Fuel pressure regulator replacement - my 10 cents

[Anglo-Frenchman]

After enduring several months of the stench of diesel from my Discovery and the usual drips on the garage floor I decided to grasp the nettle and get on with the job. I preparation I carefully read a very helpful article ( that I found on the interweb which suggested that the job, whilst fiddly was possible to accomplish in an hour. I beg to differ.

I should state that whilst not a professional mechanic, I have done engine swaps, gearbox replacements, converted my V8 110 from manual to auto and installed an lpg system so I do know one end of a torque wrench from the other. I confess that replacing the FPR on my Disco was one of the most horrendous jobs I have ever tackled on any vehicle. To say that the wretched thing is inaccessible is the undertatement of the year. It's buried almost out of sight between the engine block and the cooler. The top two bolts are easy enough to remove but the bottom one is only really accessible by touch and you have to feed the ratchet and the extension bar though the various pipes separately and then try to reconnect them out of sight and then locate the head of the bolt by feel.

The article makes light of disconnecting the 'quick release fuel pipe connections' but this is actually a real pain in the a*se if you don't know that the one buried under the cooler will only come apart if you push the two parts of the connector towards eachother before pulling apart. I was there for near 45 minutes tryinmg to figure that out before having a Eureka moment.

Once the FPR is actually out of the vehicle, reassembly is reasonably straight forward however trying to reinastall the unit with the thin metal gasket requires three hands and arms with UJs for elbows and about 2" in diameter. The above article talks about replacing the metal gauze filter set into the side of the block under the FPR- Forget it. You can barely see it let alone take it out and my advice is leave well alone.

Having replaced the FPR and run the vehicle, it seems that the work has been largely successful. I have however noticed that there is now a very slight weep of fuel from the union between the rubber and metal portions of the pipe in the attached photo. I must have forced the pipe while trying to keep it out of the way during the work. If anyone knows the part number of this pipe then please let me know as I'll want to order another from the UK.

In summary - IMHO, replacing the FPR is an absolute b*tch. Having done it once, it would probably be easier 2nd time around but I'd want to wait until the bruising and lacerations on my forearms from contorting them into unimaginable positions have subsided before tacking it again anytime soon!

[rovernut]

I would 100% agree with you on this. The job is a nightmare.

However, if you are tackling the same job on a Defender it is a breeze being on the side of the engine.

Have done both and still carry the scars from the Disco experience.

[RedLineMike]

Easy peasy, don't know what your moaning about

[Anglo-Frenchman]

Easy peasy, don't know what your moaning about

Ha ha - love your optimism. Not sure that I'd put it in the 'easy peasy' catagory but thanks anyway. Loving the fact that my garage doesn't smell like a garage forecourt anymore though.

[Anderzander]

I've only done it on a Defender - but the 1/4" drive with flexible knuckle helped a lot.

[V8CAMEL]

To get the fiddly gasket and bolts in put the bolts.fpr and gadket together then put a rubber band around the bolts so that it stops gasket from falling off

Get all three bolts started and then cut rubber band and it will fall off

[Anglo-Frenchman]

To get the fiddly gasket and bolts in put the bolts.fpr and gadket together then put a rubber band around the bolts so that it stops gasket from falling off

Get all three bolts started and then cut rubber band and it will fall off

That's a really great tip - wish I'd thought of that at the time!

[steve_a]

Tips, some obvious and not all I learned at the time for the discover.

1/ move the radiator reservoir out the way while working on the fuel cooler, access is a lot easier all of a sudden (this was a doh moment for me)

2/ don't do it the way stated

I tried to do it as stated and I struggled with rounding of bolts, rubbish access. I got it off but was unhappy to put it back on, so I removed the manifold.

If I had just removed the manifold then I reckon:

1/ 15 mins remove the fuel cooler, completely, may replace the o rings if it hasn't been done?

2/ 15 mins remove the manifold

3/ replace lower right bolt with stud for fuel cooler on manifold (this makes it so easy to put the pipe clip back in place and sort it out)

4/ 10 mins replace FPR including the pipe that is leaking for you.

5/ 30 mins to get manifold back on, I found it a pain to get to everything going back on

6/ 5 mins to get cooler back on

I do have more room, because the EGR is removed, along with all the gubbins at the side, but if/when I do it again, I'm just going to do it this way as it's less stress and timescale is a lot more certain.

Vital tool is an actual pipe clip clamp, like these on http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/141491616702, they make those things not too bad to deal with, without them, forget about it.

[Shackleton]

Here here. I've done it twice - I'll put it this way; the second time I went straight for taking off the inlet manifold.