Diesel shenanigans - Beta 50

[willo]

The Beta 50 in my e46 has an issue. It's making a rather awful knocking sound and white smoke.
I didn't have time to dig into it much beyond initially popping the valve cover for inspection.
Honestly it looked fantastic in there. I've looked at all sorts of valve trains over the years and this thing looks like a new engine with a nice oil coat.

One of the guys at Beta suggested that it could be the transfer plate causing the racket, but this theory doesn't explain the smoke. Anyhow, I was gearing up mentally to pull the engine next time I'm at the boat...

This weekend, I struck upon a new theory. I have an injector that's stuck open!
My engine sounds nearly exactly like the one in this video:

I've ordered a set of rebuilt kubota injectors for a couple hundred bucks.(My beta 50 is a marinized V2203)
I need to rig up fresh water to the heat exchanger but I'm thinking that this will probably take care of things.
I have ordered all new VDO gauges to replace the heavily weathered murray gauges that came in the beta panel. (A new panel from beta is over $600, while gauges only cost about $200.

Ultimately, I'm very optimistic that I'll have engine issues well sorted in the near future.

 

[Christian Williams]

After reinstalling injectors, I had explosive knocking. Atomic bomb level knocking.

It was simply air in the system, cured by bleeding the injectors one at a time. Crank the engine until fuel spurts out of each loosened injector, then retighten..

 

[willo]

I was figuring on rebuilding them anyway since they have been in use since 2001 and I know the boat sat for a while.
I'm going to swap, bleed, get water hooked up (on the hard) and see how she's doing.
After that, I'll see about servicing everything.

Honestly, I figured I was going to have to take a couple months to sort out the engine issues - I have to fly down to work on the boat a week or two at a time.

 

[Frank Langer]

The books I've read recommend servicing injectors about every 900 engine hours, but others suggest leaving well enough alone until problems begin to show but then deal with it promptly. Mine were serviced about 1,000 hours ago, but the engine is running perfectly, so I'm hesitant to mess with it.
What do you all suggest, based on to your experience?
Frank

 

[willo]

Diesel is neat as it's a lubricant on it's own. This means that things last a long. long time. If they run lean, you only lose power - unlike gas engines that get damaged. If they stick open like mine... well that knocking is awful. If you plan to wait on servicing them, snag a rebuilt set of oem injectors as spares so you have them when you need em.

 

[Shannon & Doran Jones]

The books I've read recommend servicing injectors about every 900 engine hours, but others suggest leaving well enough alone until problems begin to show but then deal with it promptly. Mine were serviced about 1,000 hours ago, but the engine is running perfectly, so I'm hesitant to mess with it.
What do you all suggest, based on to your experience?
Frank

We just finished a mechanical maintenance course this weekend and injectors was one of the items we discussed. He recommended following the guidance from your service manual for preventive maintenance to confirm timing, but there are also some signs. White grey smoke out of your exhaust is one indicator of poor injector performance. You can also check the function of your injectors by loosening the nut on the injector line and firing the engine. The one that does nothing needs servicing.

How strange.... I am responding to a question instead of asking.

Shannon

 

[Frank Langer]

Thanks, Shannon!
Frank