200tdi is too slow !

Hi i have just replaced my rotten 300tdi defender with an 200 tdi pickup with a sound chassis, however it has a disappointing lack of power ! and i can only reach 70 when my old one would do 80 how can i make it faster i have heard about tweeking the fuel pump can i do this and how? refurbishing the turbo ? any ideas ?

First things first, give it a good service and just follow a few routine checks & procedures:-

- New engine oil (I'd suggest Millers Semi-Synthetic 10/40)
- New oil filter
- New fuel filter (fill with Millers Diesel Treatment)
- New air filter
- New axle oils
- New gearbox / transfer box oils
- Remove and thoroughly clean intercooler
- Check air intake hoses are not split or delaminated (they'll suck flat otherwise)
- Check plastic pipe between turbo and injection pump is not split / kinked

Then, jack it up and check that all four wheels are spinning freely with no play in the bearings (if there's play, the wheel will stiffen up once it has taken the weight of your 90). Also check that the handbrake drum is not sticking. If you want to give it a little more fuel, the simplest and the most effective adjustment you can make is as follows:

1) Remove four top most bolts that hold aneroid cover down on injection pump
2) Mark diaphragm in relation to pump body so you can set it back should you need to
3) Rotate diaphragm through 360 degrees and then pull it up and out of its recess (don't loose the spring or the nylon washer)
4) Take a look at the position of the eccentric cone on the underside of the diaphragm

A fuel pin comes out from the front of the injection pump and touches the cone on the bottom of the diaphragm. Depending on how you have the diaphragm positioned (i.e. through 360 degrees), the pin can move out further from the front of the pump (bumper side) towards the back of the pump (steering wheel side) and give more fuel.

5) Re-insert the diaphragm into the pump so that the fuel pin can come further out of its recess
6) Bolt everything back and give it a try

-Tom

Might have to try that myself as I'm going from a tuned 90 V8 to a standard 200Tdi. Ive only driven the 200 once, from the seller straight to the garage for some big time welding. Skin and rice pudding comes to mind. I think I'm gonna be in for a shock once I start driving it properly.

Medusa said:

Might have to try that myself as I'm going from a tuned 90 V8 to a standard 200Tdi. Ive only driven the 200 once, from the seller straight to the garage for some big time welding. Skin and rice pudding comes to mind. I think I'm gonna be in for a shock once I start driving it properly.

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Have you got a thing for rice puddin or what

*minty* said:

Have you got a thing for rice puddin or what

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Hahaha, check FB now.

Medusa said:

Hahaha, check FB now.

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Check out in the discovery section: sluggish disco not any more, has a good write up on how to tweak the pump

Medusa said:

Might have to try that myself as I'm going from a tuned 90 V8 to a standard 200Tdi. Ive only driven the 200 once, from the seller straight to the garage for some big time welding. Skin and rice pudding comes to mind. I think I'm gonna be in for a shock once I start driving it properly.

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They're not half bad if you get them setup properly and they will shift. If you really want to make sure it's in good form, do a leakage and a compression test to check that the engine's a good 'un and then get your injectors refurbished (~£250 at a diesel specialists). Never discount the difference that a good set of injectors makes, I speak from experience . You might also consider getting your injection pump rigged up on a test bench to make sure that it's working to it's full potential. They usually only need a little bit of attention around the distributor head and a really good clean and re-seal if things aren't quite up to scratch. It's mainly springs and valve seats that wear causing problems but if it's anything more than that, it's going to cost you big money. Then of course you can go into adjusting your fuelling to a much further extent. Rotate the diaphragm with the standard fuel pin in place to allow maximum travel of the governor fuel pin or fit a bulldog pin or the likes from America to allow much further travel of the governor pin and much more aggressive fuelling at a specified boost pressure. Adjust the preload on the spring that sits beneath the diaphragm (by means of rotating star wheel clock-wise or anti-clockwise depending on what you want) to adjust where abouts the extra fuelling kicks in in correlation to boost (main thing to consider in adjusting your acceleration curve). You can also adjust the smoke screw on top of the pump beneath the tamper cap to pre-set the default height of the eccentric cone to give more fuel at less boost and that's before you've even touched the overall fuel adjustment screw Fit a bigger variable vane turbo, a full size intercooler and christ, you've got a rocket but it won't go any faster than about 93mph! It'll just accelerate like a bullet. The fuel economy is much greater too obviously... If you like your V8's, why not try and source a Perkins or a Detroit V8 diesel and make that fit? DROOOOL....

-Tom

I fitted an Allard full size intercooler, modified pump and turbo to mine. Dynoed at 145bhp!!! It still does 34mpg and goes like stink.

Now that it is being rebuilt after being hydrolocked it will have new rings and the bores honed as well as the valves lapped so it will be interesting to see if there is any difference.

Cheers POS. I'm gonna look into that once its on the road. Its only done 92K genuine miles the engine runs sweet so might be perfect for a little tune up.

Medusa said:

Cheers POS. I'm gonna look into that once its on the road. Its only done 92K genuine miles the engine runs sweet so might be perfect for a little tune up.

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Providing it's had regular oil changes that'll be run in nicely after another 15K! Mine was advertised as having 75K but I took it out of a Rangie Classic that had done over 200K! That said, I've tested it and compression is spot on and leakage is pretty much non-existent. It's still got cross hatching visible in the bores too

Great engines
-Tom