Thread: TD5 Head gasket gone/going?

You've got it... Time to do the head / gasket

Thanks Tombie
Everything crossed its just the gasket - seems like heads need a trip to the bank managers office!

Hello!
Yup, it's the head gasket. Same thing happened with me 6 months ago. Being an early Td5, mine still had the plastic/composite dowels which had turned to powder! One head skim, new dowels and head bolts, and a weekend in the workshop later all was go again. If you are mechanically minded, have space and a Haynes manual you can do it! Warning tho... if you do get the head skimmed, make 100% sure that ALL the skimming swarf has been blown/washed out! Injectors dont like alluminium fillings... Good luck.

Thanks Sitec. I don't mind doing 'some' work on it, but this one is a bit beyond me - I'm not sure where my mechanicing limits are - but this one feels well and truly beyond them and am happy to know that its being done by someone that knows their stuff and isn't out to rip me off, just get paid a decent wage for the work - which is fair.

So its gone back in.

The first news was that the gasket was well and truly cactus and that was definitely the source of the problem - hooray!

and that they didn't suspect that the head was damaged - brilliant

Latest news, some hours later...
head has been pressure tested - 3 cracks and its too far gone - unhooray

So, digging around here and a few of the other LR forums, looks like a new head from Turners in the UK might be the go. Seems I might be able to get it landed at the mechanics for about $2180 including gasket and fitting kit (but might get slugged for gst and other fees on top).

Have emailed turners to find out about how long it should take to get here.

It sounds like a pretty good option compared with secondhand heads with unknown history (I wouldn't want one off my car once repaired!) and sure beats some of the other local prices for aftermarket or new - $4600 (swallow).

There was some comment going around about the quality of the turners heads or fittings/valves being poor... and on the flipside some saying they were made of tougher stuff than original LR ones. So I'm left wondering a bit.

Anyone fitted a Turners head? What's your experience with it?

No worries. Let us know which way you go. You'd probably find a low km head at one of the outlets here... Put a 'Wanted' add on the forum. If you really get stuck, the 'Land Rover Specialist' I used to use when still living in the UK has second hand heads on the shelf.. I feared the worst with mine and rang him but it was skimmable in the end. There was a new head on ebay a few months back. Worth keepin an eye there. As for Turners, I always heard good about them when we were in the land of POM! Good luck!

Check out item numbers 320791125902 and 120749563303 on Ebay. The first is a recon 'upto 02' head and the second is a 'from 02' new head...

Have noticed that I have a slight oil leak from the rear drivers side of the head in my 2002 TD5. Its between the head and block. Is this anything to worry about or just forget and keep clean.

Originally Posted by coolblues_au

Have noticed that I have a slight oil leak from the rear drivers side of the head in my 2002 TD5. Its between the head and block. Is this anything to worry about or just forget and keep clean.

Rocker cover gasket. About $30 and 45 mins.

Cheers

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I wish it was just that easy but the leak is between the base of the head and steel block.