I love my surf

[Ultimagtr21]

Doesn't sound like turbo problem. The gel thing in header tank etc is the key thing. Obviously someones cover up, quick fix. If it's not a pipe/hose problem then still sounds like a head problem to me( temp related) I know it's got another head on, but where's it come from and how well has it been fitted! Bit cynical I know, but it depends who is doing the work.

[NiftyNev]

Hose for pressure sensor is on front of manifold and nowhere near the throttle.

Nev.

[shokenore]

I would suggest the gel is coagulated anti freeze.
This will be caused by mixing two different types of anti freeze.

Whether it is the root cause of your problems is unknown, but if it is not fully cleared you will be playing a waiting game before all the work you have had done will be for nought, that is unless it has already done the damage.

The gel can be flushed from the system, but ALL of it needs getting rid of.

Good luck
It might be worth fishing out your work invoices to see if you can determine when and if this coolant mix occurred?

[Overland Tonka]

Wow....thanks for the break down of costs. You must love your surf..as do I and I hope it all works out for you. Sorry I can't offer advise, but you in the right place here. I know what your going through as I'm hoping my truck gets sorted too...yep overheating under load.

Good luck..

[Ultimagtr21]

Any Update?

Any developments on your truck Hamondo?

[Bear Ona Bike]

my Surf developed a hairline crack in a cylinder liner that gave some odd results.
The crack was too small for coolant to enter the cylinder but would allow combustion gas to enter the coolant jacket under load.

Maybe its worth getting your liners crack tested?

Not an easy or cheap job I'm afraid as its a complete engine strip.

[hamondo]

Update

Here's what has happened since the last update.

Once I finally got my Surf back from Shorts of Swansea the diesel specialist, after it having a few teething problems with leaks from the new fuel pump. I gave my surf 2 weeks to let all the fluids settle and air to come out of the system.

I now don't have an overheating problem! and the coolant stays at the correct level.

But It still seems to struggle to get up to speed compared to my last 2 surfs. Almost feels like its being held back by something?

Anyway Shorts suggested it could be a laggy turbo? If I still was not happy with the performance.

Now I've invested heavily in my surf as you all know and don't want to give up as I feel I am getting closer to fixing the issue that started this all off. Plus even with all the guidance that the garages have given they cant always be right all of the time.

So I have now had the injectors replaced and the turbo for new!

These from the engine side apart from the electronic parts where the only parts not replaced when the engine was rebuilt.

This has not made any major difference apart from its a small bit smoother in the running of the engine.

I then started to do more research on the surfs and thought about what things could be causing this lack of performance.

As the engine seems sound now but when driving you really seem to have to go high up the rev range to get up to 60 and then it seems to find it hard to stay there. I really though I was going mad but when I drive my fathers surf which is identical, his one fly's up to 60 effortlessly and has power when at 70 to go more, which mine seems to lack in a major way.

It could be a lot of things but I think it could be the auto gearbox or brakes or combo?

The gearbox works as it should in the lower gears, but when at higher gears struggles to respond all the time on kick down, plus now and again when parked and switching off the engine it makes a loud clunk noise which feels like its coming from right next to the the drivers left side of the seat bolster if that makes any sense!

In talking to the garage they have already flushed the ATF fluid but I have heard the torque converters that effectively work in reverse of a jet engine, (correct me if i'm wrong people as I want this to help people too not confuse) can have problems?

I also thought that since I bought her I haven't had the brakes looked at so not sure if this was another thing that could be holding her back and causing the bad fuel consumption.

I'm not getting any smells with the the brakes and she does stop fairly well but did remember something that I could do with both my other surfs which I can do with this one.

Now I'm not a boy racer but in the dry on my old surfs and on my dads if you put you foot down from a standing start you could easily wheel spin the rear wheels! Being rear wheel drive lighter on the back end. Well on mine it just cant do it! straight and simple no matter how I try. This got me thinking about the autobox and the rear brakes?? I had a look into the rear brake commentator sensor valve, but this is a simple 3 way valve, and wouldn't cause the brakes to be applied unnecessarily.

You would think though with the new AMC head, new injectors, new turbo, and proper blanked off EGR inlet and outlet that she should fly along?!

On a full 55 Ltr tank I get about 380 km's which is 236 miles which is about 20 mpg, now on my dads 3 liter auto which doesn't have new AMC head, injectors and turbo he gets about 470 km (292 miles) - 506 km (314 miles) depending on how its driven.

So I'm having a think about getting the gearbox replaced but getting the brakes looked at 1st.

So anyone know of a good low mileage 3 liter autobox? or have suggestions to be done 1st before going down that route?

Would a gearbox issue show through the diag port pin out?

Apologies for the long update but really want to get to the bottom of this and all your help so far has been great.

thanks again.

Matt :-(

[BUSHWHACKER]

Check the ATF level again, level ground with engine idling.

Try the ECU from another, good 3.0 to see if the same problems remain.

Is the fuel filter new? Insufficient fuel delivery will affect high RPMs.

