TD5 oil cooler bypass, is it possible, what are the implications?

I have a facelifted disco 2, 2002 TD5. It has loads of black oil in the coolant system, I didn’t pay much for the truck and I don’t want it to turn into a hated money pit. I’m halfway through stripping it down to get to the oil cooler, but how could i blank it off, assuming it can just be blanked off. Could I just replace the banjo bolts with standard bolts?

why would yu want too?

fattyfattyboomalatty said:

I have a facelifted disco 2, 2002 TD5. It has loads of black oil in the coolant system, I didn’t pay much for the truck and I don’t want it to turn into a hated money pit. I’m halfway through stripping it down to get to the oil cooler, but how could i blank it off, assuming it can just be blanked off. Could I just replace the banjo bolts with standard bolts?

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I doubt if it is a good idea to do that. Turbocharged engines put a lot of heat into the oil, that engine was designed to run with an oil cooler, and it may shorten engine life to run without it.

I’m going to plumb it for an air cooled system instead

Good luck ...cos it seems you know what you are doing or you dont know at all.

No, do not remove it... here's why in my experience. The TD5 I currently own, has had some right dodgy repairs by previous owners, but its alright cause im going to engine swap it. I discovered few weeks ago the oil cooler coolant pipe has been blanked off with a large bolt and hose clamp... and my god that engine burns oil! And thats why. I once topped it up 3 LITRES after not checking it for a couple months.

fattyfattyboomalatty said:

I’m going to plumb it for an air cooled system instead

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Couple of thoughts on that. Water can absorb more heat than air. And an air cooled oil cooler doesn't do much when you are stationary, or moving at low speeds.

Turboman said:

Couple of thoughts on that. Water can absorb more heat than air. And an air cooled oil cooler doesn't do much when you are stationary, or moving at low speeds.

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+1, i'd not do experiments with a such important part, a repair kit is around £150 and a complete new assy £300, even ifi it's expensive that's a part which should last for life, using unproper coolant mix is the only thing which ruins them

So having stripped it down to investigate I have found that the oil cooler is fine and not leaking, no signs of corrosion and pressure tested to 120psi. The O rings however were pancake flat and obviously allowing oil to bypass. The oil cooler is aftermarket as the genuine Land Rover o rings do not fit. I have sourced some Viton orings the correct size and built it back up. I hear what you are all saying regarding temp transfer etc but if the oil cooler fails in the original place, then as well as loosing oil, I will lose coolant with potentially catastrophic failure being more likely. Or am I just being paranoid?