Leaking injector pump - a cautionary tale

[KevR]

A few hours before setting off on a 1000 mile round trip back to UK for new year, filled up with diesel and noticed fuel dripping from under the car. Got home, and it turned out the small weep from around the throttle spindle on the injector pump had turned into something more serious. Whipped the top off the pump, changed the O-rings (and added an extra one in the middle groove where there previously hadn't been one). Then spent ages hunting down the spring from the cold start mechanism which had pinged off due to the rubber bellows that should contain it having perished. All back together, leak gone! This is a Roto Diesel pump btw (although I thought 'til I took it apart it was a Bosch one..). I can look up the O-ring sizes if it's of use to anyone.

Test drive, all good but need to set tickover. Back in garage, and suddenly it's gushing coolant everywhere. Closer inspection shows one of the hoses to the oil filter cooler has failed big time. Once removed it's clear the weep from the pump has been dripping on these hoses and degraded the rubber which has swollen and lost all strength. I must have disturbed it while fiddling with the pump and it had just disintegrated. Rummaged around and found some secondhand hoses from the scrapper, all back together just in time to leave for the ferry. Did the trip no problem, no fuel or water leaks, very happy, but also very aware that the hose could have gone at any time prior to that and it was just luck that made it pop at a moment when I could easily fix it.
So, new hoses on the shopping list, but it also occurred to me that if I carried a short bit of 16mm metal tube and a couple of suitable jubilee clips, I'd be in a position to splice those two hoses together in an emergency and temporarily bypass the cooler. This would also work in the event of heater matrix or hose failure.

The main point is though- next oil change, check those hoses. They're hard to get at and even harder to see, but once the oil filter is off you can use a 27mm socket to undo the oil filter mounting, which is all that holds the cooler in place. Once it's free, it's easy enough to drop the cooler far enough to get at it easily. In fact I found it easier still to remove it altogether, clean it up, fit the new hoses while it was off the car, then refit the cooler.

[mat_fenwick]

it also occurred to me that if I carried a short bit of 16mm metal tube and a couple of suitable jubilee clips, I'd be in a position to splice those two hoses together in an emergency and temporarily bypass the cooler. This would also work in the event of heater matrix or hose failure.

I carry a couple of solder ring plumbing fittings (15 & 22mm) for this very purpose - very cheap and the ring gives good grip even if the hose is slightly oversize. I've carried these ever since I had a hose fail on my first car and had to drive back very gingerly with a dry engine. It would appear they are also some kind of good luck charm, as I've never needed them since!

[themildbunch]

that's good advice..

The oil cooler hoses for the TD are still available about £17 or so each... Both mine have perished too with small crack marks where they connect but don't leak yet and I keep meaning to get around to doing them.