Have a '96 Defender 90 with a Bosch VE injector pump.
Over the last year or so it has developed a ticking noise which has become progressively more frequent and a little louder once the engine / fuel has warmed.
Does anyone have any experience of same, is it terminal and how long before an apocolyptic event might occur?
My 98(ish) 300tdi Def 90 developed the loud ticking, probably what you describe, a few years back.
In my case it came on suddenly, during a journey. I had a few Landy engineers listen and investigate it, with differing diagnoses.
One said it was internal and they wouldn't recommend running the engine more than necessary, and gave me a price for a new replacement pump.
Another(my usual service guy) investigated it - then took the pump to a Bosch injector specialist, who repaired the pump. The diagnosis, as I recall was damage to the hardened shaft, possibly caused through inadequate lubrication, but not provable. This was replaced, along with all new seals etc., and the whole pump recalibrated for about 40% of the price of a new pump.
As it happens, this fault developed after a brief spell of running on commercially produced biodiesel(about 70 litres I think), mixed 50/50 with DERV, so I assumed there might be a connection!
Well, I never could determine, if that was the case or not, and one guy would say yes, and another would say no. Never at any time had the fuel filter been neglected or found to be clogged on replacement!
The bottom line is I stopped using the biodiesel - no further problems.
The pump may have been wearing out and about to go faulty, but I thought it a bit of a coincidence.
So these are the facts - make of them what you will, but I suspect you may have to have work done to your injector pump - sorry!
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