Need new (2nd hand) engine for 1992 van

[simwood91]

Hi first off sorry for naivety. Bought a 1992 PLG 2496 cc van last summer and not long after, the cam belt went. Mechanic managed to repair with new push rods etc costing circa £900. However it has smoked like a bugger ever since when engine is cold.
Van was originally Lithuanian, registered 1992 and then here in UK 2012. Left hand drive - was bought originally to only ever go one way to Slovenia to take all our things over and use as fun runabout whenever we could, but emigration fell through and still in UK. Don't want to get rid of it yet, so new mechanic has looked at it today and advised as it still runs ok, rather than them strip it down (£££ labour) to find out it needs new whatever part but may not be able to get one due to age and origins, just accept it as it is for now but seek out a replacement engine, cheaper and quicker to fit. Have no idea what to look for. Please help. Thanks. VIN WF0VXXGBVVMD56246

[gotgcoalman]

Since the repair it's smoked?
Timing might be slightly out when the new belt was fitted
Does it start ok/use any oil?

[twin wheel camper]

What you need is a new mechanic not a new engine by the sounds of it
£900 to fit a set of pushrods and timing kit and they couldn’t even get the timing set correctly

[simwood91]

Apols. Forgot to mention the alleged excessive rust hence the new mechanic suggesting new engine.
So - 1st mechanic in Devon fitted new push rods etc. Started smoking straight after took it away from Devon mechanic, but had to drive and move to Cumbria the very next day. That was end of last summer.
Finally decided to get smoking looked at. Have barely used it since arrival in Cumbria.
Today, i asked 2nd mechanic to figure out why it smokes - did suggest it maybe was timing. After an hour he calls me and says not the belt, and it could mean something in engine not right but would have to strip it to figure out. Said the van was "rotten" and shouldn't have passed it's MOT in Jan, could push his thumb through if he wanted to. Had lots of welding work done in Jan for the MOT.
Van starts first time every time.
Cumbria mechanic says "if it were me, I'd either get 2nd hand engine (as cheaper and quicker to fit than him spending "10hrs" stripping etc) or not spend any money on it and just drive it til next MOT or enough bits fall off it that you can't drive it anymore, whichever is sooner. Don't be expecting it to pass next MOT in Jan and you'll be hard pushed to find any welder who'd want to go near it due to gas pipes, carpet etc (it's a Reimo converted camper van)."
So - I assume 2nd opinion is needed? Could it be he just didn't want the job, if it really would take lots of hours? He seemed genuine if a tad gloom and doomy.

[cherniy_chack]

and they couldn’t even get the timing set correctly

Who prevents the Fuel Pump shaft itself from turning slightly clockwise?
Now it's warm, the engine with late fuel injection should start normally.
I think buying a motor in Poland and delivering it to a UK transportation company will be cheaper than 900 pounds.
The UK has not yet committed Brexit.
...................
For 2000 pounds, you can come to my Ukraine to repair the engine and body.
London-Kiev and back-about 5000 kilometers.
With a fuel consumption of 10 l / 100 km, this is 500 liters of fuel at a price of 1.7 euros per liter.
850 euros for fuel, the rest for car repairs and my fee.
Term is 1 month.
How do you find my idea?

[gotgcoalman]

so the second mechanic can poke holes in the body work/chassis and sugests an engine swap?

[simwood91]

Yep that's correct

[cherniy_chack]

I was already tuned to meet the guest from the UK...
To replace / repair the motor and repair the body.
But there are few real adventurers on the Islands ...
As an adventurer I say.
................
I recently made repairs to the cylinder block and crankshaft.
It costs 100 dollars.
I bought a set of pistons, piston rings and piston pins for 165 euros.
Inserts and a set of gaskets cost me about $ 100.
...........
When the cam belt breaks, the rod of the pushers will bend.
Price of the bar is 2 ... 3 dollars. Total 24 dollars maximum.
The cam belt and tension roller stand together about 50 dollars.
What was 950 pounds taken for?
The rod of the pushers can be replaced without removing the axis of the levers.

