TD5 head gasket questions

[ninchi]

Sizing up the parts and tools I'll need for this on my 2001 TD5 10P. Couple of things I've seen conflicting info on:

- machine or not

Some (including workshop manual) say refacing should not be done when changing the gasket (due to changing the hardening of the head?). Others say it must be done (e.g. to smooth out damage from the fire seals?). Help?

- same gasket or 3 hole

I have a one hole gasket. Some (including workshop manual) say replace with same gasket, some (including well regarded shops) say use a 3-hole. Help?

- steel dowels or not

Some say the plastic dowels are a cause of gasket/head failure and should be changed to the steel ones. The Haynes manual says to change them to steel. Technical Bulletin 0011 says steel must not be used on VINs prior to 2A622424. Mine is 1A614674. Help?

Incidentally is there a way for "civvies" to get all the technical bulletins to ensure the workshop manual has all the necessary amendments?

- special tools

as far as I can see, the tools I'll need/want are:

* e10 socket and breaker bar for the head bolts
* viscous fan wrench
* cam/crankshaft pins
* gasket (https://parts.jaguarlandroverclassic.com/lvb000260-gasket-cylinder-head.html)and kit (https://www.paddockspares.com/da2112b-head-gasket-set-inc-head-bolts-td5-not-including-head-gasket.html)including bolts (any good OEM brand alternative to the $200 genuine?)
* dowels - plastic or steel as above

Any others?

many thanks

[V8Ian]

Ninchi, I have a viscous fan spanner, you're welcome to borrow.

[AK83]

Two tools for specific use I wouldn't leave home without .. fan spanner and nanocom!
I think nanocom you already know about ... and it will save you a lot of time and stuffing about if you own the vehicle for any length of time.

Fan spanner is kind of two parts. There are different types available, but the most commonly seen type is the 'dog leg' type.
I've seen straight spanner styles too. The dog leg type spanner works better. From experience some folks like to add loctite to fan threads (for whatever reason).
I've been a victim of this problem myself. If this happens, you also need a holding bar.
The dogleg spanner is commonly seen as a kit with the holding bar too .. so it's more expensive as the twin tool kit, but for sure you almost certainly will need it at some point(again if you intend to keep Defer for some time).
The holding bar is also used to remove the fan hub bearing. It looks like a rounded off C section with three holes at the C end. You bolt that up to the hub, and then with a large allen head(I think 12mm or something .. it's just large ... you unscrew the allen key whilst holding the holding bar. Bearing slides out.

Fan hub bearing is a common issue to look for too.

Head is easy to do.
Myself and nephew just did his TD5 head the other week. I live a million miles away and could only help when I was back in Melb, so my help was very limited. But we planned it so that I was there when we actually put the head on and bolted up most of the important bits and pieces.
Other than loss of coolant, can ran fine prior to doing head. Was smooth and seemed to have good power(for an 'unmapped' TD5).

Anyhow, he then had a ton of trouble getting it started again. Just wouldn't prime properly. We talked over phone(I'm 3hrs away) to try to work through all possible reasons why she wouldn't start. Almost kind of started with some cold start spray, but still nothing.
After a few days of frustration, we eventually tracked it down to not so good condition fuel pump. New fuel pump fitted, priming properly now, and she started.
he's got a few more fiddly bits to get done for roadworthy to get it reg'd, and hope it's on the road soon.

My only tip for 'ya ... which nephew didn't do and subsequently made it hard to get it bolted up easily ... Once you have the head off, and if you are only doing the head and not the front cover off to do timing chain too ... zip tie the timing chain with the cam sprocket on it. Zip tie around the chain guides.
If you find guides worn and and you end up replacing, etc, etc ... then don't worry about this tip. But if you just do the head and don't replace any chain/sprocket/guides/whatever else, then zip them all up to maintain tightness and not drop the chain down the block to maintain timing.

Do you have the timing kit. They're cheap enough to buy online .. as an example THIS KIT (https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/335513185534?chn=ps&_ul=AU&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=705-139619-5960-0&mkcid=2&mkscid=101&itemid=335513185534&targetid=1741701787418&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=1000567&poi=&campaignid=18278742238&mkgroupid=141565058112&rlsatarget=pla-1741701787418&abcId=9301725&merchantid=494516315&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwk8e1BhALEiwAc8MHiMwoEMf3jZskRwU0112K tJDCF_rTOUfRtbr2Vn2palMs8IzcSA87zhoCYJEQAvD_BwE).

Dowels, having read just about every post on TD5 heads ever posted on every forum! [biggrin] whilst helping nephew over the phone ... steel dowels only!

Are you trying to do this on a budget? Or are you trying to build up a fully reliable bulletproof vehicle?

[ninchi]

Thanks V8Ian, I'll probably get the fan spanners just so I have them on trips away.

Thanks AK83 - I'm definitely trying to build a bulletproof vehicle, so happy to pay for OEM/genuine, but want to do all the work myself except for the "5 spanner difficulty" stuff that needs super specialist equipment. Also balancing SWMBOs emotions about cost, but not to the point where I cut corners with chinesium parts.

She's running well apart from losing a bit of coolant into the oil, so I'm hoping it will be a straightforward job. Hoping this head gasket will last another 300k km.

Great tip on the zip ties. I found this hugely useful series (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZFi69nt9n4) which I'm cobbling together with all the other tips. Throwing out the timing freaks me out so I'll definitely buy the proper pins rather than using drill bits and plumbing parts.

Honestly if I hadn't read that TSB on the dowels I would have gone straight to steel, but I can't help wonder what the reason for the TSB prohibiting steel pins on my VIN range was. Some say it's lawyer speak. Some say the steel ones might just be a little long. Others say they replaced them on a prohibited engine and they've been fine for years. Another says the plastic ones are now superseded on *all* TD5s. I think steel is the go.

190921

[Tins]

My HG was done at 230,000. My vin is earlier than those in the bulletin. The shop that did mine used steel. My head had "walked" on the plastic ones.

[Discofender]

Have a read of this thread in the Technical section....Td5 Head Dowels - when did steel replace plastic? (https://www.aulro.com/afvb/technical-chatter/265092-td5-head-dowels-when-did-steel-replace-plastic.html)

Plenty of examples of early Td5s having their plastic dowels replaced with steel.

[ninchi]

Yep that's one of the probably eighty threads I've read on this :) Steel it is.