LX490...black oily drops from exhaust

[Tried and True]

First post here, but I've been lurkin' for a while......................

Anyhoo.....I have a LX490 I bought new a few years back. I now have around 250 hrs on her. I was just out plowin/blowin snow (at -12* :nowhen I noticed a smell from the exhaust. Kind of an old used motor oil smell, not the normal diesel smell. I then noticed drips of black goo comin' outa the exhaust pipe. This is the first I noticed it. I'm wondering if I'm not running the unit hard enough(gettin up to temp) and also idling a little too much. Maybe causing a wet stacking situation? Not burning all of the fuel? I did notice the coolant burp tank was on the low end. I topped it off and will keep an eye on it. Oil level is also fine. Any one see this issue? TIA

 

[Raised on a Deere]

Hummm My first thought was just what you diagnosed but I have no idea how cold and how much idling would do that . I have seen diesels get pretty nasty under those conditions but initially it should clear up quickly if this has not been allowed to happen too often, just give it a bit of real work, high rpm under a good load.

But the other thing to look for is the turbo shaft seals. As the seals start leaking crankcase oil is spewed into the intake and burned and a bad leak will cause a run away engine. Can't be shut down except by cutting off the air intake.

In really cold weather I don't know how a turbo seal that is beginning to leak would manifest itself in a light load or idling situation. For sure you are going to get some smells, smoke and perhaps dripping crud.

Another thought is a dripping injector, allowing extra unatomized fuel to get in there after spray cycle completed. Sometimes this will clear up with work and som good diesel additives. Other times it will cause a burned piston.

Hope by now you have this behind you but keep an eye out.


BTW you can check for turbo seal leakage by looking inside the intake between turbo and intake manifold.

 

[Tried and True]

I've ran 'er hard the last week. The drips have cleared up and the exhaust smells like diesel again:cloud9: instead of stinky old burnt oil................:yuck:

 

[Raised on a Deere]

I used to cover the radiator about 2/3 on my 94 dodge Cummings diesel to keep it from having problems is subzero weather (when I lived in KY) especially good when idling in road accident traffic jams. Just gotta watch out for overheating on warmer afternoons etc. point is diesels need to work to stay warm in really cold weather and you can help it in various ways.

 

[Bavarian]

A plugged crankcase breather filter can cause some oil smell in the exhaust gases but usually no oil dripping off.
Seems to be all good again at your end. Good luck