sucking air - help - ideas

[Strange Rover]

My disco is playing up....

I'm getting air in the system, how do I know ? when you open the bleed valve on the filter it hisses out.

I can drive about 2 miles then it dies, i open valve bleed it and it drives again, although when bleeding it never runs completely bubble free always a very very small amout of "fizzy" foam.

I have so far repaired a corroded pipe where the sedimenter is by cutting out the metal and repairing it with a rubber fuel line (proper fuel line) and have taken the sender unit out of the tank and cleaned the pick up pipe it was filthy, that seemed to really help.

Anyway, I am still getting air in and there is no sign of any wet patches on the pipe, this is a recent problem 1st time was last week on the way to the MOT.

My thoughts on what to do.... buy a long length of rubber pipe and re-pipe from the fuel tank to the fuel lifter pump ! and by pass the sedimenter, I know about the sedimenter and what it does, but i drive the vehicle weekends only and do not mind changing the filter a bit more often.

I'm open to ideas or anyone who is scrapping a disco and i'll be interested in the complete fuel line inc. sender unit, sedimenter and all pipes to the engine bay so long as they are all OK.......

[Disco69]

Sorry to hear of your troubles, air leaks can be difficult to find and very frustrating as I'm sure you're aware.
I would re-check all the places on the fuel lines that have been disturbed recently and then check the full length of the fuel sysem for any wet or even damp looking areas and for corrosion (you may have done this already).

Have you fitted a new fuel filter recently? - if so, the seal may not be sealing properly. It only takes the slightest bit of dirt on the seal to allow air to pass though.

When you had the sender unit out, was it corroded at all? there could be a small hole in the metal pipe allowing air to be sucked in.

Have you checked the injector leakoff return pipes? being close to the engine, these tend to get quite hot and the pipes become hard and start to crack though they usually leak fuel outwards.

Hope this helps

[Strange Rover]

the only area looking at all damp is the sedimenter,
the pick up pipes in the tank are mainly plastic and the metal parts look brand new, but there was a lot of dirt around the non return valve that i had to clean

I will undo and clean then re-assemble all joints I have disturbed, I have not fitted a new filter (yet).