Thread: Fuel lift pump blanking plate

Hello from Bulawayo.

Not sure I have got your question correct, but if you are referring to the metal plate that blanks off the aperture in the block that the lift pump on a 2.25 litre normally encloses then the correct part would usually be found on a 2.5 litre engine. The rub is that this motor was fitted to the early 90s and 110s in the UK and some other export markets (esp Africa), but not Australia.

I picked one up off a wreck in Harare a couple of years ago for my 2.25 litre motor because I was shifting over to electric pumps on the twin fuel tanks.

The plate would be easy enough to fabricate by simply tracing the base of an existing fuel pump. One important thing to be aware of is that the plate and/or mechanical pump is secured to the block with bolts screwed into the block rather than studs and nuts. The blanking plate and the base of the existing pump is (as I understand it) a different thickness requiring the correct length bolts - also the thread has to be correct for the 2.25 litre engine. If you happen to find a 2.5 litre engine with the plate then make sure you also get the bolts. The gasket is the same as that fitted to a 200tdi motor and is readily available locally through the usual parts outlets.

Cheers,

Neil

Yep you have it correct thanks.
I will make one up if i have to , i’m just being lazy and am sure i have seen one somewhere?!

Cheers,
D

Hello again from Bulawayo,

Thinking over my earlier response I may have suggested something that wouldn't be all that useful - not unusual I guess.

From memory the lift pump base bolts to a second plate that is the same shape as the blanking plate from the 2.5 litre block (same as a 2.25 litre block). Tracing the base of the pump won't give you what you will be after if you decide to craft your own plate.

I haven't gotten around to fitting the plate that I bought in Harare and could trace it on a piece of paper and send it to you, including the location and size of the securing holes, plate thickness and length of the securing bolts. I will still be here in Africa for another couple of weeks before heading back to Brisbane. So, if you are interested in following that up let me know and I will sort it out when I get home.

Incidentally, there is a 50:50 chance that I may call by Leimers Land Rovers in Johannesburg the week after next and could ask beforehand if they have a worn out 2.5 litre block with the plate still attached. They are one of the biggest parts outlets in southern Africa, especially for the Series trucks, and do have a fair stockpile of wrecks around the place. It's a fair hike over there from the airport and I will only go if they have most of the bits that I am chasing for my own truck. There is another Land Rover place at Hoedspruit that has a few wrecks in their yard that I will probably be driving past on the way to Kruger that same week - I could call in there and ask if they have a plate they would be willing to sell. If I can find both businesses email address on the web I will shoot them an email some time this week to see if this is worth pursuing.

Cheers,

Neil

Thanks Neil thats good of you to offer. A used part if available and you make the trip or failing that a diagram would be good.

cheers,
D

Hello again from the Matopos.

Been in the bundu for the last few days without internet access until now. I will try to shoot an email to those two Land Rover places that I mentioned before some time tomorrow - neither will be open now being the weekend.

As offered, if I can’t get a plate off a wreck I will send you a tracing of the one that I have. The annoying thing is that there are probably a lot of 2.5litre wrecks in hiding around Bulawayo but I have never tracked them down - all my contacts here drive the dreaded T trucks.

Cheers,

Neil

Hello again from Bulawayo.

No good news to report as of yet on securing an actual part - not least because neither company has responded to my several emails. Unfortunately, the Ollie’s who man the counters of these sorts of places aren’t always the sharpest pencils in the pack. Might also be an English to Afrikaans challenge there too.

I am back in Johannesburg on Monday morning and near Hoedspruit on Tuesday, so I will give them a call - but time might be a bit fine if they have to send someone out to pull the bit off a block. Especially if the wrecks are somewhere else.

Fallback is a tracing etc when I get back to Brisbane as originally offered. I have some control over that. There is a Series 1 109” languishing in the yard next door to where I am staying at the moment which teasingly hints to these things being hidden all over the place - not unlike home.

Anyway, off back into the bush this morning with the half-chewed Andre to photograph Ndbele huts and their proud lady owners. Part of a competition to see who has the best artwork on their walls etc. Nothing to do with Land Rovers, of course, but there is something more to life I hope.

Cheers,

Neil

Originally Posted by Dark61

.....
I will make one up if i have to , i’m just being lazy and am sure i have seen one somewhere?!....

LOL! seems we're quite similar in our intentions and efforts

Originally Posted by Dark61

.... am sure i have seen one somewhere?!

Cheers,
D

Hopefully this one helps
Landrover fuel pump blank plate

Doesn't come with gasket tho, I bought two(I can be a clutz sometimes) from a local parts shop for the actual pump and it lines up perfectly on the blank plate.
Note tho I do have a 300 Tdi .. but they look extremely similar.
The ebay link has dimensions for the blank plate for you to check.

If you want/need I can scan my gasket to lifesize and upload/link to it and you could double check the physical dimensions and fit if you can remove the pump briefly.
I'd suggest that you're best off getting a gasket(or two) anyhow from your preferred parts seller and measure the dimensions yourself .. you're going to need a gasket anyhow so better to be prepared.

Also note that it doesn't come with bolts, and like Neil said, you probably either need to source correctly sized bolts, or replace with studs(and nuts).

I'm hoping that access to the 300 Tdi lift pump isn't as difficult as it seems down so low on the side of the block below injector pump and other lines and hoses.
If it's not as bad as it looks, my thinking is that if I use studs to mount my electric pump, I may be able to locate my electric pump in the same spot to minimise fuel line re-routing. Also, if the pump does make a lot of noise, the engine block location may help to isolate some of that noise too.

I'm also too lazy(busy, forgetful and in no rush yet) to do mine .. it's a 'long term' preventative thing for me.

hope that helps.

All sounds very interesting and thanks both for the effort. I will have a look at the link. The plate on mine is on a wish list . I havent even taken off the drivers side wing yet , thats on a wish list too! But i will get to it at some point. The price of the 300tdi job has knocked my laziness into the rough!

cheers,

d