visit to CVI +++

[bobenns]

I took my Delica down from Kelowna to CVI in Richmond yesterday for the tune up. What a huge difference it made. Butch & Edwin really know what they are doing around these vehicles. I got the vehicle in March and just plated it a week ago so hadn't been driving it. Originally it had quite a bad leak from the injection pump, which I fixed myself. In the process I messed with the full load adjustment (found out later I didn't need to touch that screw).

When I started driving it I was not happy with the poor power and clouds of black smoke. The van has 128,000 kms on it and had the timing belt done about 10,000 km ago. I have been hearing good things about CVI and the Delica tune up so decided to make a day of it and drive down from Kelowna. The trip down was slow, down to 50 km per hour on the hills in second gear. On the flat it wouldn't go past 100.

I hung around and watched as they did the work. They cleaned the injectors, adjusted valve lash and pump timing, put the throttle lever back to the right position, checked the timing belts etc. They did a very thorough job and gave me a lot of maintenance tips too. I was surprised how badly the injectors were fouled up, squirting rather than spraying. Something that needs be be done every 100,000 km I'd say. There was a lot of carbon built up in the system.

When we took it for a test drive afterwards I couldn't believe the difference in performance. It wanted to spin the tires. Where as it had been so sluggish starting off it now just takes off from a stop. I am very pleased with the results.

Butch even helped me get back to Hwy 1 as the route I used to come in was all under construction.

The drive home was amazing, I was cruising effortlessly at 120k, on the smaller hills it would keep right up, steeper hills at 100k. I took the Coquehalla both ways. On the steepest grade before the toll booths going back I was down to 70k in second, temp gauge rose to just above center. That is a very steep grade, 8% I'm sure and very high altitude. You feel that in any vehicle and often see overheated vehicles pulled over on that stretch. I wanted to give it a good work out and I sure did, all carbon is out of the system for sure now. I got home in very good time. What a relief.

We kind of ran out of time at the end of the afternoon at CVI and didn't finish with the full load adjustment. It was still putting out black smoke on gunning the throttle, but the power was really there. Because it had been so carboned up we weren't sure if the smoke was from fuel or just blowing carbon out of the system. It still puffs a little black when I start off so I'll adjust that full load screw back a little more yet to get rid of the smoke now, but keep the power. A bit of a trade off there, I sure like the power though and the smoke is right handy for pissing off impatient drivers behind me!!!

All in all I would recommend this tune up to anyone having issues with loss of power. You couldn't have better qualified or nicer people working on your vehicle. These guys really know what they are doing.

Bob in Kelowna

[delicat]

A little puff of smoke on start up is totally normal and I wouldn't try to mess with CVI's adjustment unless you know for sure it's not where it should be...

Enjoy your new found power!
David

[jessef]

steeper hills at 100k. I took the Coquehalla both ways. On the steepest grade before the toll booths going back I was down to 70k in second, temp gauge rose to just above center. That is a very steep grade, 8% I'm sure and very high altitude. You feel that in any vehicle and often see overheated vehicles pulled over on that stretch.

I did the same route and found out my exhaust temps were through the roof.

I'm going to install a pyro gauge asap so I don't kill the engine next time I floor it up the coq hwy hills.

Just a head's up that these puppies will heat up like there's no tomorrow pushing it uphill and we have no way to monitor the exh temps without a pyro gauge.

I didn't realize how hard/hot I was running the engine until my buddy put on a temp gauge.

The same hill that I used to fly up 90/100 k/hr I now drive at 75ish.

You couldn't have better qualified or nicer people working on your vehicle. These guys really know what they are doing.

That they do.

[bobenns]

[quote="delicat"]A little puff of smoke on start up is totally normal and I wouldn't try to mess with CVI's adjustment unless you know for sure it's not where it should be...

It's not the puff of smoke starting the engine cold I'm talking about. It's the large puff of black smoke when I step on the accelerator from a standing stop. I had removed the full load adjustment screw when I was fixing the leaky pump. I counted the turns when I removed it and put it back the same number of turns,,, I think! It's a very fine adjustment so if I was off a half a turn it would be a big change in the amount of fuel delivered at full load. After driving it back yesterday it was still doing the same thing so I turned it out a bit today, drove it and then turned it out a bit more. Now I'm getting much less black smoke from a standing start and a bit less power too. I'll drive it a few days now and then see if I need to make a last final adjustment.

Butch went over it with me before I left, he didn't get around to adjusting it at the shop because it was getting late and there was so much carbon built up in the exhaust from the way it had been running when I brought it in. It was hard to tell if it was too much fuel or just blowing carbon out that had built up in there. So we decided I should drive it some and see what it was like after putting some miles on.

There is definitely a trade off with that adjustment, you can get more power, but you use more fuel and get black smoke. The factory sets it where it should be and caps the adjuster so people don't see the screw and tinker with it.

Bob

[bobenns]

I did the same route and found out my exhaust temps were through the roof.

