Maybe not rings, because there's nothing odd about the engine oil. Perhaps something in the injectors?

P.S. the Haydn alarm warned me each time the water had dropped to low, & the leak was the hose beneath the thermostat.

I've seen that it's possible to change the most suspect fuel pump seal without the need for a cam belt change. I haven't done this (unfortunately some years back a garage charged me a lot of money to do the latter without consulting me) but you should be able to find the technique with an internet s...

Cheers Bob. Seeing as it's almost 95% water now I shall have to do that again anyway!

To my immense relief I found a loose hose clamp. White smoke is most likely rings gummed from the oil, which should be fixed with steam.

P.s. removing the header tank cap there is only normal pressure and though the water is low it's clean, not boiling.

My old 96 Freda 2.5 TD starts beautifully and performs well.... No loss of power even up very steep mountains, though the coolant gauge will climb high and then drop again on the flat. Engine temperature is good (I have a digital readout of a sensor mounted in between 2&3 at the head, it stays a...

Just a few years on, prices have risen a bit eh? I'm very pleased to see the copper reducer job, had thought of doing something similar but was unsure that solder would hold out under the heat. Has anyone used microbore to replicate the gearbox pipe? I'm being lazy with the gearbox pipe, light wire...

Update on this, I found advice to soak the resin in methylated spirits overnight. Whether this helped, or I found extra grunt due to Teenmal's warning, I don't know, but I got the valve out. The best part of £50 for a replacement when a very similar item for a Landover comes in at less than £8 baulk...

Just a few years on, prices have risen a bit eh? I'm very pleased to see the copper reducer job, had thought of doing something similar but was unsure that solder would hold out under the heat.
Has anyone used microbore to replicate the gearbox pipe?

Fair enough - but I'm afraid the last person who repaired it allowed epoxy to gather around the hex at the base, I must have put about 50lb/ft of pressure on it and it doesn't budge... Another repair attempt may be my best option!

Cheers, yes that's what it looks like. I wonder if I can put a smear of silicone in the recess and glue it back on with some epoxy - it seems that is what it was like before.
Has to be worth a try at the price of a new one!
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[img]https://flic.kr/p/2gnL3kf/img] The wire had come loose from what the lush diagrams tell me is a magnet valve, on the rear of the diesel pump. Not very accessible, but I gently prised the rubber boot off and put an 8mm spanner on the top nut. A small crack was heard. The hollow nut underneath is...

Very many thanks both. This device works as it should. The plastic was so loose in the base that I expected it to be shot, sealed it with araldite and then ordered another one anyway! Ah well, it's a spare...

Thank you very much Geoff! Could save me a lot of time getting scalded and re-bleeding.