200TDI engine cuts out when reving

I have an old Defender with 200TDI from a younger model. Has been running perfect for 12 months until recently felt engine fade for a second or two and pick up again. At weekend this worsened and engine cut-out; starts easily each time and idles well, but when revving engine fades and cuts out. If I ease back quicklyI can prevent cut out and it idles very lumpy and eventually recovers but cuts out again if revved again.
Tank is brand new, fuel is clean. Filter is clean and fuel at injectors when idling.
No adverse turbo noise and no pipes damaged or loose.
What should be course of action to find problem quickly and without replacing parts that are not causing problems?

Help!
Rob145

sticky fuel solenoid

souds like air in system ,its worth putting clear pipe in between front pump banjo and filter

jamesmartin said:

souds like air in system ,its worth putting clear pipe in between front pump banjo and filter

Click to expand...

could be lift pump or leak off pipes

Sean, Jamesmartin, Landowner,
Thanks for your suggestions, I'll spend some time chasing the system from the tank. very frustrating when it has been perfect for some time. There was more smoke than normal when started prior to this episode and does seem to have more top engine knocking noise than normal too.

Rob145

If you pull the pipe of the cyclone breather when its hot does smoke come out? Thats whats happening with my tdi, it had same issues as your describing but the revving/lumpy running/stalling got better after I changed the filter, and cleared almost totally after just making it rev-run lumpy-stall a few times.. Now its throwing smoke out the breather when hot, after this it was not revving to full throttle, it would get close but then it would start hesitating and throwing blue smoke out the exhaust.. It also seems to be tapping from the top end, which it wasnt doing before this whole thing flared up. I keep meaning to check the valve clearances, but as it rarely gets used, it isn't a huge priority for me.

Hi GasFiredDisco,
Sounds like some similar indications, did you mean change the air or fuel filter? I have looked at both and neither appear to be the cause.
This model doesn't have the fuel sedimenter.

Thanks
Rob145

Hi GasFiredDisco,
Just thought, did you mean you changed the engine breather filter?

Cheers
Rob145

changing engine breather (cyclone ) wont help either you have poor fuel delivery to injection pump ie lift pump or sucking in air ,wont be visible sign of this type of leak necessarily,clear pipe in front delivery to injection pump lets you know how good feed is under different conditons ie idle to high revs, this could also be worn injector pump,injectors etc but most likely feed to pump ,heavy breathing out of filler cap or cyclone is usualy down to poor bores and rings,engine worn out

Rob145 said:

Hi GasFiredDisco,
Sounds like some similar indications, did you mean change the air or fuel filter? I have looked at both and neither appear to be the cause.
This model doesn't have the fuel sedimenter.

Thanks
Rob145

Click to expand...

Rob145 said:

Hi GasFiredDisco,
Just thought, did you mean you changed the engine breather filter?

Cheers
Rob145

Click to expand...

No i changed the fuel filter and it did make a difference on mine

jamesmartin said:

changing engine breather (cyclone ) wont help either you have poor fuel delivery to injection pump ie lift pump or sucking in air ,wont be visible sign of this type of leak necessarily,clear pipe in front delivery to injection pump lets you know how good feed is under different conditons ie idle to high revs, this could also be worn injector pump,injectors etc but most likely feed to pump ,heavy breathing out of filler cap or cyclone is usualy down to poor bores and rings,engine worn out

Click to expand...

Looks like i'm going to be getting me a diesel compression tester then.. don't think the one I got for my old motocross bike will work too great .. Cheers

Same symptoms as my 300tdi csw, £40ish for a pattern part lift pump and all better. Try the little operating arm on the bottom of the pump, should feel like it's pumping, if it sounds squishy or rock solid, flick the engine over (to get the pumps operating cam in a different position) and try pumping again. Still no joy? Stick on a pump, just watch those brass olives, they can be a bit fiddley.

Thanks all,
I'll report back when I've had a chance to get back to it!

Rob145