Rotor? TD5

If this has been asked before, my apologies.

I purchased a filter kit which has a Rotor Filter. I cannot see where this is on the engine. I have asked some of my Land Rover friends, but they don't know either (though in all fairness, their Landys are not TD5s).

I have searched my manual, but to no avail. Any help would be most appreciated.

It's on the right side of your td5, towards the front, between the exhaust manifold and the turbo. It's inside a domed cover that has two bolts. You remove those two bolts that hold the cover on and you'll see the rotor filter sitting inside there. There's a bunch of good step by step filter change tutorials online, google "td5 filter change."

Many thanks to both of you. I shall give it a go!

Be aware that the bolts on these housings have been known to shear off when you undo them

very helpful link Jam1 thanks

Thanks for all the help everyone.

Just one further question, since installing the new rotor, I have noticed a faint 'droning' noise from it every time I switch off the engine. It sounds like a light aircraft in the very far distance, is this normal? I have never noticed it before.

Maybe the old one was too gunged up to rotate as fast??

algeebop said:

Thanks for all the help everyone.

Just one further question, since installing the new rotor, I have noticed a faint 'droning' noise from it every time I switch off the engine. It sounds like a light aircraft in the very far distance, is this normal? I have never noticed it before.

Maybe the old one was too gunged up to rotate as fast??

Click to expand...

I always thought that noise came from the turbo on mine.

Just changed mine!

Word of caution, dont over tighten the dome bolts! My bolt close to the engine just pulled out the threads in the lower part of the housing.

Guess its been getting weaker for years but as its only the second time I've changed mine in 2.5 years must have been the previous owners service garage over doing it.

Anyone know a quick fix? New lower housing? Drill out and re-tap?

glue it in and flog the car before it needs done again?

Perfectly normal. Its the rotor slowing down and not the turbo.
One of the reasons you should let a turbo engine idle for a minute or two before shutting down is to let the turbo rotor slow down before the oil film bearing collapses when the engine oil pump stops. It also allows it to cool down after a good run.

Some of the cheaper replacement oil rotors have the central bearing made slightly too long so it binds on the rotor housing cover when tightened down and thus never spins.

You can machine off about 1mm from the top of the central bearing and then it will spin. If you dont hear the rotor slowing at engine shut off then chances are it does not spin at all.

I just buy OEM and have never had a problem.

The rotor housing cover bolts only need lightly nipping up to about 6ft/lb. Check this as this is from memory so be careful.
It is the O ring that does the sealing not the tightness of the bolts. If you do strip a thread then you can simply drill right through and use a longer bolt with a locknut. I have seen them helicoiled but it is a lot of work and there is not much metal there or room for error.

algeebop said:

Thanks for all the help everyone.

Just one further question, since installing the new rotor, I have noticed a faint 'droning' noise from it every time I switch off the engine. It sounds like a light aircraft in the very far distance, is this normal? I have never noticed it before.

Maybe the old one was too gunged up to rotate as fast??

Click to expand...

Drill through and use a longer bolt with a locknut. Common fix. The cover bolts only need lightly nipping up as it is the O ring that does the sealing not the tightness of the cover bolts. From memory I think it is something like 6 ft/lb which is not a lot.

retneprac said:

Just changed mine!

Word of caution, dont over tighten the dome bolts! My bolt close to the engine just pulled out the threads in the lower part of the housing.

Guess its been getting weaker for years but as its only the second time I've changed mine in 2.5 years must have been the previous owners service garage over doing it.

Anyone know a quick fix? New lower housing? Drill out and re-tap?

Click to expand...

Thanks Shifty, so I take it that the noise I hear is fairly normal? Next time I change it I shall buy an OEM one.

Yup, they sometimes spin for a while after the engine stops. Once the oil pump is no longer operational they're not floating on a film of oil so you can hear the friction. It might be the turbo but is more likely to be the centrifugal filter.

Shifty1962 said:

Drill through and use a longer bolt with a locknut. Common fix. The cover bolts only need lightly nipping up as it is the O ring that does the sealing not the tightness of the cover bolts. From memory I think it is something like 6 ft/lb which is not a lot.

Click to expand...

Shouldn't be any need to drill, the existing hole is tapped right the way through.

Use a longer bolts and nut as Shifty says or some threaded bar will work with nuts either end too.

algeebop said:

Thanks Shifty, so I take it that the noise I hear is fairly normal? Next time I change it I shall buy an OEM one.

Click to expand...

The OEM will still make the noise. If you dont hear the spin down noise then the rotor is not working.

Thanks everyone who replied to this thread, I feel much happier now. Mind you, I still don't know why I never noticed that noise before, I am sure I would have. So maybe the old one wasn't spinning very well, glad I changed it now!

algeebop said:

Thanks everyone who replied to this thread, I feel much happier now. Mind you, I still don't know why I never noticed that noise before, I am sure I would have. So maybe the old one wasn't spinning very well, glad I changed it now!

Click to expand...

If you really have to know you can confirm it is the oil rotor by placing a long screwdriver on the casing and putting your ear to the handle. Get someone to switch off the engine and you will hear the rotor spinning through the screwdriver. You can do the same on the turbo housing. It is an old school trick for tracking down engine noises of all descriptions.Especially useful for finding a ticking valve or tappet in my experience.