Pawl
Well-Known Member
I agree - having torn a fuel filter almost totally off when a branch went over the axle & kept going while off-roading.
I'm not aware of any kit to relocate it, but you can fit a Defender protective shield that does a great job & has a quick release fastening on the cover to allow fast changes of the fuel filter.
Eg :
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fuel-Filter-Mudguard-Shield-for-Land-Rover-Defender-TD5-99-on-Bearmach-WKT100020/273984795780?_trkparms=aid=1110001&algo=SPLICE.SIM&ao=1&asc=40732&meid=ffb06df492104361acaabecb8e8a7882&pid=100005&rk=7&rkt=12&mehot=pf&sd=291469246013&itm=273984795780&pmt=0&noa=1&pg=2047675&_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851
The shield / guard is 2 piece. The rear part mounts under the Fuel Filter housing mountings & the front part part clips / part screws onto the rear.
I think I had to do some very minor mods to it to install it
I've had no problems since fitting it.
Beware its sometimes sold as a complete "kit" of both parts & sometimes as separate front & rear parts using same or similar part nos.
I'm not aware of any kit to relocate it, but you can fit a Defender protective shield that does a great job & has a quick release fastening on the cover to allow fast changes of the fuel filter.
Eg :
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fuel-Filter-Mudguard-Shield-for-Land-Rover-Defender-TD5-99-on-Bearmach-WKT100020/273984795780?_trkparms=aid=1110001&algo=SPLICE.SIM&ao=1&asc=40732&meid=ffb06df492104361acaabecb8e8a7882&pid=100005&rk=7&rkt=12&mehot=pf&sd=291469246013&itm=273984795780&pmt=0&noa=1&pg=2047675&_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851
The shield / guard is 2 piece. The rear part mounts under the Fuel Filter housing mountings & the front part part clips / part screws onto the rear.
I think I had to do some very minor mods to it to install it
I've had no problems since fitting it.
Beware its sometimes sold as a complete "kit" of both parts & sometimes as separate front & rear parts using same or similar part nos.
Last edited:
sierrafery
Well-Known Member
IMO they fitted the filter there with a good reason... to be as air cooled as possible, you can relocate it where ever you want but if it will be in a place where cold air can't circulate around it your fuel pump will die sooner, the return fuel which goes in the filter has around 70 -up to 80*C coming from the fuel cooler(when the engine is hot) or even more cos the FT(fuel temp) is usually 10-15*C below the ECT(engine coolant temp) so under heavy load when the ECT can go up to 110 the FT can be around 95 ... if the fuel in the tank is low the pump will get hot fuel in it and wear out sooner.... my pump is still the original after more than 180K miles cos i've rarely left the tank below quarter so the hot return fuel is mixed with more cold fuel in the tank... i made my own statistic and many of those who had failed pumps kept the tank untill it was quite empty too often... that plastic pump doesnt like hot fuel believe me.
Never a good idea to let fuel get too low. In the old days of metal tanks, low fuel meant you could suck up all sorts of rubbish with the fuel. Also water, which I once suffered for a long time with on a kit car until I finally located the source of water ingress to the tank. Also on steep slopes usually when the vehicle is facing up the pick up pipe can be above the surface. But yes, the filter holder does look in a dumb position, why not under the bonnet like in a D1? I understand everything about fuel temp, but that could still be got over with not keeping too little fuel in the tank. I have to assume under bonnet temps were not so critical with either the D1 generally or the fuel injection system in particular as obviously a D2 injects differently. Amazed it is seen as being that critical.
Also, the last thing you want to do with an engine with a turbo is to suddenly run out of fuel and leave the turbo to cook the oil in its bearings. I remember in the early days of turbos being fitted to cars, seeing one with three progressive "fuel low" warning lights, the Jap manufacturer was so worried an owner might do exactly this.
sierrafery
Well-Known Member
The Td5's management is completely different than a 300tdis... in the td5's fuel map there is a injection limiter based on the FT input, as it goes above 70*C the ECU is reducing the IQ more and more with each additional degree to protect the engine and it looses power. You can observe that if you fill up the tank aftwer a long run when it got low, when you go away you'll feel that it runs better cos the injection is restored due to the cooler fuel, the 300tdi doesnt even have a FT sensor
Bobdog
Well-Known Member
Hi mate, I've got to pick you up on a common myth. It doesn't matter how much fuel is in your tank, any muck or silt in the bottom will get to the pump anyway as that's where the pickup is located - at the lowest point. Likewise with water. Diesel floats on water therefore it will always get to the pump first. In the "old days of metal tanks", keeping less fuel in the tank exposed more surface area, increasing the chance of rust- and said particles contaminating the fuel. They would end up in the pump which again, was located in the bottom of the tank.
As Sierra said, keeping more fuel in the tank keeps the pump cool and lubricated.
Must admit, thought this was true as, as you say, it was always seen as "received wisdom". Anyway, the rust thing is correct, once had to deliver a car to a buyer as when they came all the way from Cornwall to pick it up from East Dorset, they couldn't get it to go right. I had to get it recovered back to my place. I went all over it trying to find the problem. It had an SU carb and in the end I worked out the fuel starvation was down to rust blocking the in-line fuel filter I had fitted. The tank was an old Spitfire tank and it had needed welding up, so I flushed it out really thoroughly and gave it to a mate to weld up. He did a lovely job, but the rinsing out was enough to leave a tiny amount of surface rust powder. Once I had removed the blocked filter and simply piped it direct to the SU, it simply gobbled it up. I drove it to Cornwall and it flew like a bird all the way there. Twas a Kit Car, a RMB Gentry, a Triumph Herald based MG TF copy.
And in the "old Days" no cars had "in-tank" pumps. I have yet to work on one in 50 odd years of back street mechanicking! Maybe I've been lucky!
