Disco 3 (LR3) 2005 TDV6 HEAD GASKET REPLACEMENT (BODY ON)

Jonnymoore1970 · Dec 4, 2020

So, after buying a 2005 Tdv6 with a suspect blown HG . The car has injector timing codes of p020a, p020b, p020c.(cylinder 1,2,3. Off side)
The expansion tank is pressurising as soon as the key is turned,indicating exhaust gasses......it did run yesterday, but very poorly (maybe on 3)..and after a lot of cranking......but today wouldn’t fire.

I don’t have a ramp so I’m going to have a crack at doing it myself body on, and on the driveway.....I’m not a mechanic but I’ve played with these things for a few years now, including replacing several oil pumps and cam belts....so I’m quietly confident.

please don’t tell me to get someone else to do it, or to take the body off....it’s not going to happen......I’d just like any tips and advise that you may have from experience, also a list of parts that I’ll need to complete the job.

I’ve got plenty of time to do this job, and it may take a while but I’ll keep the forum updated on progress and issues for anyone who’s interested.

many thanks

Stanleysteamer · Dec 4, 2020

Good for you!
Others will come on and tell you if it is impossible, i have no idea. just respect for you having a go yourself.
If you are at all handy with the spanners taking a head off and putting it back on again isn't a huge job, just a little bit tricky and you do obvs need to respect cleanliness and torque wrench settings etc.
Just hope once its off the head is repairable, if that is the problem.
Best of luck!

lynall · Dec 4, 2020

Stanleysteamer said:
Good for you!
Others will come on and tell you if it is impossible, i have no idea. just respect for you having a go yourself.
If you are at all handy with the spanners taking a head off and putting it back on again isn't a huge job, just a little bit tricky and you do obvs need to respect cleanliness and torque wrench settings etc.
Just hope once its off the head is repairable, if that is the problem.
Best of luck!

Not done one on a d3, and do not want to either, have read it is a toss job!
Some of the torque settings are so small as to be almost silly.

My very suspcious minds says there is a back story to everything, and if you do not know the story you are at a disadvantage from the off.

freelance · Dec 4, 2020

I think you need to be getting studs out as you go, rather than just the nuts off them

Jonnymoore1970 · Dec 4, 2020

freelance said:
I think you need to be getting studs out as you go, rather than just the nuts off them

Why, what do you mean?...what’s the benefit?

Nodge68 · Dec 4, 2020

lynall said:
Not done one on a d3, and do not want to either, have read it is a toss job!
Some of the torque settings are so small as to be almost silly.

Not just the PSA Lion has silly torque settings, as the FL2's PSA DW12 also has silly torque settings too, like 5Nm + 130° rotation.

Jonnymoore1970 said:
Why, what do you mean?...what’s the benefit?

You can move the head from the block without lifting off studs, although it shouldn't be a problem as the head is held on with bolts.

Jonnymoore1970 · Dec 6, 2020

So I spent half an hour taking a few bits off today.....no big news yet obviously, but I did find this broken sensor thingy. What is it guys?

Jonnymoore1970 · Dec 6, 2020

lynall · Dec 7, 2020

Buy two kin bargain at that price!

https://rimmerbros.com/Item--i-1386...3U6Y7KZepMHPiEtVAazvesfHxQTIO9RxoCLKMQAvD_BwE

Jonnymoore1970 · Dec 30, 2020

Apologies for anyone who’s interested, I’ve been incredibly lazy.
Anyway, yesterday and today I’ve been tucking into the engine, I’ve run out of light today but just have the head bolts and manifold bolts to remove before the head can lift off.

A few things I’ve noticed along the way. (see pics)....
No wonder people say the body should come off, it’s totally doable but the easiest of bit to remove are painfully difficult with the body on. The water pipe across the back of the engine took me 45 minutes to remove, 2x 10mm bolts holding it on were a nightmare. (Probably easier with a right angle wrench, but i don’t have one).

one job I wasn’t looking forward to was the injectors , but they came out very easily, but were covered in oil. I’m guessing two things, either they’ve been done before and coated in oil when fitting, or the injector holes in the head have cracks (all 3 not likely?)

Looking at the cam belt can someone decode the numbers on it for me, the tensioner is 2015 and it has a new oil pump but the dodgy old style one, so I’ll be replacing the belt pump and all pulleys with new bolts.

looking at the cams the left one is very black at the rear, but pretty clean everywhere else. Any ideas why?

