Obviously, I am looking for an alternative diagnosis to a broken piston ring.
1986 225T Trooper turbo diesel running on regular diesel for Winter.

Symptoms:
1. Lost power, occasional misfire, not a steady miss.
2. lots of smoke from exhaust, engine oil leaking from loose exhaust pipe fitting at manifold.
3. Engine cycling (revs slightly on its own) like it is burning oil in piston(s).
4. Engine oil very low, after I checked and added oil the previous day.
5. Early stage rattle at acceleration, not doing that anymore.

It was cold and dark on my drive home from work last night, I kept an eye on oil pressure which never fluctuated. I assumed (hoped) it was a clogged fuel filter, so I decided to drive it home the ten miles at low RPMs. It was smoking badly, but sounded well enough to continue, I thought, once I was a few miles from town I figured it wasn't hurting the engine so I kept on. I did pull into the last gas station before leaving when I thought maybe it was low on diesel, but at the station and under the lights it sounded fine and wasn't smoking too badly.

Oil light came on a couple of days ago going around a sharp turn. In the past this meant it was time to add a quart, Unfortunately, I was totally broke after the holidays and put off adding oil for two days (until Friday) and 50, maybe 75 miles. I added this symptom because I know it makes it hard to diagnose without all the issues being disclosed.

This morning I cleaned out our new workshop and checked and filled the oil which was empty, then started the engine. It started normally, sounded fine, then after five minutes, it started increasing in RPMS to about 1000 from 800. I watched oil blow out the exhaust dough nut at the manifold and shut it down which it did normally, so I am speculating it isn't a leaking turbo seal. The oil must be getting in and out somewhere else.
Don't know, but it is in the shop now and I will start looking further. I don't have a diesel compression gauge, so I am guessing it is time to pawn the silverware and buy one.
What do you think?
I'm screwed, huh?
Images


Looking down at exhaust manifold - pipe connection on right side of image

Looking over tire at exhaust (not a good shot, I sort of missed the exhaust pipe manifold connector)

Gratuitous shot of the new shop with the Trooper inside.

Here is what my subconscious mechanic came up with while I slept. What if the dipstick is misreading because of an recurring oil leak I fixed there six months ago? Possibly the engine is in an over-full oil situation, until it leaks out enough to be sort of normal. What seals would be affected by over-filling engine oil?
Jerry, where are you?

We found the problem: The turbo blew. The shaft either broke or the bearing went out completely. We installed the turbo from my parts Trooper, which oddly was the turbo which was in this Trooper, so now it has its original turbo, and it is running properly again.

The old turbo still in the manifold. The fans were loose, making one of the noises I heard; rattle rattle rattle.

New workshop is really comfortable to work in.

Congrats on the fix !!

Thanks
It feels good <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" />

Nice you located the problem and it wasn't too deep.


I work at a tractor shop (yep, like farm tractor) and a turbo'd tractor came in, smoking like I'd never seen a motor smoke before. It's turbo died, and the oil was going right through it. It did run away on the customer, but was cold when I seen it running so the oil wasn't hot enough to ignite like fuel, just smoke an incredible amount. There is about a quarter inch play in the turbo shaft through it's bore, and the mechanic working on it told me all the intake side fins are gone from the turbo impeller....looks like they have to tear the head off for a look, though it runs fine w/o the turbo and doesn't smoke now. That metal could only go one place. I'd be surprised if some portion of it didn't embed itself in one of the pistons.
Good thing for warranty. Not common to loose a turbo.

I just had to do a google map of Nova Scotia http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&tab=wl&q=Nova%20Scotia
Wow, you are way up north, and no heated shop, bummer. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />
Yeah, I thought it was weird that my engine wasn't burning the engine oil that was pouring in through the manifold. I figure, but don't know for sure, that the oil was pouring into the exhaust pipe instead, whatever I am happy the engine is fine.
I still want to pull the injectors and clean them, but too many other irons in the fire, right now, plus the Trooper works, and that means I can work too.