300Tdi HELP PLZ!!!!!

Hi all, I have a 300tdi....recently had new water pump and drive belt fitted and appears to be none landrover parts used. Since having them fitted my power steering has been playing up momentarily and on Friday luckily only a mile from home it happend again, followed immediatley by a belt screeching then a bang....steam was coming from the engine and altho I probably shouldnt have driven it that last mile to the house I did....(landys always limp home!) lifted the bonnet to find the plastic screw ontop of the thermostate housing had sheared off and all the water and coolent had come out all over the engine. Been in touch with someone who thinks 1 of 3 things, either belt has been slipping due to wet weather making a build up of pressure forcing the screw to blow off or the screw was damaged when the water was put back in from the water pump being changed or worst case the head gasket has gone....Ive looked in the oil and there is no evidence of water getting in there and no gunge round the lid.
If anyone can help with any suggestions I would be greatly appreciative. I would like to think it is something the garage has maybe done or not done but who knows?
Thanks VERY much!

if its in the garage being fixed now !!
why ask for help !!

sounds like a pully was seizing up, hence the fan belt squeal.

OMG sarcastic or what ROBINT! FYI the car is NOT in the garage, if you read my notice again it was a suggestion from someone that it may be related to the work they did! Cant believe this, I put a notice on asking for genuine advice and get that back!

Calm down Calm down.

"plastic screw ontop of the thermostate" when it is fixed get rid of this and replace it with a metal one.

He's right about the plastic plugs, mine sheared trying to get it off ages ago, If you look in the mag you'll find very pretty brass machined one for a small fortune about £30 I think, but if you go to a DIY store youl get a brass cast one for about £2 (they appear to be standard pipe thread) In the plumbing section you just have to make a rubber sealing gasket from a piece of rubber.

actually i bought 4 from a landrover seller on ebay for about a tenner with o-rings. theyre not that expensive!

Hey guys,maybe someone on this thread can help!In RSA were able to get a few new 300tdi defenders after the td5's.They are in the same chassis etc as td5 with all their advantages.I have been told that perhaps the reason these models perform so much better and are quieter is they were for military use.If this is so then surely someone knows the differences between these motors.Why so much more performance and so little noise with smoothness to boot? Cheers Gruntygrant

Littlelandi
Was the engine primed correctly when water pump fitted ,Did the cab heaters kick out the hot air after pump replaced ?
My disco has proven very difficult to prime after draining ,It took 5 mins of mains water pushing through the heater matrix before it primed correctly.This may have allowed the engine to overheat and sieze.
My power steering pump has also broke when out driving .The bearing shattered allowing the PAS pump pully to come forward an inch which then broke the fan belt and the fan bearing ,The PAS pump is also known to brake the drive key and allow the pump to slip so that you dont get the full pressure for the steering .
No fan belt means no water pump operation no alternator output and no PAS pressure .
New water pump cost £17 to replace
new PAS pump cost £45 (if i remember right )
All my troubles probably caused by me putting on a new tensioner
I have also siezed my engine once but it did no damage and after cooling down worked without any major repair