Money no problem - best preventative maintenance advice TD5 Defender

Hi I'v got a td5 Defender , and had a td5 Disco , One thing you must change is the thin black plastic pipe that runs from your radiator to the expansion bottle . They go hard and brittle at the radiator end . They crack or snap and you well loose your coolant and over heat . It hapened to me . I told my mate about it and he checked his , and yes had gone brittle . So do yourself a favor and replace it . You can then try to see how flexable it is . I bet it snaps like a carrot at the radiator end . Jim

I don't have a td5 (yet), but one of the things I do whenever I do a service, is grab a can of contact cleaner and pick a particular circuit, check a.nd clean the connections. Helps keep the gremlins at bay. Last time I did all the ABS connectors I could get at, next time will be engine sensors. Well maintained, nearly all models of Rovers are good for well in excess of 5-600k before rebuild.

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Originally Posted by Clip

Hmm, I did look a couple of Perenties but they were just too slow in standard form. But maybe with 5 speed, adding a turbo, they'd be a good bit of kit? If the TD5 explodes, it may be an option though. Is it a hard conversion? Are they available though?

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a turboed 4bd1 r380 landy will leave any td5 for dead, my old mans 4bd1t rangie even leaves my 4.6 disco behind. its a fairly large conversion to do, a lot of particular parts you need to get your hands on to do it, but well worth it.

Only thing I'd add is to get the underneath and chassis steam-cleaned, treat/repair/replace any rust and then get the whole lot sprayed with an anti-rust treatment. Redo it every couple of years.
Pull up the carpets and check the boot, floor and firewall and around the windscreen.
Heaters eventually rust out and leak coolant under the dash.
Also, maybe fit silicon hoses and braided brake lines.
The paint might appreciate a good polish regularly. Also treat leather upholstery.

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Originally Posted by DiscoMick

Only thing I'd add is to get the underneath and chassis steam-cleaned, treat/repair/replace any rust and then get the whole lot sprayed with an anti-rust treatment. Redo it every couple of years.
Pull up the carpets and check the boot, floor and firewall and around the windscreen.
Heaters eventually rust out and leak coolant under the dash.
Also, maybe fit silicon hoses and braided brake lines.
The paint might appreciate a good polish regularly. Also treat leather upholstery.

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Leather upholstery, carpets??? Mines got rubber floor mats and plastic cloth seats [smilebigeye]
I am a fan of braided brake lines, definitely worth the investment I reckon, and hadn't thought of that -thanks. I'm going to bleed through and replace the brake fluid, so that would be a good time to swap them out.

What anti rust process/product do you recommend? I'd want to do it myself. I watched this the other day- looks a big job, but I guess would be worthwhile?? How to rustproof your Land Rover with Dinitrol - YouTube

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Originally Posted by discoRRc

a turboed 4bd1 r380 landy will leave any td5 for dead, my old mans 4bd1t rangie even leaves my 4.6 disco behind. its a fairly large conversion to do, a lot of particular parts you need to get your hands on to do it, but well worth it.

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I probably don't need to hear that [smilebigeye] I hope I don't get buyers remorse over the TD5, and wish I'd bought the Perentie after all [tonguewink]

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Originally Posted by jimr1

Hi I'v got a td5 Defender , and had a td5 Disco , One thing you must change is the thin black plastic pipe that runs from your radiator to the expansion bottle . They go hard and brittle at the radiator end . They crack or snap and you well loose your coolant and over heat . It hapened to me . I told my mate about it and he checked his , and yes had gone brittle . So do yourself a favor and replace it . You can then try to see how flexable it is . I bet it snaps like a carrot at the radiator end . Jim

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Yep that has been, thanks though.

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Originally Posted by donh54

I don't have a td5 (yet), but one of the things I do whenever I do a service, is grab a can of contact cleaner and pick a particular circuit, check a.nd clean the connections. Helps keep the gremlins at bay. Last time I did all the ABS connectors I could get at, next time will be engine sensors. Well maintained, nearly all models of Rovers are good for well in excess of 5-600k before rebuild.

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Another bloody good idea, thanks. I'll add it to next weekend's list.

Do you use the plain contact cleaner, or the one with a bit of lube in it?

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Originally Posted by donh54

I don't have a td5 (yet), but one of the things I do whenever I do a service, is grab a can of contact cleaner and pick a particular circuit, check a.nd clean the connections. Helps keep the gremlins at bay. Last time I did all the ABS connectors I could get at, next time will be engine sensors. Well maintained, nearly all models of Rovers are good for well in excess of 5-600k before rebuild.

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Has anyone backed this treatment up with an application of dielectric grease?
Worth the effort or a potential concern for the signal at the connector?

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Originally Posted by Clip

Another bloody good idea, thanks. I'll add it to next weekend's list.

Do you use the plain contact cleaner, or the one with a bit of lube in it?

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Just plain. Still humming and harring about the dielectric grease. I've seen it used when someone is expecting to get rather wet, but I've not tried it myself.