Oil in Air Filter
 

Hello All,

We are from the UK and are traveliing around South America in a 1988 110 Defender, 2.5TD Diesel. The Landy has done 140,000 miles and has always smoked a little and used oil.

Recently though the consuption of oil has risen and there has appeared alot of oil in the air filter and in the turbo. We think this may be a worn piston ring. We are currently in Mendoza, Argentina and there are no landrover parts stockists here. (we have already used our two spare airfilters)

A couple of questions.

Does anyone know where we can get landrover air filters in Argentina, Bolivia or Peru? If not do air filters from other trucks fit. I know parts for the Ford P100 can be used in the gearbox etc

If the only air filter we have is saturated in oil is it better to run without any filter or use the dirty one. We have a raised snorkle air intake fitted.

We got a very bad load of fuel in the mountains last week, had no otion but to run with it. Could this have made things worse.

Many thanks for your help,

Mike and Anna

RE: Oil in Air Filter
 

The oil in the filter is likely to be coming from the turbo not from a worn ring - a worn ring would likely cause blue smoke from engine oil burning in the combustion chamber.

Quick and cheap options to try:
1.) Disconnect the oil filler breather pipe from the intake - this should prevent oil mist from the breather clogging the filter.
2.) Check the intercooler isn't full of oil - if it is, drain it and clean it throughly with petrol
3.) Check the vacuum pipe between injection pump and turbo isn't venting fuel into the intake side of the turbo - if it is, remove the pipe from the turbo end and plug it.

All of the above will be short term fixes only.

Expensive fixes:
Recon the turbo if the oil seal is gone - provided the impeller shaft is ok then it's not a drastically expensive fix, if the shaft is gone then it's pretty much a new turbo.
Recon the injection pump - lots of dosh and probably the worst of the lot in your situation.

If you really can't find another filter, you may be able to clean the one you have - petrol is a good solvent for engine oil or diesel, but you MUST ensure you dry the filter carefully ( I mean like a couple of days left in the sun type dry, not just wiped with a rag type dry) before you use it in the car again. I'd seriously advise not running the car without a filter, turbo failure and top end damage is pretty much the only result of running filterless. If you can't clean the filter for whatever reason, pretty much any air box and filter from any car you can fit under the bonnet will be your best bet.

As this is a predominantly USA based and populated forum you might have better luck with a UK forum - very few diesels in the USA compared with the UK - send me a private message with your e-mail address and I'll send you some links.

Good luck!