Defender TD5 Head Gasket

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90TD5

90TD5

New Member
Posts
401
Location
England
Morning Guys.

I have a 1998 TD5 and it looks like the head gasket has gone. When opening the coolant cap after a long drive water boils over and due to the pressure a crack has developed on the bulb. I have taken it to a reputable 4x4 specialist who says that the whole job, with a salvaged engine, will be around £4,500.

He says that an engine with about 90,000k will be £3,000 with VAT. To fit is £1,300 and other bits like oil and a clutch kit make up the rest.

Guy says he will ring around the guys he knows who break TD5 def/disco and find an engine. He will then start it. See it runs fine and then take it out and put it in mine. If it goes wrong in 3 months he will just replace it.

People are saying I should just get the head gasket fixed which is £1,000 but his point is that you don't know what else has been damaged and replacing the engine will cure all problems.

If anyone can provide some friendly advice I would really appreciate it. I just want my pride and joy running the best it can be... For the cheapest it can be.



Thanks,

Sam
 
Ha ha... They're all fine.

On a serious note... Can you comment in a worthwhile way?

I need help and I'm new to this.
 
Thanks. I know it must be very amusing for people on this forum to see such an amateur but I am happy admitting I have no clue.

If I get the head gasket fixed will the problem re-occur? How much should I look to pay here? With a head gasket going is there other damage done that will need fixing too?

I'm based in Surrey.

Thanks.
 
Last edited:
Thanks mate. I am going to look to get the head gasket replaced. Just hope the issue doesn't reoccur!
 
With the head gasket gone I am being told by many people that the engine could be screwed. Or that the reason the head wend is because the engine is broken. Does anyone have experience of fixing a head gasket and that completely solving the problem? I need the bar to do trips in the summer to Devon from York.
 
90TD5 said:
With the head gasket gone I am being told by many people that the engine could be screwed. Or that the reason the head wend is because the engine is broken. Does anyone have experience of fixing a head gasket and that completely solving the problem? I need the bar to do trips in the summer to Devon from York.
Click to expand...

if its just head gasket, its fixable, at worst a new/secondhand head, i did mine 3 years and 23k miles ago, and no problems, although land rover state the heads can't be skimmed they can and many on here have done so,
 
90TD5 said:
Morning Guys.

I have a 1998 TD5 and it looks like the head gasket has gone. When opening the coolant cap after a long drive water boils over and due to the pressure a crack has developed on the bulb. I have taken it to a reputable 4x4 specialist who says that the whole job, with a salvaged engine, will be around £4,500.

He says that an engine with about 90,000k will be £3,000 with VAT. To fit is £1,300 and other bits like oil and a clutch kit make up the rest.

Guy says he will ring around the guys he knows who break TD5 def/disco and find an engine. He will then start it. See it runs fine and then take it out and put it in mine. If it goes wrong in 3 months he will just replace it.

People are saying I should just get the head gasket fixed which is £1,000 but his point is that you don't know what else has been damaged and replacing the engine will cure all problems.

If anyone can provide some friendly advice I would really appreciate it. I just want my pride and joy running the best it can be... For the cheapest it can be.



Thanks,

Sam
Click to expand...
SOunds like you've taken your motor to a chancer.
Any car when hot will boil coolant out of the header tank if you are daft enough to take the cap off. Nothing to do with the head gasket. Everything to do with the sudden release of pressure causing the water to boil.

If the plastic coolant reservoir is cracked then change it for one that is not cracked. They dont often crack due to excess pressure as the pressure release valve in the reservoir cap will vent long before the reservoir will split.You can get one on eBay for about a tenner.

Get a sniffer test done by a reputable garage which may show a head gasket problem but not always on the TD5. Are the hoses pressurised and hard to squeeze when hot? If not your head gasket is fine. Your PM says you ran the car around for 60 miles with no problem so chances are its not a head gasket problem. Have you been loosing coolant? Maybe the cracked header tank has something to do with that? Make sure none of the hoses are leaking.

So other than water boiling out when you take the header cap off what other symptoms lead you to suspect the HG other than a dodgy mechanic trying to fleece you?
 
So far of all the replys to your problem Shifty has the best advice. He does it for a living. The guy you took it to just wants to get your money and go on holiday.

Here is a example: You go to the doctor with a ingrown toe nail on your big toe. He says lets remove your toe so it doesn't happen again. What would you do??????????
 
I would agree with shifty's advice. Another quick check is to open the oil filler cap and have a look at the colour of the oil. If it looks like a cappuccino then water has mixed with the oil. If it looks normal then it sounds like your expansion tank has burst and just needs replaced like shifty said. Also does the temp gauge show as overheating?
 
Hi Guys. Firstly... Thank you all so much for this!

On the way back from York the heat Gauge began to Fishtail. Not dramatically. It normally sits at about 11am and it started to creep up to 12 1pm (no jokes here about me looking at the clock... I'm not that bad!)

