Engine Overhaul - Suggestions Required.


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My Indigo TDi is in for an overhaul. The job will be done today and tomorrow.
The jobs will be done at two levels, engine and turbo.

Engine work :

1. Piston rings change.
2. Head Gasket replacement.
3. Oil circulation will be checked and leaks, faulty valves will be changed.

Apart from the above 3, what other things should be checked? Excess oil consumption, blueish black smoke, loss of power were the typical bad rings symptoms I was experiencing. Another weird experience was very very low fuel economy in city and good economy (17-18) on the highways.
I am getting the job done from a mechanic, who is reputed and trusted for the job and is a Tata-Mahindra diesel expert. According to him only rings change and head job is required, and the engine will easily do another 50-60 thousand kilometers.


Turbo work :

Turbo will be opened. 2 days back while cleaning the air filter, the connector pipe had some oil. Mechanic then said that the turbo is damaged. He suggested the following :
1. Take it out and get it repaired from Bosch, Aurangabad at a cost of Rs 2800/-. Bosch will repair it, only if it is repairable.
2. Change it straight away at a cost in the range of Rs 6500/- to 9000/-
3. Yesterday he said, if the oil in air filter and turbo connector may be due to blow-by, he will inspect, and if not required, no need to repair or change the turbo.
It will be good to state that the 2 minute idle before shutting off the engine and after turning on the engine rule was strictly followed all the 6 years, and the air filter was also cleaned / replaced as per manual recommended durations.


Cost break up :
Mechanic quoted engine job at Rs 11000/-. On my inquiry of parts price,
Piston rings - 1500/- (Tata Original)
Head gasket - 1000/- (Tata Original)
Engine Oil and filter - 1100/- (Valvoline 15 w40, Purolator filter)
So, the rest should be labor.

Turbo work :
Turbo repair - 2800/-
New turbo - 6500/- to 9000/-

My queries :
1. Whether the above mentioned oil (grade) was not good for the turbo?
2. Is there a 20 w50 grade oil available with any brand?
3. Which turbo to buy in case a new one is required? The original was a Garret piece.
 
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Re: Engine Overhaul- Suggestions Required.

Hi swapnil,

You forgot to mention how many kms the engine has done. it depends on the kilometer it has done that the engine should be overhauled as you do now or to the complete one.
Hope he will polish the head too.
 
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Thread Starter #3
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Re: Engine Overhaul- Suggestions Required.

Hi swapnil,

You forgot to mention how many kms the engine has done. it depends on the kilometer it has done that the engine should be overhauled as you do now or to the complete one.
Hope he will polish the head too.
It has done 1.4 lac kilometers
 
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20w50 is available from Servo.Even Shell has 20w50.Check out with the oil distributors in your area directly.

I believe a lot of people recommend Mobil Delvac oil for diesels.Do check it out.

Regarding your turbo, if it needs rebuilding I would suggest buy a new one and rebuild the old one as a spare.

It is good to stick with Tata original parts for the piston rings and head gasket.

Ask the mechanic to check the condition of all the other components as well, since you are opening the head it will be a good time to get the other components check, like valves,guides and springs.Check the condition of the pistons.

Also get the engine flushed and decarbonized.This will increased the performance of the engine.

Get the tappets and lifters properly gapped too.
 
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If you have an idea of selling it then this will do. otherwise its my suggestion to do the complete over haul though it may cost more.

Yes. I am in the market for a entry level sedan. But my mechanic is insisting to keep this car as it is still good for another 70k kilometers / 3 years, and my use has also considerably reduced. So I will use this for at least another year. One can also get a clear insight in diesel pricing in an year. Else, my choice is hands down Etios petrol.
An update : Got a new turbo for INR 9500/-. Rings and gasket is changed. Air filter and Oil Separator filter will also be changed, although not necessary. Turbo will be fitted tomorrow.
 
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20w50 is available from Servo.Even Shell has 20w50.Check out with the oil distributors in your area directly.

I believe a lot of people recommend Mobil Delvac oil for diesels.Do check it out.

Regarding your turbo, if it needs rebuilding I would suggest buy a new one and rebuild the old one as a spare.

It is good to stick with Tata original parts for the piston rings and head gasket.

Ask the mechanic to check the condition of all the other components as well, since you are opening the head it will be a good time to get the other components check, like valves,guides and springs.Check the condition of the pistons.

Also get the engine flushed and decarbonized.This will increased the performance of the engine.

Get the tappets and lifters properly gapped too.
Got a new turbo for Rs 9500/- in exchange with old one.
About oil, Valvoline is not good?
 
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I do not have any idea about diesel oils.Friends who have diesel vehicles use Mobil Delvac.Check the grade and buy the oil.

I have used semi synthetic oil from Shell and the engine sounds crude when you rev it and also during the summer.During winter it performs excellently.

I advice you to stay with the recommended grade of oil.If you are happy with Valvolines performance under different conditions then stay with it.

Check out different brands of oil that are available and refer to your manual for specified grades.

Use synthetic only if you drive your car on a daily basis.Before adding synthetic oil,flush your engine thoroughly.
 
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Update :

Job is done. Piston rings, head gasket, turbo, all the filters and engine oil, are changed. Front suspensions are also changed (Gabriel). Have put Shell HX5 15 w40 this time. Total cost at 31,000/-
 
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Update :

Job is done. Piston rings, head gasket, turbo, all the filters and engine oil, are changed. Front suspensions are also changed (Gabriel). Have put Shell HX5 15 w40 this time. Total cost at 31,000/-
Check the heater plugs too. Engine coolant is another big thing to be replaced and do ask him to check the water pump and the engine belt and pulley too, hope you found out the reason why the head gasket blow,if it is not rectified the work done is a waste.Do check the oil pressure switch is working properly and indicating the correct temperature.Good luck.
 

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