2001 Td5: Gasket, Coolant, Head..?

Finally it started... starting losing coolant, 1/4 cup per week, then 1/2 a cup... so had it looked at and told gasket blown.

NZ$2,500 later, new gasket, steel dowels, etc., and no different.

Thermostat replaced, radiator replaced, but no change.

Water is blown out the overflow faster than I can keep it in... and the heater is running hotter than I ever had it.

So... just when I thought I had a great car!

But it's not all bad - I put new Cooper AT3's on it yesterday so it is a least worth NZ$1,600.

put a new tank cap too and tighten it well to rule it out cos it can cause such thing ...btw was the head pressure tested while it was down?

Yes, new cap. No pressure test.

GrumpyRuralBoy said:

No pressure test.

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that was a mistake cos it seems there's a crack in the head...at least run a sniff test on it and if it's positive then you know... though a negative sniff test on diesel are not always relevant, only positive is

Hhmmm... yes but, but I'm told that's NZ$900 and they wouldn't normally suggest that. Anyhow, it sounds like a crack through to the exhaust port as vehicles behind me pull up quick when I plant my foot...

GrumpyRuralBoy said:

Hhmmm... yes but, but I'm told that's NZ$900 and they wouldn't normally suggest that. Anyhow, it sounds like a crack through to the exhaust port as vehicles behind me pull up quick when I plant my foot...

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what's NZ$900 , if it's about sniff test you can diy quite cheap https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4FoUc6fRNs , here is the cheapest kit i've found http://www.amazon.com/Lisle-75500-Combustion-Leak-Detector/dp/B0007ZDRUI but dig the net maybe you find something close to you

NZ$900 to crack test. We are third world here... wouldn't bother even looking at your youtube link... NZ broandband wouldn't even play it...

Anyway... the latest is that in talking to an automotive engineer, he doesn't think I have proved it is a head gasket anyway.

Unusually, the outlet of the radiator is stone cold even after the vehicle is up to temperature, and the cool side of the radiator is almost cold too.

The coolant is overflowing out of the expansion bottle, not pressed out under pressure (it is clean and no bubbles are present).

There's no proof the water pump is actually circulating coolant...

to see if the pump is working or not start the engine, remove the bleed screw and rev it up...the jet from the bleed hole then should go up untill close to the bonnet, the higher the rpm is the dtronger the jet must be, if no serious squirting there then yes, the pump is gone

Yes, I determined thanks. I replaced the pump anyway, to find that it may have been leaking anyway. Lots of corrosion around the drive area, weep holes, and the seals had all collapsed or worn out. It was evident that it was leaking... even so, initial indications showed car was taking longer to warm up, but after less than 5km, the overflow was squirting water. Still, with new head gasket, stat and radiator, I've sill got a cold cool-side of the radiator compared to the hot-side. I can't understand this - why is the outlet of the radiator and this side of it so cool that I can't tell if there has been a temperature rise in it? For the first time, it is showing carbon/soot or should I say black sand in the water. Each time I drain it, I strain it through a 10micron filter screen and am left with a black scum (my service agents have walked away from it).

Sounds like your new stat is not opening either fully or at all.
Do you still have the old one? If so remove the old stat internals and temporary re-fit it.
Should confirm you have flow through the radiator (warm hoses etc).
Obviously will take some time to warm up like this.
I used to run my old V8 with no stat permanently.

So... completely removed radiator flushed out using a citrus cleaner (I know, laugh) then poured in some alloy cleaner (as used on truck decks) and left it for 20min. Re-flushed it using a pump and flushed out a whole heap of crap. Rinsed. then I pumped citrus cleaner through the engine & hoses, and re-flushed immediately with water. Checked radiator and drilled out fuel cooler connection from 1/16" to 5/16" and drilled out fuel cooler connection (non-drilled) to the same. Re-connected, re-flushed and then got to temp after 10min driving. Confirmed water now circulating as cool side of rad getting warm (not ever experienced this in the last year). Coolant now fizzing out overflow, but at a much less rate, so head off and sent in for crack and hardness testing. Depressed, but not given up yet... #whiskey

Sorry to drag this up again... just to let you know that there was no issue with the head. It was a leak between No.1 cylinder and water jacket on teh block side of the gasket. So full engine re-build and NZ$10,000 later, and I'm on my way.

Happy days. I reckon the blocked radiator caused the head gasket issues as the TD5 engine does not like running hot.

Yes, a little ****ed off with myself. I knew I bought a D2 that hadn't been looked after (no coolant when I bought it), and I should've known that chucking some coolant into it that it would strip all the rubbish out and block it. I could still run the hose through it, but under pressure it just didn't flow. My service agent flushed it under pressure and it produced two handfuls of scale... I would now recommend anyone replacing foul water from their coolant system to re-flush under pressure to ensure flow. Not sure what the flow-pressure range should be in a Td5 radiator.