Can you check for a cracked TD5 Head prior to purchase?

[Islandnomad]

I am looking at buying a D2a TD5. Is there any way to check whether it has a cracked head prior to buying it?


An oil analysis would be a way to check it maybe?

[Islandnomad]

There are two issues which the cracked head causes I think:

Diesel in the oil (sump)
Diesel in the Coolant


I think that's right???????

[loanrangie]

Depends where the crack/s are , might just overheat or pressurize the cooling system.

Sent from my GT-I9300 using AULRO mobile app

[Islandnomad]

I know that the TD5's can have cracked head issues, I had one that gained oil and added diesel to the sump.


Not sure about the coolant side of things, is that the issue that the TD'5 are having with some of the cracked heads and coolant Loanrangie?

[Islandnomad]

Having done some research I've discovered 4 ways to check for a cracked head as follows:
Check dipstick, smell oil for diesel smell
Oil sample test via Wear Check Pty Ltd
Blotting paper test as discussed above
Remove rocker cover, clean inside so that its spotless, run fuel pump through test book, observe visual diesel ingress via microscopic cracks in head (this works a treat apparently)
Don't know how to check for leak into coolant system though?

[Pippin]

A leak into the cooling system is easy to check. If it is diesel you will see small globules floating at the surface of the header tank and some staining of the inner surface of the tank. In bad cases you can dip paper in and it will burn (after you remove it of course). Or if it is oil much the same but more scum. On a good working head and cooling system the header tank and coolant should be pristine.
Nick

[Jazzman]

There is a chemical test you can do that checks for exhaust gasses in the cooling system. Mechanics use it all the time. I'm not sure if this will really help you with a cracked head.

All the tests check for fluid contamination and won't distinguish the difference between a head gasket and a cracked head. Which are totally different issues, well financially anyway.

[discorevy]

The chemical test is called a tk test , where , if gases in cooling system are detected the chemical will change colour from blue to yellow
Usually can be detected by bubbles in the coolant / overpressurising without using the tester
I'll add that most of the time diesel in engine oil can be attributed to fuel injector o rings, not necessarily cracked head
Also sometimes a bit of residual sludge in expansion tank could be down to leaking oil cooler
Cheers

[sierrafery]

One of the worst scenarios(happened to me) is to be a crack on the coolant circuit in one of the inlet ports then will be no other symptom than very slow coolant level drop without any trace of a leak, the very small amount of coolant which is leaking there is 'atomised' in the combustion chamber... killed my nervs for almost a year as i couldn find the leak what ever i did untill the head came down for a pressure test then the painfull reality was revealed:(.

[CraigE]

One of the worst scenarios(happened to me) is to be a crack on the coolant circuit in one of the inlet ports then will be no other symptom than very slow coolant level drop without any trace of a leak, the very small amount of coolant which is leaking there is 'atomised' in the combustion chamber... killed my nervs for almost a year as i couldn find the leak what ever i did untill the head came down for a pressure test then the painfull reality was revealed:(.
I reckon mine has done the same on the Defender.
131056
131057

[stealth]

Mine suffered a tiny crack near an injector port which let diesel into the sump. The replacement head was much thicker in the area it had cracked so hopefully never again.