Black Smoke

[davidfox123]

Hi all, just signed up & could do with some help? I've got a Land Rover witha LD28 fitted which really puts out a lot of black smoke. Runs well but not sure what is causing it. Any suggestions. Not air filter.

[elbow]

hows your compression? thats the first thing I would check for almost any problem on a diesel. Bob

[asavage]

Adverse injection timing can make a smoky engine worse. Or, someone may have adjusted the full load screw beyond where it should be, allowing the IP to inject more fuel than can be cleanly consumed.

Many, many of us have black smoke with the LD28.

One problem in the US, where the LD28 was fitted with an EGR system, is the problem of the intake ports and intake manifold becoming plugged with soot/oil mix. Of the three I've had off, all have had significant plugging. Some poor pics are in the FAQ, Intake section.

However, having a clean intake does not guarantee no black smoke.

My current thinking on the subject, having had a few of these through my hands, is that the IP becomes worn to the point of not being able to build enough housing pressure to activate the advancer correctly, leading to retarded timing at the higher RPMs. This is only a guess, but it's an educated guess.