90 TD Engine Problems !!!

Hi All,

As title having trouble with my 90 TD (1987) recently purchased as a cheap run about while I get round to doing the head gasket on my TD5 Disco

Been running fine for the the last month but yesterday started to loose power on the way home from work ( 2 mile run ) felt like it was running on 3 cylinders.

Managed to limp home but had to floor the accelerator pedal or it would stall also the temperature rose quite hight but not in the red.

Thinking it was the timing that had slipped (did the belt and tensioner 2 weeks ago) i stripped off the timing cover but that seems to be ok. Also checked the lift pump and that seems to be working ok. Oil and water levels both as normal too. No unusual noises either.

Any suggestions on what to check next, would a faulty injector cause the engine to loose all power ?

Cheers, Dave

change the fuel filter before you start taking it all apart again

Sean said:

change the fuel filter before you start taking it all apart again

Click to expand...

Yep just taken the fuel filter off, what a mess had totally collapsed and broken in to several pieces. Will fit a new one tomorrow and try again.

Typical did a service including timing belt, diff and gear oils but never got round to changing the fuel filter.

Well back to the drawing board, done the fuel filter no change.
Takes about 30 seconds of cranking and it fires but soon dies and won't tick over. Used to start first turn of the key with 10 secs of heaters.
If i hold the accelerator to the floor it will rev roughly but dies as soon as i release.

Hoping to borrow a compression tester tomorrow just to eliminate any errors with valves and pistons.. What a pain in the arse only just filled the damn thing up with fuel too

One consolation dropped a bottle of k-seal in my td5, that seams to have cured the head gasket leak for the time being. Well I hope so while i get sorted..

Sounds like you've got a blocked fuel pipe somewhere try blowing them all out with an airline. Could be bits of the old filter in there.

Will give it a go, cracked off one of the injector pipes and seems to be loads of fuel getting through.. will check the other 3 just to be sure.. thanks

I had this exactly problem, the problem is air, the Lucas CAV cannot cope with even the slightest bit of air. It was the union between the filter housing and pipe to the IP.

I made up new lines in the end because I could not get the old unions to seal, even with PTFE.

When it gets to the stage where you are completely and utterly fed up with it its time to just replace all the lines. £10 for a new filter head, £10 for new unions with hose barbs (1/2-20 UNF FOR 8MM HOSE I.D) and about £10 for a few meters of fuel line (capable of suction and delivery).

It doesn't take long at all, and once you bleed the system away you go.

Don't start this engine with the throttle down, it disengages the cold start system (which also advances the timing slightly).

forget PTFE tape go to a plumbers supplies and get some bosswhite jointing compound it gives a better seal than PTFE.