I'm going to install a pyro gauge asap so I don't kill the engine next time I floor it up the coq hwy hills.

Just a head's up that these puppies will heat up like there's no tomorrow pushing it uphill and we have no way to monitor the exh temps without a pyro gauge.

I didn't realize how hard/hot I was running the engine until my buddy put on a temp gauge.

The same hill that I used to fly up 90/100 k/hr I now drive at 75ish.

Interesting. This is the first I've heard about about that with these vehicles. My engine temp rose marginally going up that steep grade. That would be expected. There is nothing but hills around here and a lot of steep ones. That is one reason why I imported this particular vehicle, reliable and reputable diesel with 4 wheel drive. The road to Big White for example in winter, steep and snow packed. I would expect this vehicle to run up and down that road all day every day for a long time under full load. I can't see them building a 7/8 passenger van with these specs and not be able to haul the load it's intended to carry up a mountain road. Japan has mountain roads too and these vehicles are very popular there with families.

Now I was deliberately pushing it hard up that grade yesterday for a reason. I probably wouldn't do that every time, but most vehicles I've driven over that route have had to work pretty hard, some harder than others, like my 64 Econoline van with the original 170 motor, 2nd gear, pedal on the floor, 40 mph all the way. It never complained and I'm sure the exhaust manifold was a bright cherry red before I got half way up.

I really don't think I was punishing it, just working it. Now if the gravy boat light or the sailboat light comes on in the dash I might have to ease up on the throttle a bit eh!

I'd be interested to hear more about exhaust temp with these vehicles though. One would almost expect there to be a factory installed temp sensor in the exhaust if this was an issue.

Thanks for the tip. Keep us informed if you find out more.

Bob

[jessef]

Pyrometer gauges are common on heavy diesel rigs.

You can push the Delica pretty hard but there is a point where the temps will be too high, hence the gauge.

I know there are a few Deli's/members on this board with pyro gauges installed to monitor the temp when pushing it hard or when the ambient temps get up there in the summertime.

http://www.delica.ca/forum/traded-clock ... -2365.html

Unless anyone with a gauge would like to chime in, I'll post after some hilly driving once I have mine in.

a pyro should be on every diesel engine, not cheap but then neither is a cracked head...

[Erebus]

I'd be interested to hear more about exhaust temp with these vehicles though. One would almost expect there to be a factory installed temp sensor in the exhaust if this was an issue.

I've got a pyro (EGT or exhaust gas temperature) guage in mine. Installed after the turbo (makes a difference in the readings). Anyway, normal cruise is in the 800-1000 degree F, climbing a steep hill like the Coke, or the Dempster, it can climb to 1300 with no effort, and the worst stretches it reaches 1500 while you are in 2nd or 3rd gear doing 70 or 80 km/h. When it gets to those levels, the coolant temperature will rise too, from my normal of just above 1/3 to just above 1/2.

When you come over the top of the hill and start down with almost no throttle, the EGT drops really quickly (as in seconds), the coolant takes a little longer.

On a long downhill, the EGT will drop to about 300.

One of the nastiest things to do to a turbo is turn the engine off while it is spinning high, or while really hot. Exactly what happens when you pull off the highway at a fuel stop.

I've made it my policy to not shut off the engine until the EGT drops below 500. At home this isn't usually an issue; the several blocks of suburban streets from the highway are enough to drop the temp down. But where I'm staying right now (Whitehorse) is at the top of long hills, so it takes several minutes of idle to drop down.

When highway driving and stopping to refuel, if the diesel pumps are separate from the gas pumps, don't shut the engine off. The warning signs about "shut off the ignition" only applies to gas engines (after all, diesels don't have ignition systems), so as long as you have separation you should be fine. Not that employees would know this.

Having seen what information a pyrometer gives me, I don't think I'd want another vehicle, especially turbo, without one.

Just my 4 cents worth.

[Mephisto]

A pyro is one of the most important gauges in a turbo diesel. It should be installed pre-turbo, this will accurately moniter the temps the head is actually seeing (it will be much cooler post-turbo). I don't like to get mine over 1300 degrees for any length of time, just touching it for a minute or so is fine, but, up the toll booth hill on the coq is way too long. I definitely back off going up hills depending on the EGTs.

[psilosin]

Anyway, normal cruise is in the 800-1000 degree F, climbing a steep hill like the Coke, or the Dempster, it can climb to 1300 with no effort, and the worst stretches it reaches 1500 while you are in 2nd or 3rd gear doing 70 or 80 km/h.

Interesting. That sounds VERY high for post-turbo pyro readings since post-turbo reading are usually a couple hundred degrees lower than pre-turbo temps. 1200oF pre-turbo is considered by many a max safe egt. I back off the throttle when I get much above 1000o pre-turbo...much above that temp for an extended period, and on my diesel the cooling system has trouble coping and the water temp starts to rise quick as well.