Odd 300tdi starting issue

Hi Everyone, im new here, so happy to meet you all.

I have an odd one with a 300tdi defender (wolf 24V).

Its new to me direct from auction. Probably been sitting a couple of years.
I stuck a couple of new batteries in and it fired up pretty immediately, but only at idle.
It idled for around 10 seconds but the moment I touched the accelerator it stalled completely.
Tried again, and got VERY rough idle (Shaking engine type idle).
Again if you even breath on the throttle it stalls.
If you leave it a while, and come back, it will eventually start up and idle nice and smoothly for about 30 seconds, but eventually dies.

I have blown out all fuel lines with compressed air.
I have drained the tank (which was empty) and put fresh fuel in.
Iv also run a cable directly to the stop solenoid from the batteries.
The lift pump works well, taking the banjo off the injector pump and using the priming handle I get LOADS of fuel out.
I have just removed all the injectors and ultrasonically cleaned them. Made no difference.
I have blown out the return line.

It doesn't seem to be a problem with fuel getting to the Injector pump (altho I could be wrong).

I have fitted transparent injector bleed off pipes but they are bone dry.

From what I read the Injector Pumps on these don't tend to go wrong, but im at a loss of what else it could be.

As mentioned above, it does idle nice and smoothly on all cylinders for a short time (when it wants to).
The rest of the time it runs incredibly rough or won't fire at all.

Absolutely no smoke from the exhaust.

Points worth mentioning:
I don't have an alternator belt fitted.
It is an ERG model, but everything is un plugged for it
I have removed the hose to the intake manifold
Plenty of fuel coming out the bleed screw and at the injector pump banjo when lift pump operated
Glow plugs working (but shouldn't be needed anyways)
At no point during hours of messing around and testing has the accelerator pedal done anything but immediately stall the engine if even slightly touched.

Any ideas? Im lost on this one so far.
Thanks.

Assume you have a fresh fuel filter? Air filter clean?

Kwakerman said:

Assume you have a fresh fuel filter? Air filter clean?

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Fuel filter is fine, get loads of fuel to the IP.
Removed the hose to the intake manifold, so air filter bypassed.

Check the rocker shaft and valve clearances ...

Sounds like air ingress to me.

Its bother, but if you're otherwise stuffed, make up a clear bit of fuel line from the filter to the injector pump. You'll need some banjos, and clear nylon air line is good.


I have also heard, but have no experience of, that the governor's can stick in the ips if left for years. I know not a lot about the workings of ips so that could be 100% nonsense though. Certainly never happened to any of mine.

Take out the solenoid remove the plunger put it back in and see if that helps- pull the wire off to stop it if it does!

Rodeo Joe said:

Take out the solenoid remove the plunger put it back in and see if that helps- pull the wire off to stop it if it does!

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s

If you remove the plunger then will that not make the wire connection null and void?

Cheers

neilly said:

If you remove the plunger then will that not make the wire connection null and void?

Click to expand...

Lol
Yep.....
Still good to try though as somtimes a the smallest bit of muck will jam it- esp if its been sat for a while.

1983 said:

Fuel filter is fine, get loads of fuel to the IP.

Click to expand...

When you say loads of fuel, what do you mean? How have you gauged it? This sounds like the lift pump might not be working? The IP will suck fuel up if the lift pump is not doing its job but it's not very efficient and the engine will stall if you put the throttle down.
Worth a look anyway.

Ip is a pig to prime if the lift pump is dead. Will often start and then run for a bit and stop, regardless of throttle, as, whilst it will run without the cam pump, clearing it of air just does not seem to happen without it.

tetsu0san said:

When you say loads of fuel, what do you mean? How have you gauged it? This sounds like the lift pump might not be working? The IP will suck fuel up if the lift pump is not doing its job but it's not very efficient and the engine will stall if you put the throttle down.
Worth a look anyway.

Click to expand...

What I mean is... If I loosen or remove the banjo from the Injector Pump and use the prime handle on the lift pump, I get a good solid squirt out the fuel pipe. So fuel is getting from the tank, past the filter etc to the IP.

I will try and get the stop solenoid off now and take a look at it. I did try before but this one is proving difficult to budge.
I never like running without a stop solenoid, as I have had stuck governors on earlier injector pumps (12J) before (stuck wide open).

Thanks for all the responses. Much appreciated

Will get back to you with findings.

julianf said:

Ip is a pig to prime if the lift pump is dead. Will often start and then run for a bit and stop, regardless of throttle, as, whilst it will run without the cam pump, clearing it of air just does not seem to happen without it.

Click to expand...

Probably best to replace just incase, ill pop out today and pick one up. Cheers..

Britpart does a kit with the gasket, two nuts, and a couple of olives for about a fiver. Sure, it will only last about 5 mins, but theyre cheap enough and quick enough to change that its not worth wondering about.

edit: although if you really are getting good pressure off the manual leaver, maybe its fine?

Have you tried loosening the banjo when the ending is idling? That whole section should be under positive pressure, so be leaking the moment you loosen the banjo.

julianf said:

Britpart does a kit with the gasket, two nuts, and a couple of olives for about a fiver. Sure, it will only last about 5 mins, but theyre cheap enough and quick enough to change that its not worth wondering about.

Click to expand...

Just called up the local suppliers, They have a Delphi in stock. £40 odd.

Delphi are £25 delivered off ebay.

julianf said:

Delphi are £25 delivered off ebay.

Click to expand...

Yeh thats the price you pay for instant pickup.

UPDATE: New lift pump fitted, Still has issues.
It seems to have helped marginally. It now idles perfectly, indefinitely.
Pushing the accelerator down about 1/10th of the way picks up the revs by about 100 rpm.
Pushing the accelerator any further causes it to drop the revs, but it now doesn't stall, rather the anti stall/idle kicks in and it fluctuates up and down by 100 rpm.
Where next? (Scratches head).

300 Tdi injection pumps are not bullet proof. Several years ago I had a disco that ran crap, turned out the pump was breaking up inside-dead give away is small bits of debris if you remove the fuel stop solenoid and have a look in the hole.

Have you checked the thin pipe from the turbo to the pump ?? Have you checked the diaphragm in the pump ?? have you checked that the pin in the pump is NOT stuck ??

Steve