Sluggish '93 Transit Di

[GMC]

Hello there,

Introduced to this forum today.......looks great !!!

Hopefully you can help me with this problem.

I recently bought a '93 Transit 100 lwb. The seller made me aware that it is fitted with an '87 2.5Di engine, and also pointed out that it's 'rather sluggish' but due to it's excellent bodywork condition, I decided to buy it.

It's starts 1st time every time, and the engine sounds perfect which leads me to believe it's probably an injector pump (Lucas CAV) and/or injector problem.


When ticking over it momentarily 'misses' now and again, and when driving it's more sluggish than it should be. When the fuel gauge is reading under quarter, the van also suffers from a momentary loss of power, then clears and picks up again, almost as though it beginning to run out of fuel?.

Hopefully you can help me with the following queries :

1. An idea of the likely cause, and solution?
2. I've been offered another Lucas CAV pump, but it's from a '95/'96 model. Is it compatible?
3. I know the later model transits were fitted with a lift (fuel) pump. What was the reason for this?

Sorry it's such a long message, but would appreciate your help.

[FredTransit]

welcome GMC! I could be wrong, but it sounds like your pump is somehow picking up air, I had this with a Bosch (later) pump before, but never with a Lucas. As far as I know, the Lucas pumps are interchangeable, it's the Bosch ones that are matched to the injectors. If the pump you have been offered is from a relyable sorce, I would give it a try.

[Luke]

Hi GMC welcome to the forum!!

My van has an 87 Di fitted and i have the exact same problem!!! Loads quicker with a full tank of petrol - i have come to the conclusion after extensive investigation that it is the diesel pump and unfortunatly the later diesel pumps arn't all compatable ive tried a few and in the end put the origanal one back on - but mabe someone else can advise better on that!!

If you ever see how much fuel the di circulates from the tank you can understand the cutting out with low fuel!!!

I was considering fitting a lift pump - but mine is not really that bad it still has plenty of torque for pulling the trailer so i just never bothered!!!

The 87 Di even when running spot on dont have as much HP as the later ones!!

Hope this helps!!!

[madmark]

the best bet would be to find a later engine with pencil injectors!

[transitgeoff]

Hi did it start life as diesel? if not petrol senders have a filter on the end which restricts flow and some people dont change the sender they just make a hole for the return,also in the pump where the fuel pipes enter and leave one has a filter inside when this gets dirty you loose power check this first .

[FredTransit]

Hi did it start life as diesel? if not petrol senders have a filter on the end which restricts flow and some people dont change the sender they just make a hole for the return,also in the pump where the fuel pipes enter and leave one has a filter inside when this gets dirty you loose power check this first .

Never thought of this, geoff, as we always change the sender with the engine. Good point.

[GMC]

Hi did it start life as diesel? if not petrol senders have a filter on the end which restricts flow and some people dont change the sender they just make a hole for the return,also in the pump where the fuel pipes enter and leave one has a filter inside when this gets dirty you loose power check this first .

What components are different in a diesel transit, which would allow me to confirm if it was formally a petrol?

When you say 'change the sender" , what exactly do you mean?

Thanks for the info guys, it gives me a few things to check.

[bortaf]

do diesel transits have swirl pots in the tank? escorts do and you need one in those to stop it picking up air when low on fuel.
If they do and you have a petrol tank that may be the problem? or check the diesel filter, the quicl release one never seal properly

[FredTransit]

Hi did it start life as diesel? if not petrol senders have a filter on the end which restricts flow and some people dont change the sender they just make a hole for the return,also in the pump where the fuel pipes enter and leave one has a filter inside when this gets dirty you loose power check this first .

What components are different in a diesel transit, which would allow me to confirm if it was formally a petrol?

When you say 'change the sender" , what exactly do you mean?

Thanks for the info guys, it gives me a few things to check.

The biggest giveaway for me would be the heater controls. In the Mk2, the petrol has only 2 horizontal slider controls, the top for hot/cold, the bottom for up/down. The diesel has an extra one in the middle between these two, for recirculate. Whatever people change for a conversion, I have yet to see anybody change the whole heater, with controls.

The sender unit is the outlet from the fuel tank, which includes the float for the fuel gauge operation.

[Luke]

Is that the same on a mk3/4/5 fred?

I was thinking about the question an i couldnt think of an obvious answer!!

I once owned a mk3 pickup Di i only realised it was once a petrol when i noticed it on the log book!!

[GMC]

[quote="FredTransit]The biggest giveaway for me would be the heater controls. In the Mk2, the petrol has only 2 horizontal slider controls, the top for hot/cold, the bottom for up/down. The diesel has an extra one in the middle between these two, for recirculate. Whatever people change for a conversion, I have yet to see anybody change the whole heater, with controls.

The sender unit is the outlet from the fuel tank, which includes the float for the fuel gauge operation.[/quote]

Thanks, it has the 3 controls, so guess it was probably a Diesel.

[FredTransit]

Is that the same on a mk3/4/5 fred?

I was thinking about the question an i couldnt think of an obvious answer!!

I once owned a mk3 pickup Di i only realised it was once a petrol when i noticed it on the log book!!

Up to the Mk3 I know, yes, but after that not sure. I would think so, as the recirculate is a diesel thing, and the petrol doesn't need it. We've got a factory diesel, 5 standard petrols and 4 conversions, all of the standard petrol and conversions still have the same heater.

Under the bonnet, check by the battery for where the coil was (some people leave them in place, and the ignition module!) What heater did your Mk3 pickup have?

[bortaf]

Wonderd why my recovery had the extra controll i was allways told it was a minibuss thing but me recovery certainly aint a minibus
All the petrol transits i've driven in vairiouse jobs have not had it now i know why cheers Fred

[FredTransit]

Everybody, you're welcome! I honestly thought that if somebody had worked/driven/owned both types (factory) that it would be noticable, though maybe not that obvious after all