Retroanaconda Posted July 5, 2014 Share Posted July 5, 2014 So there I was, servicing the car as we all do every 6,000 miles, and I thought I'd take the top off the boost compensator on the FIP just to have a look - as the car has been feeling a bit flat lately. A little bit of engine oil dribbled out, which I presume had made its way along the pipe from the turbo, but I was quite surprised to find that I couldn't compress the diaphragm in at all - nor would it pull out. I decided this was worth further investigation so undid the nut on top of the plunger shaft and took the diaphragm and it's associated gubbins off. I marked the end of the shaft first so I had a reference for re-assembly. I was then greeted with this: The plunger shaft (which has the eccentric cone on the bottom) was completely seized solid - as is the star wheel. Some WD-40 and appropriate force has enabled me to free off the shaft so that now I can spin it and move it up and down about 10mm - but it will still not pull out. Some reading up has suggested to me that this is because it's caught on the pin at the bottom of the cone, so I'm guessing the pin is seized in a partially out position in its bore and will not retract enough to release the cone. I buggered about with this for a couple of hours, trying to no avail to remove the plunger shaft. I even removed the throttle lever to get access to and remove the plug behind it so that I could apply WD-40 to the back of the pin - but no luck. I need the vehicle tomorrow to drive down south with a trailer on so this is mildly inconvenient to say the least! With that in mind I thought sod it I'll put it back together how it was and deal with the issue later - it has presumably been like this for some time by the looks of the corrosion so I shouldn't have any problem as the car was still perfectly driveable as it was. Unfortunately this was not to be. Once re-assembled with the plunger shaft in the same position as it was before (albeit now able to move in-out freely rather than being stuck) the car doesn't run properly. I can start it and it idles absolutely fine, but if you try and apply throttle the revs pick up really slowly and there's no power there. I can barely pull away from a standstill without stalling it. Seems like fuel starvation but what I'm wondering is... is this something that I've screwed up in the FIP while fiddling around or is it something to do with the fuel filter change I've just done? I've left the car running to see if it's an issue with the fuel filter having a big airlock in it or something - hopefully that's all it is! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daan Posted July 5, 2014 Share Posted July 5, 2014 I would wind the star screw in as far as possible and see what that does. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vulcan bomber Posted July 5, 2014 Share Posted July 5, 2014 Moving the star wheel will do nothing. It sounds to me like you've got the throttle lever in the wrong place on its splines. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Retroanaconda Posted July 6, 2014 Author Share Posted July 6, 2014 Star wheel is very seized anyway so won't budge! I am fairly sure the throttle lever is back on in the right place, the car idles correctly and as it did before so it must be right? I lined it up with the reference marks on the lever so it could be 180 degrees out I guess but I don't think that's possible in terms of how far the spindle can rotate? I drove it to work in order to pick up my van to travel in today and the symptoms make for a frustrating drive to say the least! It has very little oomph, I can eventually get up to about 40mph but no more and the slightest incline means dropping right back to 20-ish. There is also no turbo response whatsoever, no noise or feel of it spinning up. I removed the new air filter for a few miles to eliminate that as an issue, but it didn't have any effect other than making it really noisy! Gonna speak to Diesel Bob on Monday about getting a recon injection pump. Will teach me to fiddle! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muddy Posted July 6, 2014 Share Posted July 6, 2014 I would fill the pump with diesel and see if it frees anything up, it's possible you have bent the fuel pin? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lynall Posted July 7, 2014 Share Posted July 7, 2014 Mine went like that and was due to water getting in the rear via that stupid rubber breather set up, utter **** ides on an off road vehicle! Luckily mine freed off and greased up been fine since. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirtyninety Posted July 8, 2014 Share Posted July 8, 2014 Have a good pump here for £80. The fuel pin of the bosch VE pump should be quite heavily greased as its not lubricated by diesel etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Retroanaconda Posted July 8, 2014 Author Share Posted July 8, 2014 I would fill the pump with diesel and see if it frees anything up, it's possible you have bent the fuel pin? I am told the pin is pretty sturdy but I guess it's possible! Have a good pump here for £80. The fuel pin of the bosch VE pump should be quite heavily greased as its not lubricated by diesel etc. That might be a good plan, cheers. What mileage has it done? And whereabouts in the country are you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Retroanaconda Posted July 15, 2014 Author Share Posted July 15, 2014 Limped the car back from work to home this afternoon, no change while it's been sat for a week. Starts and idles absolutely fine, but moving off is very difficult. Had to use low range to start with, once I'd been driving for a few miles I could start off in the normal gears - so it's getting access to a bit more