Last week, we took a call from a client.
He was frustrated that some double skin fuel pipes we’d supplied didn’t fit his Dorman engine.
We were pretty surprised, as we’d made pipes for them in the past, and they’d worked fine.
So right from the outset we felt there was more to this than met the eyes.
And as it turned out, it wasn’t anything to do with the pipes.
Despite the pipes fitting our jig perfectly (below) before being sent out, once on site we were able to diagnose the cause.
It turned out the pipes were the right profile for another engine on site, but although the second engine matched the same specification and build, there was one significant difference.
The engine had been timed by rotating the fuel pump, so it was no longer in its normal upright position.
The spill timing setting is critical for engine performance as it dictates when the fuel enters the cylinder.
This is normally carried out by matching the fuel pump timing to deliver the fuel at the right time during the engine cycle, by either setting the gears or coupling and not by moving the pump.
There are various ways to set the spill timing, depending on the engine type, but it is critical it is carried out correctly, or you could see a loss of power, excess smoke, and other problems with your engine.
We managed to produce the replacement pipes for the altered set-up within 48 hours, much to the client’s delight:
“…An amazing result, I’ve seen the photos and the pipework and clamps look absolutely spot on! Gary did a brilliant job there, especially when considering under pressure and after a long day the day before, top class.”
