Disco 2 Hydro locked Td5

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Michalis Karatzis

Michalis Karatzis

Active Member
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Cyprus
So, long story short, I misjudged a puddle. When I exited the puddle the engine stopped. I checked the air filter and it was full of water. I removed the 4 heaters so the water can escape, tried to turn the engine with a spanner (after I removed the fan) and it doesn't move a bit.

What to do next?
 
If you removed the 4 glow plugs to drain water then the 5th cylinder will still be full of water as it does not have a glow plug.
Be careful as a friend did them same with a tiny little puddle and his BMW X3 and totally f#@&#d his engine and ended up with a new engine through insurance, lol.
Still take the p#@! every time it rains in case his X3 stops working again
 
Remove the injector from number 5 and turn it over by hand. If it turns over fine by hand, then turn it over a few times with the starter, but with start isolated. Then put it back together and it it runs fit a snorkel.
 
Sadly, you will either have to take the injector out or take the head off, I think. Unless there is some way of depressing a valve or valves., after having turned the crank to remove the pressure on them.
TBH if you have hydrolocked it then probably there will be valve damage and the head will therefore probably have to come off, but I've never done it so this is really only conjecture.
 
If the engine revs were high when it hit then con rod (s) will be favourite, as suggested I would take out the injectors and try to roll it over carefully a socket and breaker on the crank pulley bolt.
That must have been some puddle, the air intake is 3/4 up the drivers wing.
 
Si Click said:
Remove the injector from number 5 and turn it over by hand. If it turns over fine by hand, then turn it over a few times with the starter, but with start isolated. Then put it back together and it it runs fit a snorkel.
Click to expand...
I was looking at snorkels when I got home. To be honest I wasn't expecting the car getting drowned that easily, the puddle was not that big. I don't know if the previous owner did any modifications to the airbox or to the inside of the wing.
 
raywin said:
If the engine revs were high when it hit then con rod (s) will be favourite, as suggested I would take out the injectors and try to roll it over carefully a socket and breaker on the crank pulley bolt.
That must have been some puddle, the air intake is 3/4 up the drivers wing.
Click to expand...
My mechanic suspects damage to the lower part of the engine since there is zero movement at the crank pulley bolt. I might remove the sump and have a look from the bottom too. The puddle was not massive, I'm not sure how I got it so wrong. Is not my first time through a puddle with this car...maybe a bit too much speed going in...:(
 
Have you pulled the No 5 injector? If not it could still be hydro-locked and you might still have got away without serious damage. Before letting him pull the sump and run up a massive bill, remove the No 5 injector and try to turn by hand. Fingers crossed.
If nothing, then he is right and you need to pull the sump, remove the end caps from the crankshaft, and check for damage to piston walls, crankshaft and con rods. If there is damage to the bores or crankshaft, could be second hand engine time, if just damage to the con rods then pull the head and take the opportunity to replace all the pistons. Look on the bright side, by the time you have replaced the pistons, serviced the head and fitted new big ends the engine should run like new.
 
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Si Click said:
Have you pulled the No 5 injector? If not it could still be hydro-locked and you might still have got away without serious damage. Before letting him pull the sump and run up a massive bill, remove the No 5 injector and try to turn by hand. Fingers crossed.
If nothing, then he is right and you need to pull the sump, remove the end caps from the crankshaft, and check for damage to piston walls and con rods. If there is, second hand engine time.
Click to expand...
No I have not yet. My next try will be removing no5 injector and if 2nd time unlucky the sump is off. And if 3rd time unlucky then as you said is 2nd hand engine time...

On a side note, the mechanic is a friend with a 20+ years experience on LRs. He lets me use his garage and tools, gives advice and only charges for oil/parts (most of them I buy online anyway). Without me wanting it I ended up becoming an expert on D2s
 
does it turn backwards? If its only water in the cylinder it will turn backwards. Doesnt sound like it will though. Then its toast, con rod is bent. Depending where in the stroke it is it doesnt take much of a bend to lock them.
 
Stanleysteamer said:
Sadly, you will either have to take the injector out or take the head off, I think. Unless there is some way of depressing a valve or valves., after having turned the crank to remove the pressure on them.
TBH if you have hydrolocked it then probably there will be valve damage and the head will therefore probably have to come off, but I've never done it so this is really only conjecture.
Click to expand...
Sorry, should have said "after having turned the crank ANTICLOCKWISE" kinda thought it was obvious but then...
 
EeEk said:
does it turn backwards? If its only water in the cylinder it will turn backwards. Doesnt sound like it will though. Then its toast, con rod is bent. Depending where in the stroke it is it doesnt take much of a bend to lock them.
Click to expand...
Not forward and not backwards...

I guess I have to strip it now and see what I'm left with
 
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probably not worth fixing....you get a drive away rotton td5 disco for £300 just swap the engine for another :)
Ive seen a good few diesels that have had a drink....floods were common here. Some conrods that were so bent they wouldnt come out. The crank ends so twisted they wouldnt fit up the cylinder. Seen a few smokers as well where its just a wee bend...enough to drop the piston down a mm or 2...they run but smoke as theres not enough compression for a clean burn.
 
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