Discovery TD5 1999 - head gasket blown.

thebiglad · Apr 1, 2009

Hi all, I'm pretty sure that the head gasket on my Disco has blown - bubbles in the header tank, pressurising coolant etc and I'm planning on doing the work myself.

I'm going to get a new Elring headgasket plus a headgasket kit that has all the other bits in it including the new steel dowels, but my question is, how do I go about it and what are the critical areas to get this right first time around.

For example, do I need to drain down the coolant (sorry if it sounds a daft question) and in what order do I strip.

I've got RAVE so I can read up on it but I'm looking for those tips that come from people who've already done the job before.

I'm sure this post makes me sound like a numpty - I'm not but I'm just trying to get advice before "going in!!!!"

Cheers
Dave

martinhollings · Apr 1, 2009

try this link it may be of some use TD5 Cylinder head removal - How to... - Australian Land Rover Owners

Headtester · Apr 1, 2009

Hi Dave

Try these links from the Australian site - it's a TD5 but off a Defender - I read somewhere that its almost the same. You might have to register first but it's easy and quick to do.

TD5 Cylinder head removal - How to... - Page 2 - Australian Land Rover Owners

How to fit a TD5 head.... Pt1 - Australian Land Rover Owners

If you search Australian Land Rover Owners for the user Psimpson7 he has quite a few tech articles which might help.

Headtester · Apr 1, 2009

martinhollings said:
try this link it may be of some use TD5 Cylinder head removal - How to... - Australian Land Rover Owners

Snap

thebiglad · Apr 1, 2009

That's brilliant guys, thanks very much indeed.

Cheers
Dave

Ps This will feel soooooooh good if I can pull this off !!!!!

dearot · Apr 2, 2009

Sorry I didnt mean to hijack your thread but anyone knows the causes of HG problem? Any fixes? Thanks

thebiglad · Apr 2, 2009

dearot said:
Sorry I didnt mean to hijack your thread but anyone knows the causes of HG problem? Any fixes? Thanks

Apparently one of the causes is the plastic dowels LR used on thes early TD5 engines to locate the heads, they move !!

As far as I'm aware the only fix for a blown head gasket is a new one. Unfortunately

ratty · Apr 2, 2009

dearot said:
Sorry I didnt mean to hijack your thread but anyone knows the causes of HG problem? Any fixes? Thanks

Have you had it pressure and sniff tested to confirm it?

paul.ascroft@bmw.co.za · Apr 3, 2009

I would get it pressure and sniff tested before anything is done. My head gasket was done last year and I'm a bit paranoid about it. Every week I check oil and water levels. When I changed my radiator late last year, after a couple of months it sounded like air was in the system but with no evidence of leaks. My immeadiate thought was again headgasket. 2 sniff tests and a pressure test later and the independant could not determine a blown headgasket. Paranoia set in again and I would check water levels every day. I've been running the car for +/- 5,000km since and the air noise has gone and the car is running fine. My assumption is that an airlock in the system finally worked it's way through to the expansion tank. I topped her up by about 5/10mm and haven't needed to do anything since.

battenberg · Apr 3, 2009

thebiglad said:
Apparently one of the causes is the plastic dowels LR used on thes early TD5 engines to locate the heads, they move !!

http://www.landyzone.co.uk/lz/f8/pleasure-pain-71892.html

thebiglad · Apr 3, 2009

battenberg said:
http://www.landyzone.co.uk/lz/f8/pleasure-pain-71892.html

I like LR products - but I must be masochistic !!!!!!

Why oh why would any self-respecting engineer put anything plastic between block and head, I'll never know.

I've got bubbbles in the header tank. The car wasn't used for 2 yrs at all, so maybe, just maybe, it's a bit of an airlock - NO IT ISN'T DAVE, stop being stupid !!!!

The engine starts and runs fine, doesn't show any signs of overheating so I'm hoping a new head gasket will sort it.

Get that head off, now !!!!!!!

Cheers all

Dave

dearot · Apr 3, 2009

ratty said:
Have you had it pressure and sniff tested to confirm it?

Nope, I havenot got TD5 yet. Still looking for the right one or should I just stay away from it?

thebiglad · Apr 3, 2009

dearot said:
Nope, I havenot got TD5 yet. Still looking for the right one or should I just stay away from it?

There is no doubt whatsoever in my mind of two things:

1. The TD5 is, overall, a more refined, but significantly more complex vehicle for a DIY-er with more expensive parts;

2. TDi 300 is, relatively more crude and under-powered (but brilliant), easy to work on, cheap parts and relatively good fuel consumption.

The question really is: do you want a car or a Land Rover offroad vehicle and will you want to service it yourself or leave it to a garage?

dearot · Apr 3, 2009

thebiglad said:
There is no doubt whatsoever in my mind of two things:

1. The TD5 is, overall, a more refined, but significantly more complex vehicle for a DIY-er with more expensive parts;

2. TDi 300 is, relatively more crude and under-powered (but brilliant), easy to work on, cheap parts and relatively good fuel consumption.

The question really is: do you want a car or a Land Rover offroad vehicle and will you want to service it yourself or leave it to a garage?

I want a LR offroad vehicle, I used to have FL01 with infamous HGF and I never leave it to a garage for service. You can say I am a DIYer kinda guy.

Well I saw a TD5 on the net here in oz. What should I watch for except the service history? should I just open the HG, check and change the dowel no matter what?

what any other well known problem with TD5?

thebiglad · Apr 3, 2009

dearot said:
I want a LR offroad vehicle, I used to have FL01 with infamous HGF and I never leave it to a garage for service. You can say I am a DIYer kinda guy.

Well I saw a TD5 on the net here in oz. What should I watch for except the service history? should I just open the HG, check and change the dowel no matter what?

what any other well known problem with TD5?

I hope you don't think I was being rude, I just wanted to make sure you got what you wanted

Other known problem on TD5, especially early TD5:

1. Oil pump bolts undoing, causing catastrophic engine damage;

2. The "Three Amigos" a sort of electro-mechanical set of problems involving the ABS, Hil Descent and Traction control systems;

3. Head gaskets in part due to dowels;

4. Bad running due to oil in the injector loom;

5.

In a bit a of rush just right now, but I'm sure others will join in.

Post 2002 cars are supposed to be a lot better.

Good luck

Cheers
Dave

dearot · Apr 3, 2009

thebiglad said:
I hope you don't think I was being rude, I just wanted to make sure you got what you wanted

Not at all

ratty · Apr 3, 2009

I treat my TD5 the same as I did my 300tdi when it comes to offroading. That includes wading. It gets worked hard both at work and play.

WHEN it's working right it is far superior to my 300tdi. It's had more mechanical issues with it than ANY of my preveious landrovers though.

It's the first landy that my missus has been happy to drive without me having to be sat beside her.

So far repairs have cost me about £700 in 7 months. £500 was for the headgasket though. It seems to enjoy eating radiator caps and coolant temp sensors though.

PASTMASTER · Apr 5, 2009

It's just the Head Gasket if you're lucky...! Unfortunately they also tend to crack heads. There was a recent thread on fitting a strengthened design of head. Don't want to worry anyone mind...

Discovery TD5 1999 - head gasket blown.

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