If the problem is still there after checking the above, I have a 3.0 auto 'box here for £90.

Cheers.

[hamondo]

Further Update

1st things 1st, moved house since last update and BT couldn't connect for 2 months!! nightmare!

My Surf still has issues but have identified some of them, so thought Id share.

With the lack of power issue from the engine side..

I had a new turbo fitted but this made no difference. I had also had the EGR valve blanked off. I decided that after checking all the vacuum pipes I would unblank the EGR valve and see if that made any difference. Well I would never have guessed, it but once I took the blanking plate out my new turbo started boosting!! I then put the plate back in as I couldn't believe it to see and once back in the turbo stopped boosting. So I think this must be something to do with the pressure that it senses some how through the EGR valve of vacuum pipes connected to it! I don't know how but I was well pleased I had found why the turbo wasn't boosting :-).

Since my engine and turbo are now working spot on I turned to the
lack of power going up hills and unable to manage its own weight...

In a nutshell my auto gearbox is the cause of the lack of power not being transferred from the new engine and turbo through to the rear wheels.
The reason are....
The torque converter spins and makes a loud flapping noise when you accelerate the engine when in gear.
When I move the auto gear stick in and out of the gears I get a large jolt as it engage each time and in any gear. A bit like when you put it in park and let go of the brakes and the truck will move a bit but worse and when putting into gear not park.
I got a temperature sensor from the garage to measure the temperature changes in the heater matrixes so I could see when she was about to over heat. This basically confirmed that when being put under load going up a hill only with me in the truck that the temperature rose rapidly to over 82 degrees. I know this is the thermostat set point, but while going up the hill with both heater matrix blowing full blast it still rose near to the red but not in the red as i would reach the top of the hill. This partly proved to me that the auto box aft fluid was going much hotter that normal and this feeds into the bottom of the rad causing the coolant to overheat. I watched a video on symptoms of an auto gearbox with issues and it mentioned the large jolt and the noise that the torque converter is making.

Recently towed the horse box trailer empty on the motorway and it struggled to do 30mph up normal hills on the M4 by newport!!

So I'm going to get the Autobox changed in the hopes this fixes the struggling up hills or under load.

Bushwacker do you have any good or low mileage auto gearboxes for a 3ltr kzn130?? you mentioned before but not sure if you still have one?

If you could let me know my email address is hamondo722@hotmail.com

So after a lot of money and effort I now know all the issues that caused my Surf to be so poorly. Fingers crossed the gearbox fixes the issue. Hopefully a new fluid coupling and revived torconverter and an better gearbox will take away the lack of power up the hills and transfer power rather than it building in the gearbox and causing extra heat! Will as always let you know once its been done.

Thanks to everyone for all your help it has been a long process but finally getting there. :-)

[BUSHWHACKER]

Hi Matt,
Did the gearbox problems start after the engine was refitted?

When driving uphill, do the engine revs increase without the truck gaining any more speed? (A bit like a slipping clutch)


I have a 3.0 'box here plus it's torque converter.

[hamondo]

Gearbox answers

Gearbox had the jolt issue which I knew when I bought it. It always struggled up hills just with me in it before engine was fix, just that all the other issues masked the gearbox, I think.

Yes she slips badly when reved. Sounds like a fast flapping rotor blade, like a micro light propeller! Best way I can describe it.

What do you think? Just a part of the gearbox that needs replacing? or the whole thing

[hamondo]

Gearbox continued

Yes when reved, you gain no speed but the temperate sores and the revs are high! I have nursed mine as don't want to break anything further than it is till I could pinpoint the issue.

Cheers Matt

[hamondo]

Overheating

And that's when she overheats! I forgot to add

Soon as I ease off with both heater matrixs on full heat she comes down to normal level pretty quick.

[BUSHWHACKER]

Gearbox had the jolt issue which I knew when I bought it. It always struggled up hills just with me in it before engine was fix, just that all the other issues masked the gearbox, I think.

Yes she slips badly when reved. Sounds like a fast flapping rotor blade, like a micro light propeller! Best way I can describe it.

What do you think? Just a part of the gearbox that needs replacing? or the whole thing

If it's been like it for a while then the clutch plates inside the 'box will be shagged.
If you drop the gearbox sump, I suspect the magnets will be covered with graphite and probably bits of metal.

When you mentioned the flapping sound previously, I initially thought the torque converter wasn't fitted correctly and/or the fluid pump in the gearbox wasn't working.

[andyverran]

Yes she slips badly when reved. Sounds like a fast flapping rotor blade, like a micro light propeller! Best way I can describe it.

Sounds like the toque converter is knackered....you might get away with that if dropping the sump (as Bushwacker has said) doesn't show up anything....but I wouldn't be too optimistic! It's probably sent metal through the whole thing...

Pic isn't the right box for your car but gives you the gist of how the bits work..I hope...best image I could find at short notice.

Bit of video with the insides of a torque converter:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTfipsejqS0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhwYIs6Lu3M
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s613GPE8bS4