HDi High Pressure pump failed/cambelt broke

[ianr2682]

Hi, Just wanted to pass on my recent experience. I am running a Citroen Relay van 2.0hdi 02 model with 70k on the clock. I am presently making my own biodiesel B100 and have been for approx 2 yrs. My van has ran on this and a mixture of normal derv for the last 20k miles. Up until two weeks ago all was fine. Whilst travelling on the motor way at 80mph the engine just stopped and i was brought home by the AA. I transpired that the cambelt had broke. Not being very happy at what it might cost to fix,
i nearly wrote the thing off for scrap value until i started reading this website. Having heard that the camfollowers are designed to break when there is valve/piston contact i set too with the spanners for a closer look in the rocker cover. Sure enough all 8 camfollowers has broke in two. Closer inspection of the cambelt area was made and i found that the high pressure fuel pump had locked solid with only a bit of movement like something had broken inside.

I then set too and removed the camshaft so all valves would be closed. Turning the engine over by hand with a socket i could feel there was significant compression still in the engine cylinders.

I ordered the following parts, 8 cam followers at £60, Cambelt kit with pulleys £48, new water pump kit £21 and sourced a low mileage high pressure pump for £80
out of a 307. £210 all in delivered the beauty of ebay.

Borrowed the timing locking tools from a mate and once i had the bits get stuck.

5hrs graft and after a bit of cranking to get the fuel through she started like a good'en!!!

Job done including oil,oil filter and antifreeze £250. What would a garage have charged me i dread to think.

I have read that Biodiesel could be the cause of the pump failure? The stuff i make is good quality with glycerol removed and is polished. Depending on the outside temperature i mix with regular derv. In winter at sub zero i run derv only . from 5 degrees up i start to mix. The warmer the more bio i use.

Has anyone else suffered pump failure as previously described.

[steve_earwig]

Welcome Ian, nice story there. I love a happy ending

[Doggy]

Hello Ian & Welcome

AFAIK, we've only one member with biodiesel / HDi experience, but a few of us are keen to find out.

Heard of a slightly similar incident, where someone tried to run a 306 HDi on ordinary veg oil, which the lift pump couldn't move and it wouldn't start. So he towed it..... HP pump was therefore running dry & siezed, snapping cambelt. The fuel is also the HP pump lubricant and so has to be a good match.

Remember the string of pump failures on Perkins & Poxhalls with the introduction of ULSD?

[Welly]

Great story there!

And good that you got stuck in to fix it and found help from this site.

I think the issue with the fuel is that the tolerances are so fine that 'thick' fuel if you like just can't make it through the HP pump and those piezo injectors. Sounds like you have ran maybe a bit too much Bio of late and the pump has spewed it? to be fair HP pump failure is not usually a problem we see on here.

Nice that you found a pump for 80 notes - that IS a bargain!

[pugSL]

The Bosch diesel pump is said to be better to handle bio fuel than the Lucus pump which is a rotary type. Which type is yours? I read that most bio diesel users switch to Bosch pumps in order to use bio....

[Welly]

The Bosch diesel pump is said to be better to handle bio fuel than the Lucus pump which is a rotary type. Which type is yours? I read that most bio diesel users switch to Bosch pumps in order to use bio....

That only applies to the old school mechanical injection set ups in the older XUD engines, HDi pumps are Bosch but are completely different and very scary

[pugSL]

That only applies to the old school mechanical injection set ups in the older XUD engines, HDi pumps are Bosch but are completely different and very scary

oh I see....

[ianr2682]

Hi,
The pump on my van is the bosch type. I have not yet had chance to strip the old pump down yet to see what has broke in side. When i do i'll let you all know and post some pics of the damage. As of now, i have decided to run the van on a 50/50 bio/derv mix and no more. I'm still saving a shed load of money as i get my oil free and it works out at about 30p a litre.
Thanks for the welcome.
Ian

[mark21TD]

I doubt it's the bio that coursed your pump to fail as bio has better lubrication propertys than pump diesel,
unless your bio still had meths in it, do you always do a 27/3 and 50/50 soap test ?

[ianr2682]

Hi, i regularly do a 27/3 test, whats you definition of a 50/50 soap test?

[ianr2682]

Penny dropped, i call it a water test to see the seperation.

[mark21TD]

Yes that's the one, is your water always clear ?

Are you one the vegetableoildiesel forum ?