The diesel injection pump on my wife's Clio has developed a leak. When the engine is running it comes out quite quickly - about a drop every second.
The pump is a Roto-Diesel/Lucas type. The fuel is coming out at the join between the main body and the part at the back end which carries the fuel inlet, stop solenoid and injector ports. There are no leaks at any of these connections.
The Haynes manual offers little guidance other than saying any work on the pump should be left to the specialists. The manual does contain a cutaway drawing which seems to indicate that there is an annular seal where the 'distributor' part goes into the main body. I guess this seal must be the main suspect at the moment. Maybe another possibility is a fracture in one of the parts.
It looks to me as though the rear part might be removed fairly easily after removing the inlet connection and injector pipes, leaving the main body in situ. Can anyone tell me if I would come across any nasty surprises (e.g. small pieces flying apart to all corners of my garage, or special tools to re-assemble)? I'm aware of the need for strict cleanliness when dismantling diesel injection components.
If it's a feasible DIY proposition to replace the seal (if this is indeed the cause) I would much prefer to do this than getting an exchange/reconditioned pump (how much?) and having to do all the re-installation and timing setup, not to mention the timing belt removal and refitting, which is a bit of a fiddly job on the Clio.
How readily available are injector pump spare parts - the aforementioned seal for example?
TIA for any helpful advice,
Peter