Land Rover Discovery 3.9V8i - Stalling - Fuel Filter?

[Ian Seale]

Hi,
My Disco has started to stall, not all the time, every now and again.
All the plugs (not new), leads, dizzy cap and timing are fine.
One of the potential problems is a 'choked fuel filter' according to Haynes.

So, armed with a new filter, I took on the job - b@stad!
Eventually got the filter output union to loosen, but the input (despite pints of WD40) just wouldn't budge and, sorry to say, became more gnarled each time I tried the little bit harder.
Started to get dark so i put it all back together.

1) It's done 102,000 miles, so its probably on its 2nd filter (replace at 48k) and should need a new one. But can it be that bad to cause a stall? It runs fine on the road.
2) All V8 petrol Discos/Rangeys had a recall earlier this year to replace (corroding) fuel tanks. Could some extra nasty rubbish got in the filter form that, if so, I might have a word with Land Rover.
3) How on earth can I lossen the filter input union, its solid? and, in the likely hood that a further attempt might bugger it completely, can you replace the flexible hose part, or is a complete part including the piping back to the tank?

Help, please.

Ian

 

[Tarquin-F-Smythe-QJM]

I dont have a clue where the filter is fitted on your car, but if possible, wouldnt it be simpler to buy a new bit of flexi fuel pipe, and a bit of rigid. Cut out a sensible legth of the damaged bit(not too short...give yourself some work room) then install the new filter? is it a clear plastic filter? can you see muck in it? If not then it probably isnt blocked, but I remember someone who was the victim of clear plastic biro cases (like perspex) in the tank and that makes a nice sticky clear goo. but that wouldnt cause your problem. Even if your filter is blocked, usually as the engine is about to be starved it races momentarily as the mixture weakens, or maybe thats only carburetors!.

 

[Ian Seale]

Tarquin,

Thanks for that.

The fuel filter is in-line just under the off-side wheel arch.

Yes, the idea of chopping the flexi-tube and fitting a new union/flexi tube connector and making good with a shot bit of pipe and jubilee clips came to me down the pub last night.
I just wasn't prepared for that much s*dding about, some gorilla (before me) over-tightened the nut and rounded it off a bit too.

The whole thing is very hard to get to, and you can only acces the same flats on the nut, so if they get rounded, your b*ggered.

The filter is alluminium, so you can't see how bad it is BUT...

Yo have helped me enormously, it DOES race to 1,000 rpm just before it dips to about 400 rpm and recovers or stalls.
So I reckon it must be the filter as I (and Haynes) thought.

Thanks very much, cheers,

Ian

 

[djinn]

Hi a mate had same stalling problem on a range rover, same problem removing fuel filter, so cut it of and replaced with a bit of fuel pipe and fuel clips, this made no difference to vehicle stalling, other things to check are all air hoses for splits etc, plenum chamber operation, remove air filter housing and pipes check air flow meter? where it goes to engine check the butterfly is clean if not spray with some carb cleaner but dont over do it as his was hard to start afterwards, it maybe possible that disco needs tuning also new plugs leads etc they may look ok but that doesant mean they are..also if disco as a firetrap it might be worth cleaning..

 

[Ian Seale]

Djinn,
Thanks for that, nice to know I'm not the only poor s*d who's had to deal with this, but didn't thinlo I was!
I did a complete tune, changed plug leads, dizzy cap and rotor too, as well as setting the timing correctly, (the problem was ther before the tune). Only thing I didn't change was the plugs, which I'll do, and check the other things you mentioned, if the filter change doesn't cure it.
Cheers,
Ian