[simwood91]

Hi. This is probably going nowhere so I'll just go get a 2nd opinion from the next nearest mechanic 11 miles away. To clarify, the cam belt, push rods etc are no longer in need of repair. Or at least I don't think they are. That was all fixed last year. Since then the exhaust has smoked. I'm trying to find out why and the one mechanic I have spoken to has declared that due to the age of the vehicle and engine it would be just better to get a replacement engine rather than spend hours stripping it down to find out why when the conclusion may be that they can't fix it due to parts being obsolete, and then they have to put it back together.
I'm not going to drive my van to Kiev, thanks all the same. Aside from the costs you've quoted there's also the loss of income due to not being at work, the accommodation fees for the 3 or 4 nights it will take me to get there and back, and the ferry to and from mainland Europe. It's also a ridiculous notion that I would choose someone in Kiev as the next thing to do instead of asking someone down the road to take a look.
I originally wanted to know what type of engine I should look out for. If you can still help with that request, that would be appreciated. Thanks, all

[gotgcoalman]

The replacement engine would be of a similar age and possibly higher milage.
Better the devil you know.
My money is on the pump timing being half a tooth out.
Another thing is when the rocker shaft was off to replace the push rods all the bolts were tightened when it was put back together.
You could get excess oil being sucked up by the intake manifold causing the smoke.

Personally holes/welding first and replacement engine (if needed later)

You'll need a 2.5Di engine (either with or without the bananna manifold)

[simwood91]

Thanks gotcoalman

[twin wheel camper]

Hi. This is probably going nowhere so I'll just go get a 2nd opinion from the next nearest mechanic 11 miles away. To clarify, the cam belt, push rods etc are no longer in need of repair. Or at least I don't think they are. That was all fixed last year. Since then the exhaust has smoked. I'm trying to find out why and the one mechanic I have spoken to has declared that due to the age of the vehicle and engine it would be just better to get a replacement engine rather than spend hours stripping it down to find out why when the conclusion may be that they can't fix it due to parts being obsolete, and then they have to put it back together.
I'm not going to drive my van to Kiev, thanks all the same. Aside from the costs you've quoted there's also the loss of income due to not being at work, the accommodation fees for the 3 or 4 nights it will take me to get there and back, and the ferry to and from mainland Europe. It's also a ridiculous notion that I would choose someone in Kiev as the next thing to do instead of asking someone down the road to take a look.
I originally wanted to know what type of engine I should look out for. If you can still help with that request, that would be appreciated. Thanks, all

I don’t think anybody was really thinking of you bringing your van to Ukraine
Look you need to talk to a old skool mechanic that had worked on theses engines before.
There isn’t any part from a 1992 transit diesel that’s not available and cheap at that new or second hand.
You don’t say the colour of the smoke on start up, but unless it’s blue and burning a lot of oil it is most likely not timed correctly which is not difficult or expensive to put right.

[simwood91]

Ok thanks - the smoke is whitish grey. Stops smoking in about 10 mins bit can still smell it at least an hour after (Not inside the van, just when I park up).
Have spoken to the 2nd mechanic again today to ask why he thinks can't find parts if I can find an engine and he said "it's not the right engine for the van". Which is confusing as I can't find in any of the history that it was replaced. When i asked him what engine it was he suggested rather vaguely that it must have been changed before importing from Lithuania. But he insisted it wasn't a Ford. So now I'm a bit more baffled and will be taking off to another next week armed with this half-information. I'm assuming that if he's correct and it is an "alien" engine then surely it can be identified.
Anyway thanks all again. Will update if I remember to.

[ned]

Here's an idea, post a picture of your engine and the brains on here will tell you if its a ford engine I find it very bizarre that a mechanic tells you its a rot box then says buy another engine, if its that rotten the advice should be buy another van, bloody mechanics.

White smoke is usually unburt fuel so would point to as said fuel timing out slightly or if fitted shafted glow plugs. N

[simwood91]

Yes i was rather puzzled by his "rot box" / replace the engine comment. The more I think about the whole exchange the more I think he was just fobbing me off and couldn't be bothered with the work.
Yes I'll try and post a photo tomorrow; away for the weekend and bad Wi-Fi where we're going so may be next week.