Thread: TD5 Goes BANG!

Hi all. I have just returned home to Adelaide after doing the Tanami track and Canning Stock Route in my Defender 110 TD5. Overall the 110 performed beautifully and I had many comments about how "sweet" the motor sounded.
After getting off the Canning we headed south through Kalgoorlie and then east across the Nullarbor. We visited Eyre Bird Observatory and on the way out we stopped to re - inflate out tyres before hitting the highway.
I left the motor idling to power the compressor when, after about 20 mins the motor started a loud ticking sound. I turned it off and checked everything - after ensuring everything was in order I tried to start it - no go! Then, after about half an hour later I tried starting it again - there was a loud bang then horrible metalic clattering noise in the top of the motor.
To cut a long story short, we were towed 750 kms to Ceduna where the old girl will be loaded on a truck to be returned home.
My feeling is she may have dropped a valve - does anyone have any thoughts about this?
Could the severe corrugations on the Canning loosened something?
Has there ever been an issue with TD 5 motors like this?
Whatever, by the loud mettalic noises, it seems it will be expensive to fix - fortunately, it was only idling when this happened so the internal damage may have been reduced.
I look forward to everyone's thoughts.

Originally Posted by Primalanton

It is a 2004 110 Extreme. Total kms 140,000.
Every one had been telling me a td5 was good for 500k!

Usually yes. I'm one of the small percentage who lost mine early in my D2a - despite an easy life and logbook servicing by OP.
In my case at 153K (25K after I bought it, and despite me being anal about servicing) and I replaced it with a 40K ex Defence Defender same age version. Touch skull, 60K later no repeat.