Club 80-90 Forums

Just a brief run down of whats going on,


The van was having trouble starting so I popped the engine lid off and had a look. I noticed that the clear fuel pipe from the filter to the pump had air bubbles in it and on closer inspection the pipe had gone brittle and had what looked like a small split where one of the unions plugged into the end of it. When I bent the pipe it just split right off. I then went down the motor factors with the clear pipe and they gave me a length of black quarter inch rubber fuel line. I popped this on and it started up and has ran a dream.

I went to set off in the snow last night to The Peak District at 12.15 am and as I hit a bit of road I went to accelerate (first time at any speed over 40mph since I did the repair) and that was it with the peddle to the floor, it wouldnt go any faster.... It also lost the little power I had on hills too so I had to turn around and drive home. It was boosting OK on the gauge, just not going anywhere.

As it now has a black pipe I cant see if there are any bubbles in the line but this is what I am thinking.

1 Should I have tweeked off one of the injectors off as an air lock can happen?
2 Is the quarter inch pipe to big/small?
3 Could it just be a blocked fuel filter and I just happened to have a small split in the fuel line as well?


Just looking for a starting point or a list of things I can work through to get this sorted. It seems to drive ok until I get to 36mph then not much more after that in fourth. It seems to rev ok in neutral too, am I right in thinking fuel starvation?

jed

Is it reving freely or just does it when driving along ? ie under load ?
could be that the 'new' pipe is collapsing under load.
Has your van got a filter ? could need the water bleeding off

I'd try getting some different pipe and try again

If it's happening under load then you've still got some air trapped and giving it the beans won't help. It could be a bubble in the top of the fuel filter or as you said, crack one injector at a time at idle to purge the lines.
See I do know something about diesels

T'Onion wrote:Is it reving freely or just does it when driving along ? ie under load ?
could be that the 'new' pipe is collapsing under load.
Has your van got a filter ? could need the water bleeding off

I'd try getting some different pipe and try again

Its only hitting 40mph tops, their just isnt anything else there when the peddle ids to the metal. The black pipe I replaced it with is a rubber fuel hose so more flexible. Never thought about the 'new' pipe is collapsing under load. Seems strange its happend since I changed it. I thought the old one was brittle through age, I guess it is hard for a reason?

Nice one Mark I will give it a go.

jed

silverbullet wrote:If it's happening under load then you've still got some air trapped and giving it the beans won't help. It could be a bubble in the top of the fuel filter or as you said, crack one injector at a time at idle to purge the lines.
See I do know something about diesels

I am going to make a start in a bit

jed

Definitely worth trying a filter change. (any idea how old the filter is?)
Have you still got the piece of clear pipe you took off? can you stick it back on to test the pipe collapsing theory?

v-lux wrote:Definitely worth trying a filter change. (any idea how old the filter is?)
Have you still got the piece of clear pipe you took off? can you stick it back on to test the pipe collapsing theory?

I chucked the plastic pipe as it was shagged and kept splitting when I tried to pop the union on.

I am going to try the injector thing now, then if that doesnt work, I will grab a new fuel filter and see if I can buy some clear diesel pipe from somewhere. Its really snowy here so doubt I will be able to get it up to 40mph to test it GRRRRR...

jed

Is it a std. JX filter setup?

The return feed through the clip on the filter can be a source of air I was told (by the diesel experts AS/SB)
Change the filter and connect that return up carefully.

Bleed it

I am not sure how rigid that filter to pump feed pipe needs to be, but the suction pump in the IP will tend to collapse a weak walled feed pipe - just depends how thick and stiff that new pipe really is... ?

Think best to source a hard clear plastic feed pipe if at all possible.

But there are others in the club who would be better to ask...

Just bled it and drove up the hill round the corner from me, It is leaning towards fuel starvation I would say. It conked out on the hill after loosing power, wouldnt start then after cranking over abit it fired up and was fine on the down hill and on the flat back to the house. I am going to change the filter as I undid the water drain off on the bottom and some interesting looking liquid came out. I dont have the filter housing with the return on but I filled up on tesco Diesel yesterday too saying that I bet it ends up being the pipe. Thanks for the moral support and info so far fellas very valuable in times like these.



jed

Jed, I've just changed my clear pipe for black rubber, I have no issues with that at all, and like you, in the past I have had the same issue of the no power, turned out to be the filter...

Hope this helps

Yep it was the bloody filter.....

I emptied out the old one on the white snow, take a butchers at this,



What the blithering heck I thought when looking through the bits of moss in with the contents of the fuel filter, then the penny dropped I remember putting some fuel from a jerry can in the van from the Syncro Wales weekend and how one of my "chums" had stuffed moss in my filler nozzle

On the upside my van has tones more power now

Thanks for your help chaps

jed

so what are you planning now ?

Isaac has started to puke his ring up This weekend is doomed The main reason I wanted to come up North is so Dave could fit my alarm today but he cant now so there isnt much point especially as Louise will need a lift with the little un now. I might go Greenlaning this weekend instead.

jed

jed the spread wrote:Yep it was the bloody filter.....

Hi Jed .... Id change the filter

Seriously though it gets forgotten on a diesel and should be changed every 10,000 miles or 12 months. I always put a date sticker on mine so I know when to change it largely because Im old and senile ....

I once had a similar problem on a Type 2 petrol. I decided to change the pipe (I forget why) and bought a new black rubber pipe, a proper fuel pipe. I drove about ten miles and came to a halt. Wait a while and it would restart run a mile or so and stop. Finally traced to faulty rubber pipe, even though new from a good supplier. A flap of rubber hung down internally and would block the pipe from time to time. We cut the pipe open to find this. May be worth a new pipe.

Malcolm