fuel by that point but still very little power and no turbo activity. One thought that had crossed my mind was the lift pump, there has been a loud ticking coming from the engine in recent weeks - I had presumed it was the tappets but driving back this afternoon I realised it could be a failing lift pump that happened to die right during my service. However slackening the banjo union on the top of the injection pump and pumping the prime lever on the lift pump gives a good squirt of fuel - starting the engine with it slackened resulted in a sizeable puddle on the floor by the time I rushed back to turn it off! So I'm fairly confident the injection pump is getting a good supply of fuel - which means the lift pump and filter are OK. This leaves the injection pump itself really, currently weighing up the offer from dirtydiesel above for a 2nd-hand Disco 200Tdi pump - or £200-300 for a recon Defender one from Diesel Bob or the like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CwazyWabbit Posted July 15, 2014 Share Posted July 15, 2014 ..... currently weighing up the offer from dirtydiesel above for a 2nd-hand Disco 200Tdi pump - or £200-300 for a recon Defender one from Diesel Bob or the like. You mean dirtyninety Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Retroanaconda Posted July 15, 2014 Author Share Posted July 15, 2014 I do, well spotted! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Retroanaconda Posted July 19, 2014 Author Share Posted July 19, 2014 Well, the injection pump has been removed ready for the 2nd hand one from dirtyninety to arrive. All things being well I will hopefully get it back together early next week once I have some new gaskets and copper washers etc. Just hope it all works OK once reassembled. Once it is up and running again I will get the original pump reconditioned when I can spare the cash to do so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Retroanaconda Posted July 20, 2014 Author Share Posted July 20, 2014 I decided to take the injection pump apart again on the bench this time and have another go at freeing it up. With it upright I was able to fill the aneroid cavity completely with WD-40 while working the plunger up and down. I also took the throttle arm off again and removed the plug at the back of the fuel pin. I decided to get a bit rougher with it after reading a thread on the subject from Maverick, so tapped the back of the lever/pin with a punch and hammer a bit harder than I did when in the car. To my surprise this moved it inwards slightly, then using the cone I was able to pull up on the plunger shaft and push the pin back again. Bit more lube and did this a few times and hey presto the thing finally came out! Was a bit rusty so cleaned it up, the witness mark was quite obvious where the pin had been riding over time so no issues with getting it back in the right position. Through pushing the fuel pin back and forth from both sides and applying lube I managed to free it up so it moved as intended. At this point I decided to reinstall the pump in the car - all it could cost me would be a bit of time. So I did so and plumbed it all back up and surprise surprise it all works fine! Car seems to be back to its normal self, plenty of power (for a 200Tdi at least...) So I'm soon to have a spare fuel pump! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CwazyWabbit Posted July 20, 2014 Share Posted July 20, 2014 That'll save you a few quid in petrol for the series Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mo Murphy Posted July 20, 2014 Share Posted July 20, 2014 Good news James, an excellent result Mo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
schoolboy_vet Posted March 21, 2016 Share Posted March 21, 2016 I decided to take the injection pump apart again on the bench this time and have another go at freeing it up. With it upright I was able to fill the aneroid cavity completely with WD-40 while working the plunger up and down. I also took the throttle arm off again and removed the plug at the back of the fuel pin. I decided to get a bit rougher with it after reading a thread on the subject from Maverick, so tapped the back of the lever/pin with a punch and hammer a bit harder than I did when in the car. To my surprise this moved it inwards slightly, then using the cone I was able to pull up on the plunger shaft and push the pin back again. Bit more lube and did this a few times and hey presto the thing finally came out! Was a bit rusty so cleaned it up, the witness mark was quite obvious where the pin had been riding over time so no issues with getting it back in the right position. Through pushing the fuel pin back and forth from both sides and applying lube I managed to free it up so it moved as intended. At this point I decided to reinstall the pump in the car - all it could cost me would be a bit of time. So I did so and plumbed it all back up and surprise surprise it all works fine! Car seems to be back to its normal self, plenty of power (for a 200Tdi at least...) So I'm soon to have a spare fuel pump! RetroAnaconda i don't suppose you've still got the spare 200tdi fuel pump hanging about? im in need of one for my daily driver i know this post was nearly 2 years ago but worth a shot Ollie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Retroanaconda Posted March 21, 2016 Author Share Posted March 21, 2016 Ollie, That pump that I 'fixed' subsequently started leaking and so the spare pump I had ordered went away to get reconditioned and is now on the car. So I do have a spare pump however it leaks from the breather at the back of the boost compensator housing so in all likelihood needs rebuilding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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