The head has handwritten writing on it indicating it’s a second hand part.....my intention is to stick another used head in it , that is known and tested. (Any advice here?)
My intention is to have the head off tomorrow and order the parts required, I’ll update then hopefully.

https://share.icloud.com/photos/0LtKTHL1fvnA611JxPpG1aAng[URL]https://share.icloud.com/photos/0LtKTHL1fvnA611JxPpG1aAng[/URL]

Jonnymoore1970 · Dec 30, 2020

Apologies for anyone who’s interested, I’ve been incredibly lazy. Anyway, yesterday and today I’ve been tucking into the engine, I’ve run out of light today but just have the head bolts and manifold bolts to remove before the head can lift off. A few things I’ve noticed along the way. (see pics).... No wonder people say the body should come off, it’s totally doable but the easiest of bit to remove are painfully difficult with the body on. The water pipe across the back of the engine took me 45 minutes to remove, 2x 10mm bolts holding it on were a nightmare. (Probably easier with a right angle wrench, but i don’t have one). one job I wasn’t looking forward to was the injectors , but they came out very easily, but were covered in oil. I’m guessing two things, either they’ve been done before and coated in oil when fitting, or the injector holes in the head have cracks (all 3 not likely?) Looking at the cam belt can someone decode the numbers on it for me, the tensioner is 2015 and it has a new oil pump but the dodgy old style one, so I’ll be replacing the belt pump and all pulleys with new bolts. looking at the cams the left one is very black at the rear, but pretty clean everywhere else. Any ideas why? The head has handwritten writing on it indicating it’s a second hand part.....my intention is to stick another used head in it , that is known and tested. (Any advice here?) My intention is to have the head off tomorrow and order the parts required, I’ll update then hopefully. https://share.icloud.com/photos/0LtKTHL1fvnA611JxPpG1aAnghttps://share.icloud.com/photos/0LtKTHL1fvnA611JxPpG1aAng

Jonnymoore1970 · Dec 30, 2020

I’m just wondering now what head gasket set is best...and what to avoid?

Jonnymoore1970 · Dec 31, 2020

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Jonnymoore1970 · Dec 31, 2020

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Jonnymoore1970 · Dec 31, 2020

The head seams to be dead flat, I’m thinking rub it down and refit it . Any advice?

lynall · Jan 1, 2021

Dont rub it with anything abrasive ie emery/drilll wire wheels etc, use a stanley blade and scrape the lumps off then a kitchen scourer pad, IT DOES NOT need to shine or be spotless, good clean and dry is the way to go.
Unless you get it tested you will never be sure if the issue was with the head itself.

Nodge68 · Jan 1, 2021

Looks like the HG has been leaking between 2 cylinders.

Give the head face a good clean with a solvent and soft scraper (I use a hardwood wedge scraper) (cover holes too) so every trace of the old gasket bonding agent is removed, then wipe it again with meths or brake n clutch cleaner.

Do the same with the block, and stick the head back on with a new gasket and new bolts.

Jonnymoore1970 · Jan 1, 2021

So the head has writing on it and a gasket with 5 notches on it.....I’m thinking that it’s a second hand head, maybe skimmed with a thicker gasket?

I can get hold of a known good head for £100 from a Disco 4 (cheaper than having this one tested?)....if I went that route what gasket would I get?

how many notches do they have from the factory?....and what make is oem?

lynall · Jan 1, 2021

Jonnymoore1970 said:
So the head has writing on it and a gasket with 5 notches on it.....I’m thinking that it’s a second hand head, maybe skimmed with a thicker gasket?

I can get hold of a known good head for £100 from a Disco 4 (cheaper than having this one tested?)....if I went that route what gasket would I get?

how many notches do they have from the factory?....and what make is oem?

D4 2.7 or 3.0 engine?
Gaskets no idea, hope never to find out!

Nodge68 · Jan 1, 2021

Jonnymoore1970 said:
So the head has writing on it and a gasket with 5 notches on it.....I’m thinking that it’s a second hand head, maybe skimmed with a thicker gasket?

I can get hold of a known good head for £100 from a Disco 4 (cheaper than having this one tested?)....if I went that route what gasket would I get?

how many notches do they have from the factory?....and what make is oem?

Having the head faced off doesn't alter the compression ratio, as the head is a chamberless type. This means the chamber is in the pistons (the large dish in the centre), so the head gasket thickness is worked out, based on how far the pistons protrude from the top of the block.
The easiest option is to go by the thickness of the old gasket, normally identification is based a number of holes.

I'm not sure if the head from a D4 is identical, but can't think it's much different, as I'm sure the bore is the same.

Disco 3 (LR3) 2005 TDV6 HEAD GASKET REPLACEMENT (BODY ON)

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