In traffic when I would accelerate away it would start to swing up towards 12 1pm (again not dramatically) Literally as I put my foot on the accelerator.

I pulled into a garage and the car had been losing about 1-2 litres. I topped it up but 50 miles later it had done the same.

I can see that the coolant tank has a split around the rim where it has been joined. I drove it back 50 miles yesterday from the specialist and it had not leaked.

I opened the bonnet last night after the drive and it was hissing as pressure was escaping through the crack in the header tank.

I really don't know what leads me to believe it is the HG - Just that a lot of coolant leaked out on the way back from York and that the heater blew cold and the temp gauge fish tailed.

I have booked the car into Land Rover telling them a suspected HG. They say they will test it and see if it is the HG and if so replace. Bill looks to be £800 INC VAT.

I have a trip planned in Ireland soon and I need the car to be reliable.

Thanks again.
 
Last edited:
90TD5 said:
Hi Guys. Firstly... Thank you all so much for this!

On the way back from York the heat Gauge began to Fishtail. Not dramatically. It normally sits at about 11am and it started to creep up to 12 1pm (no jokes here about me looking at the clock... I'm not that bad!)

In traffic when I would accelerate away it would start to swing up towards 12 1pm (again not dramatically) Literally as I put my foot on the accelerator.

I pulled into a garage and the car had been losing about 1-2 litres. I topped it up but 50 miles later it had done the same.

I can see that the coolant tank has a split around the rim where it has been joined. I drove it back 50 miles yesterday from the specialist and it had not leaked.

I opened the bonnet last night after the drive and it was hissing as pressure was escaping through the crack in the header tank.

I really don't know what leads me to believe it is the HG - Just that a lot of coolant leaked out on the way back from York and that the heater blew cold and the temp gauge fish tailed.

I have booked the car into Land Rover telling them a suspected HG. They say they will test it and see if it is the HG and if so replace. Bill looks to be £800 INC VAT.

I have a trip planned in Ireland soon and I need the car to be reliable.

Thanks again.
Click to expand...

The coolant system is a pressurised system so until a new header tank is fitted it will lose coolant. Until you change the tank you're not going to know if the system is pressurising or not. When up to temp with a fully sealed system the hoses should have a bit of pressure in them. If they are rock hard and almost impossible to squeeze (a bit like squeezing a bike tyre) then the chances are that your HG has gone.

At best you should be able to get the head skimmed, pressure tested and then re-fitted. At worst a replacement head would be needed. You can get a brand new spanish (uprated) head for around £1300 which is still far cheaper than the quote you are getting at the moment.
 
Ok thanks.

Hopefully Land Rover will be able to diagnose the issue. If they see it as a new HG it will come with a years warranty. I in turn will have a look tonight at what is happening with the hoses on the car when it has been running.

Cheers.
 
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Just spoke with Land rover.

they said before they do anything they will do a Sniffer test / Pressure test etc.

I know I am probably being silly getting it done at LR but I just need the car up and running and I also get piece of mind.

Going forward if anyone knows some good guys around the London area for me to deal with I would be happy to use them!
 
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SO!

Land rover have said they can find nothing wrong with the car. They have tried to get it to overheat and see if it is losing water and it isn't!!! WTF!?!

Is it possible guys that I could have genuinely lost 3-4 litres through the crack around the rim on the header tank when cruising down the Motorway after about 300 miles with the car running at about 60mph.

Pottering around town or even doing 60 miles on the motorway the car loses no fluid.

Pressue test has been done on the Radiator and it's fine.

Thanks guys.

S
 
90TD5 said:
SO!

Land rover have said they can find nothing wrong with the car. They have tried to get it to overheat and see if it is losing water and it isn't!!! WTF!?!

Is it possible guys that I could have genuinely lost 3-4 litres through the crack around the rim on the header tank when cruising down the Motorway after about 300 miles with the car running at about 60mph.

Pottering around town or even doing 60 miles on the motorway the car loses no fluid.

Pressue test has been done on the Radiator and it's fine.

Thanks guys.

S
Click to expand...
YES! Get a replacement header tank. Used or new but one without a crack in it ;)

Go back to your mechanic who told you you need a new engine and explain in very basic terms what he should do in terms of going forth and multipying. Also let everyone else know who he is so nobody else gets taken in.
 
90td5 said:
so!

Land rover have said they can find nothing wrong with the car. They have tried to get it to overheat and see if it is losing water and it isn't!!! Wtf!?!

Is it possible guys that i could have genuinely lost 3-4 litres through the crack around the rim on the header tank when cruising down the motorway after about 300 miles with the car running at about 60mph.

Pottering around town or even doing 60 miles on the motorway the car loses no fluid.

Pressue test has been done on the radiator and it's fine.

Thanks guys.

S
Click to expand...

yes!
 
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