Aaargh not having much luck- now revs are dropping after 30m

[alexxb]

A while ago posted about a noisy engine - actually the great thing was it was just a fanbelt change needed - done that.

Felt good about loaning my bongo out to my brother for his trip to Devon. While it was in for the fanbelt though I had its sender replaced. Here is where my suspicions start.

Straight after getting it back from the garage - I drove it for about 30 mins fine and then got on a dual carriage way and hit around 50-60mph suddenly my revs just dropped away like a stone. So however much I pushed the accelerator down I could only get about 1000 revs out of it so coasted along till it was safe to stop.

After a couple of minutes - started again and it was fine for another 30 mins. Talking to the garage they suggested changing the reserve fuel filter - that was done, but it hasn't made any difference.

If I put it in neutral and put the accelerator down, it coughs and splutters at about 1500 revs.
However its intermittent so whenever I take it to the garage - typically its not doing it!

Help? Please? Any suggestions? My brother is now actually stuck down in Devon!

Alex

[dandywarhol]

did they clean the tiny filter in the diesel pump banjo?

Plenty info in search about it

[mikeonb4c]

Are there any pipe connections near where they might have been working. I seem to vaguely recall someone else had a problem like yours. Also, only yesterdy, RonHud split a pipe and had to repair it and someone else pointed out later it might affect engine running as it was important in instructing the pump on fuel delivery or summat. PM Ronhud (if he's not left for his hols yet) and do some searching on here (oh how I wish the valuable data on here was better filed). Good luck

[ronhud]

Re Mike's comments. Even with the broken pipe the Freda seemed to run ok (trip to motor factors) - now fitted a replacement pipe and its a bit nippier again.

The train of events that led to my broken pipe started with losing revs as you describe on Wed evening - fortunately about 100 yds from home. At the same time the hold and sedimentation lights came on. I sat there for a few minutes and she started up ok - no untoward lights. Now I had put half a tank of bio-diesel (not my usual veg oil mix but from a bio-diesel pump) in 2 days earlier so from reading on the forum I wondered if it had released sludge which had got into the banjo filter. So..... I tried to investigate and in reaching to the hex allen screw dislodged the small hose from the turbo to the fuel pump. I havent got to the banjo yet but all seems to be running well however I am going to get into it and clean after the weekend. So if you have put bio-diesel in before your prob maybe the banjo route is the way to go. I hope you post the outcome eventually.
Ron

[alexxb]

Yeah - was advised to check the turbo pipes, but everything looked ok. Its all very strange - I was thinking maybe something got dropped in the fuel tank when they changed the fuel sender.

However it maybe co-incidence, but my bro, pulled up and unscrewed the diesel cap a little after a reading a post about fuel breather being blocked. - May just be luck but fortunately he just managed to get to the wedding with 5 mins to spare - Has anyone heard of this? Sound plausible, or just a myth?

Alex

[oldgit]

Sounds like mine did, it was the small filter in the pump blocked.

[alexxb]

was told that the "secondary" fuel filter was replaced - is that the same thing as the pump (gauze) filter do you think?

Cheers

Alex

[Rhod]

I had something very similar on a Diahatsu Sportrak (petrol). It would die after a few miles, I'd get out, loosen the filler cap, there'd be a release of a vacuum & off we'd go again. Convinced that it was the vacuum forming in the tank that was at fault, I even drilled a new breather through the cap before it was eventually diagnosed by a local garage as a blocked fuel filter.
Rhod

[jgm]

However it maybe co-incidence, but my bro, pulled up and unscrewed the diesel cap a little after a reading a post about fuel breather being blocked. - May just be luck but fortunately he just managed to get to the wedding with 5 mins to spare - Has anyone heard of this? Sound plausible, or just a myth?

Alex

Yeah that could happen, I've got to weddings with minutes to spare before

I believe it is a possibility, I've certainly had a blocked tank breather on a bike, ran fine then gradually died as a vacuum built up, open the filler and repeat.

cheers

John

[Ralph]

It's not got the winter pack on as it and the button is in?
down by the right of the steering wheel as a pic of a engine
on it .

[Aethelric]

However it maybe co-incidence, but my bro, pulled up and unscrewed the diesel cap a little after a reading a post about fuel breather being blocked. - May just be luck but fortunately he just managed to get to the wedding with 5 mins to spare - Has anyone heard of this? Sound plausible, or just a myth?

Alex

Yeah that could happen, I've got to weddings with minutes to spare before

I believe it is a possibility, I've certainly had a blocked tank breather on a bike, ran fine then gradually died as a vacuum built up, open the filler and repeat.

cheers

John

Its definitely possible and I believe the tank breather can get clogged during undersealing.

[alexxb]

definitely is something to do with the air - Brother unscrewed fuel cap and motored all the way home from Devon - no problem - will be back to garage next week to investigate ;(

Alex