D2 TD5 Head Gasket

[Discopug]

I have a TD5 D2 with 170k on it. I believe I have a head gasket leak ( too much pressure in the coolant ).
Is this normal for this model (1999) ?
If so why and what is the best fix ?
IE does the head get replaced or machined or welded and machined or reco'ed

[ringtail525]

I have a TD5 D2 with 170k on it. I believe I have a head gasket leak ( too much pressure in the coolant ).
Is this normal for this model (1999) ?
If so why and what is the best fix ?
IE does the head get replaced or machined or welded and machined or reco'ed
Mine had the same problem at the 120k mark. Head was cracked. Engine rebuilding shop welded it up then reconditioned it. I haven't had any trouble since and my 99 disco now has 358k on the clock.
ringtail

[Discopug]

Just been doing a ring around the work shops
Some say machine the head some don't
Some want to put steel dowels in to replace the plastic ones and some don't
some want to weld the head and one wants to sell me a second hand motor !

[PAT303]

Find out what the problem is first.LR's like all new vehicles run a bit of pressure in the cooling system so I would get checks done first before worrying to much about a new head. Pat

[Discopug]

I think I will take it to the place that has the ability and equipment to check it out thoroughly.
What concerns me is the different approaches I have encountered for the same problem.
I am a little cautious about outcomes now after my current servicing work shop has let me down.

[PAT303]

One trap that alot of tradesmen fall into is that there may be a common problem in some part and they just assume that replacing that part will fix the problem and it's job done instead of looking and doing the required tests as it may just be covering a worse or hopefully easier problem. Pat

[stevo]

it took me ages to confirm it was the head gasket using a gas test method to test for combustion gas in the coolant would only show up if I drove it hard then did the test drove for around 6 months till I confirmed it was the head gasket and get the parts together before doing it myself.

[Blknight.aus]

NO machining head.
NO welding head.

any of that means that the head needs to have its extra gucchi face hardening redone. Weve got a place on base that can do it but you do not want to know about the price. it is almost cheaper to buy a new head and build it up (IT would be for me as I can do all my own head assembly work) and then there is no guarentee that the initial machining will still be inspec after the process.

There are some places that can do it and do it well but they are going to be few and far between and will more than likely charge the earth to do it.

The choice of dowels is much of a muchness. I prefer the steel ones but theres no reason not to use the plastic ones. its the same logic as to why I prefer a steel brush bar as opposed to the new plastic ones.

[PAT303]

If you need a new head price one from the UK before you buy one here.There can be a big saving. Pat

[Redback]

Mine is in getting done now, $2000 if the head is OK or $4500 if the head is knackered (ie) soft.

Mine has 168,000ks, i put mine down to not using the correct coolent, 0AT and not checking the coolent on an inland trip, the car overheated, the other occasion the car overheated was when i blew a top radiator hose.

Baz.

[Redback]

NO machining head.
NO welding head.

any of that means that the head needs to have its extra gucchi face hardening redone. Weve got a place on base that can do it but you do not want to know about the price. it is almost cheaper to buy a new head and build it up (IT would be for me as I can do all my own head assembly work) and then there is no guarentee that the initial machining will still be inspec after the process.

There are some places that can do it and do it well but they are going to be few and far between and will more than likely charge the earth to do it.

The choice of dowels is much of a muchness. I prefer the steel ones but theres no reason not to use the plastic ones. its the same logic as to why I prefer a steel brush bar as opposed to the new plastic ones.

Don't use the steel dowels on an early head, the later D2a update model is different and has steel dowels, so is OK to use them, but the early D2 has to have the plastic dowels used.

There is info on here somewhere about it, so check before using the steel dowels if you have an early TD5.

Baz.

[Discopug]

Redback $ 2,000 is a good price !!
No one I spoke to was as low as that.
They were all around $2,500 to $ 2,800 if the head was okay.
Most wanted to machine the head or replace it.
I have used the OAT coolant and changed it regularly.
I believe it started when the coolant was changed and the workshop broke the blead screw on the top hose.
I drove home 400k's and discovered this when I drove in the garage.
I was lucky to get home. Since then it has not been the same and has steadily shown increasing pressure problems in the cooling system.
I have had enough cars with blown head gaskets to know the signs.
I fixed all the others myself but this one is out of my league.

[p38arover]

Do other marques do head gaskets as often as all (non-Series) Land Rovers seem to do? :(

I don't hear it about Jap 4WDs.

[Redback]

Redback $ 2,000 is a good price !!
No one I spoke to was as low as that.
They were all around $2,500 to $ 2,800 if the head was okay.
Most wanted to machine the head or replace it.
I have used the OAT coolant and changed it regularly.
I believe it started when the coolant was changed and the workshop broke the blead screw on the top hose.
I drove home 400k's and discovered this when I drove in the garage.
I was lucky to get home. Since then it has not been the same and has steadily shown increasing pressure problems in the cooling system.
I have had enough cars with blown head gaskets to know the signs.
I fixed all the others myself but this one is out of my league.

Yep i had a look at the Rave CD and after reading up to step 29, i decided that an expert would be a better option:)


Do other marques do head gaskets as often as all (non-Series) Land Rovers seem to do? :(

I don't hear it about Jap 4WDs.

Don't know Ron, i do know that the Honda Civic is prone to cracking heads.

I think it comes down to the early TD5s don't like being overheated at all and have very fine tolerances, most engine will tolerate some overheating over it's life, but i guess the TD5 doesn't.

Baz.

