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Tdi fuel pump spacer


Anderzander

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Have you seen this being sold by Glenn Coyne?  Could anyone explain how it works to me?

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F302638786449

from the advert:

Quote
EXCLUSIVE TO GLENCOYNE ENGINEERING LTD
 
5mm fuel pump spacer, precision laser cut from aluminium.
 
Fits: 200TDi, 300TDi, 2.5 NA and TD (12J / 19J) with cast aluminium pump mounting plate. Defender, Discovery, Range Rover Classic.  To fit fuel pumps ERR5057 or ETC7869.
 
As many people have found out, the later (1986 onwards) mechanical fuel pumps fitted to many diesel Land Rovers have a tendency to snap their operating linkage.  On the older engines this will usually stop the vehicle pretty quickly, but TDi-engined Land Rovers will continue to run with a broken fuel pump, the only symptoms being slightly poorer cold starting and fuel starvation on long steep hills.  Often you do not find your fuel pump has failed until you change the fuel filter, try to prime the new filter using the priming lever and nothing happens.
 
The reason for this is that these pressed steel bodied pumps are operating right at the upper end of their travel, putting considerable strain on the linkage.  This is also the reason why you usually have to turn the engine by hand to find the one spot on the cam where the priming lever will actually operate.  The pump was originally designed to have a spacer (as shown in the Land Rover parts book) but very early in production some genius seems to have found that the spacer could be got rid of, saving a few pence on each vehicle. With one of my spacers fitted the pump will have a much longer life (I have seen a couple of these pumps where the operating arm itself has broken under the strain) and as a bonus the priming lever will operate regardless of camshaft position.
 
I have been meaning for some time to get some spacers made up.  There is a spacer in the fuel pump conversion kit STC1190 but it is 10mm thick which is a bit too much, and is not available on its own. Just before Christmas I had three Defenders in a row come into the workshop with broken pump linkages (two 200TDis and a 300TDi) so as my New Year's Resolution I created a CAD master drawing for a 5mm spacer and had a batch cut by a local firm.
 
Initially I am offering these spacers in "raw" form, just as they come off the machine.  This means they have a sharp burred edge on one side which will need taking off with a file.  You will need two gaskets ERR2028 (or use instant gasket) and two M8 x 35 bolts (the standard ones on the engine are M8 x 30).  I will make complete fitting kits available shortly.
 

 

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IIRC there are different length operating levers on fuel pumps, some are used with the 10mm spacer supplied with a new pump for non tdi engines, others have a shorter lever, 

I've never had a lever break or a pump fail to supply the FIP,  

only thing I can think of is this new spacer allows the working face of the lever to sit in a better position on the cam lobe. 

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I can assure you facet pumps aren't all that great either. Granted not lr or diesel but I went through 4 warranty replacements on my Marcos before I gave up and went over to an su pump. 

The manual pump I took off the 110 had a shorter plunger than the replacement (came with spacer). I tried it without checking it didn't bottom out but it wouldn't pump. Fitted the spacer and it worked correctly. My assumption is one pump will fit several engines just with different spacer to allow for cam throw.

Mike

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I have experienced a broken operating arm and countless lift pump failures. The spacer that comes with the kit normally is too thick for a Tdi and moves the arm away from the cam.

However, knowing Glencoynes experience, knowledge  and enthusiasm for things Tdi, I'd give it a go. Anything has got to be better than jacking a wheel up to turn the engine over to find the sweet spot allied with the blisters on your hands from where they rub on pipes as you frantically pump, turn the wheel and slowly lose the will to live.

Mo

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I got rid of the lift pump and fitted a facet pump , but that spacer that came in the britpart kit which was the last one I brought by mistake came in real handy , as it had a gasket glued to each end I used it behind the blanking plate I made to cover the lift pump hole up and I’ve had no leaks . At last something that britpart make that actually works :D .

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The bloke who sells these has his own business repairing LRs and writes a column for LRM. His column is a very good read!

He has noticed (like others have mentioned) that recent Tdi replacement fuel pumps seem to be breaking their operating levers more frequently. He mentioned that it seems to occur regardless of make. He reckons the levers are too long and therefore press too hard against the cam. He also has noticed that the priming lever seldom works as the pump is in effect, always partly engaged rather than fully relaxed.

I last changed my pump 15 years ago, but have noticed that the priming lever doesn't have much effect - unlike on the original pump. Never really a problem, as for a filter change, the engine would still run with the residual fuel in the FIP and the filter would fill before the FIP emptied out. However priming the fuel system after my rebuild was somewhat tedious regardless of the position of the cam.

Anyway I fitted one of the kits last wknd. The hex socket screws are certainly easier to do up than the original bolts even when using a wobble extension on them. The priming lever certainly is now far more effective with a decent squirt coming through rather than a dribble. 

I have no connection with the seller by the way.

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  • 1 year later...

Just replacing a lift pump in a TDI and found the replacement one from OEM was 3mm too long (60mm vs 57mm). As a result the only way to fit the pump was to have tension on the lever from the start thus limiting its action.

I suspect the finger primer effectiveness would also be impacted as it operates through the bottom half of the lever's action.

Trying to bend the thing would not be a good idea even with heat but I'm hoping the spacer would fix the issue.

Am now looking to machine up a spacer as getting one of these from the UK to OZ is over 2 weeks lead time, but if they had been readily available I would have jumped in for sure..

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