal.

I have put maybe 100 +/- miles on it so far. It's hard to say as the speedometer works but the odometer does not turn over. The smoke goes away after about a mile or so of driving. I have drained the tank and added a full tank of fresh diesel and the John Deere heavy duty fuel treatment additive. The fuel coming out of the tank looked pretty good and only a little bit of scaly rust came out. I need to drive it some more as even the JD instructions say it can take awhile to work. It really feels like things are loosening up and it feels like it is getting better every time I drive it. However, some things are popping up. I ended up having to put 4 new used tires on it as I had a flat driving it to work the other day. Luckily I work less than a mile away and it was only at 15 mph when it happened. One of the tires just shredded itself due to dry rot. I knew it was coming and I am surprised that they held up as long as they did. Fortunately, I had a set of 235/75R15's on some old Land Cruiser wheels that I did not have any plans for. They will be fine for awhile until I get my 16" wheels and 235/85R16 tires later.

I am also seeing a little seepage out of the top of the radiator and one of the heater hoses. I definitely need to replace all of the hoses and while I am at it, I might as well pull the radiator and have it gone through. And.... the fan seems to have a little bit of side play in it so a new water pump is probably in order too. Might as well since I will have the radiator out. I also need to replace the motor mounts and the driver's door handle. And.... my front left spring is rubbing on the bottom of the frame at the shackle end. Not sure what to think about that one. Will it ever stop?!!!

Anyways, I am having some fun with this one and am really enjoying the 2.25L diesel. Here in my little mountain town, I don't need to go fast and it's fine to bomb around in. Of course, I need to get this smoke issue cleared up as I don't think the neighbors like it all that much. Of course, I have not seen any mosquitoes lately so I am sure they will thank me later.

[SafeAirOne]

Congratulations...I think.

Is the smoke just some wispy stuff that dissipates quickly or something that is pretty persistent?

As for the spring rub, I suspect you're looking at a sagging/flattened spring (or four).

Good luck and have fun!

[roverjohn]

Congratulations...I think.

Is the smoke just some wispy stuff that dissipates quickly or something that is pretty persistent?

As for the spring rub, I suspect you're looking at a sagging/flattened spring (or four).

Good luck and have fun!

The smoke was REALLY bad; like clear out the neighborhood bad. You could barely see through it. Now it seems to be getting better. It's still noticeable but it seems to go away after a little while; within a mile or two at most.

I am thinking my springs and shocks are shot. I may look into some new springs (parobolics most likely) here in the future.

[o2batsea]

I think you have a case of while-I'm-at-it-itis.

[SalemRover]

I was just talking to my diesel shop about my pump yesterday and they were having difficulty calibrating and testing the unit at idle. This is for a 2.5 Lucas CAV pump, but I would imagine that it applies to the 2.25 as well. The IP has a startup mode that pumps in alot of fuel until it hits a certain rpm and then kicks back to run mode if you will. It is possible that a sticking mechanism in the IP is causing this startup mode to jam for a bit and then clear. There can be other causes as well, but all of them imply incomplete combustion of the fuel. I would keep an eye on the oil level in crank. If you are consuming engine oil then that could refine where to look for combustion issues. Best of luck! I look forward to your post about frame bushings being frozen solid...

Jason

[StX_Rovers]

Nice Rover,

A couple of thoughts. The kill switch cable can be replaced with a standard mechanical choke cable if it fails. Functional but not original. While it is hooked up, figure out which lever it pulls so if it breaks you know how to turn it off without resorting to putting it in 4th gear and letting the clutch out. Speaking of kill cable. The shutdown sequence is pull kill cable, then turn off key. More of an issue if the truck has been converted to an alternator as turning off the key with the engine running can damage the diodes in the alternator.

There is actually a 4th position on the key, it is off, run, glow, start. Hold it in the glow position for 15-30 seconds on cool mornings. One of the lights on your dash is the glow plug indicator light. It will start out dim and then glow brighter. When it does not glow any brighter, then crank her over. I believe the blue light is the low fuel light.

The mention of the start circuit is correct for the 2.25 pump. It is in there and can not be tested until the pump is rebuilt. If the truck is running it works at least partially. Not sure about the sticking open, just don't know. I have a mechanic I know who is familiar with these pumps and he told me about the start circuit in the context of rebuilding a pump of unknown condition, versus a running pump and causing smoking so it could very well be possible.

Your injectors are a style different from the later ones. Not sure if you can get them for the prices mentioned. Rebuilding costs should be the same though. The early style are held in with a lump of steel over the top and long studs into the head. The later style ones have two ears that a much shorter stud goes through. If the cleaner does not work my inclination would be to rebuild the ones I have, and at the same time have the pump redone. Then they can be tested together. Might be a little more up front but the results will likely be better.

Since the engine has glow plugs, you can just remove them and do a compression test. Much less work than pulling the injectors and you could get the information right away, which will help with planning the project. Pay attention to the way the glow plugs are wired when you take them out.

They are a nice engine. Our 109 has one and it can do 70 downhill with an overdrive but that is it. That was when we lived up in Babylon where there are highways. More importantly it can pull a 26 foot sailboat on her trailer up a one lane steep dirt road in the Virgin Islands.

Oh, the spring rubbing. Deteriorated bushings in the spring and the frame. Make sure you have a full bottle of rum for anesthetic and morale purposes after/during removal of the stuck bushings. The frame bushing in the front is a different size from the rest. It is longer, same diameter. The spring and rear frame bushings are all the same part. I have been thinking of switching to polyurethane bushings just for the ease of changing and likely longer life but that will wait until we use up the stock of bushings we received from a guy that was clearing out all his Rover bits. Do not forget the anti-seize on the outside of the bushing and the shackle bolts when reassembling.

Good luck and have fun with it, looks like a nice Rover.