[p38arover]

I think it comes down to the early TD5s don't like being overheated at all and have very fine tolerances, most engine will tolerate some overheating over it's life, but i guess the TD5 doesn't.


Neither do 4.0/4.6 V8 engines. :(

[Psimpson7]

I dont think most engines like being overheated at all to be honest. people dont generally notice until its too late, and if it has happened you cant really blame the engine.....

I have had it happen on a few cars too.

most expensive and frustrating one was my Lancia Integrale race car in qualifying at Silverstone, where the feed hose split at the back of the engine, and it lost all the water... I didnt catch it and ended up having to have 30thou skimmed off the head face! (was a brand new crate engine that we had just built and had only done about 3 events... had to take the next week off work to build it again for the next weekends races)

Also had a 205gti burst a hose and need a head gasket afterwards.

I have also just had to put a new head on Sams vitara as it overheated and cracked the head badly....

I think if you dont catch them straight away your in trouble...

Pete

[PAT303]

You don't hear it in jap engines because if something goes wrong you replace the engine.Over heated or snapped timing belts etc mean replacement.If you think that LR parts are dear they are nothing compared to jap parts,any of the modern engines would cost more to rebuild than what the car is worth.Thats why I sold my jap cars and bought LR's. Pat

[Blknight.aus]

Do other marques do head gaskets as often as all (non-Series) Land Rovers seem to do? :(

I don't hear it about Jap 4WDs.

yep mitsu 2.4s and 3l engines seem to do the head anywhere between the 80K and 120K mark.

the early toymota 4.2l 6cyl TD was as bad as theTD5 is alleged to be.

and one of the guys at work whos a holden nut was telling me about one of the v6 commodores that would regularly take out one of its heads.

[TimNZ]

Do other marques do head gaskets as often as all (non-Series) Land Rovers seem to do? :(

I don't hear it about Jap 4WDs.

The guy who brought my 110 wanted it because he had 3 Mitsi Paj's fail in a row. (2 Heads, 1 conrod out the side of the block),

[Discopug]

I think it is a reality that the alloy motors will do this sooner than later, but I have never found so many variations by specialists as to how best to do the repair.

[Discopug]

Well mines all fixed. It cost me $ 3,340.00 re-using my head ,crack tested and machined. Modified exaust manifold ( bigger studs ). new stem seals.
Not altogether happy.
They replaced my coolant with the green stuff and I was quoted about $ 2,800 reusing my head.
So they found another $ 500. some where, its only money.
My power out put is down but thats another story, think it may be the fuel pump is not giving enough pressure.
25lb instead of 58lb
Does that sound right ??

[Blknight.aus]

green coolant hrmmm..


back you go and ask him to fill it up with OAT...

[scarry]

i run a few mitisu****y swb work vans,half on lpg,for last 18 yrs.never had the head off one of them.Also have never changed a radiator,coolant hoseor had a major engine,g/box or diff repair.:):)

they all do around 200-230000ks before i get rid of them
they do go through batteries fairly regularly as its to hot where they are mounted.

the vans arent as complicated as a 4x4 and also stay on smooth roads etc so this probably helps.

we have had a few panel repairs but we wont go into that

if they were landys i would be broke:(its not only repair costs its also downtime...

[Graeme]

My power out put is down but thats another story, think it may be the fuel pump is not giving enough pressure.
25lb instead of 58lb
Does that sound right ??
4 Bar approx, so 58 psi is right.

I got as far as hooking-up my pressure gauge to another TD5 that had a suspected faulty fuel pump only to have the pump fail totally, so I didn't get to see how low the pressure was.

[Discopug]

Thanks Graeme
I can only assume its the fuel pump. Just want to make sure, I'm getting a bit tired of forking out the folding stuff just to keep my disco on the road !

[Tombie]

2F & 3F toyotas were reknown for head failure.

1HDTFE need new big end bearings EVERY 100,000km Maximum

All 2.6 Astron Mitsu engines had head issues

3.0L V6 Mitsu are susceptible to head issues

3.0L Petrol Nissans cracked heads (esp in Holdens)

No Alloy engine likes overheating.... It ruins the alloy.

[Discopug]

Fair comment Tombie.
As far as I know my disco has not over heated.
I do wonder about the method used to flush and change the coolant.
Is it cold or hot? Because the motor would surely have to be hot.
My problems started after the coolant was changed the first time.

[Tombie]

Fair comment Tombie.
As far as I know my disco has not over heated.
I do wonder about the method used to flush and change the coolant.
Is it cold or hot? Because the motor would surely have to be hot.
My problems started after the coolant was changed the first time.

Nope flushed cold... Thermostat should be removed...

You may be suffering from congealed coolant..

[MickG]

'99 TD5 with 166,000ks on the clock, diagnosed this morning with head gasket failure:( Have been loosing coolant for some weeks now which seems to be due to being over pressurised. Couple of tests by my mechanic and she's booked in for the job.

[Discopug]

I'm Hearing you Mick G.
My pocket is very empty after owning my Disco for only 70k and 18months.
But I have a change of plan.
Do the work my self.
It will save me a packet and I will know whats going on.
After my head gasket was fixed I had to replace the fuel pump.
They are $ 800 fitted, I had it sent and fitted myself for $ 440.
Not a hard job and one way to save.

[MickG]

I would happily do the work myself but really I have no clue what so ever nor the tools for the job. Would cost e more to pay someone to fix my mistakes or buy the correct tools. Always fancied it though so maybe one day when I have more time and a bigger shed:D