Thread: Tiny leak out of expansion tank ejector

Do you still have the original Black plastic tank on yours, if so it might be getting past it's use by date. Tanks do perish with heat and age, they either break up or burst at the seems at not wanted times.

I had the new version fitted some years ago so no issues with the tank, aside from changing the cap a couple of times as part of preventative maintenance.

I fitted the brass y piece after I noticed mine leaking , do it now while you can.
Just cut the crimps off and about 5mm of hose off each end and fit appropriate hose clamps and forget.

After searching high and low around Darwin I had to settle on a T piece. Hopefully that'll do the job ok (?)

T-piece is just as good .. although.
I broke mine the other week, when I accidentally hit it breaking off a pipe.
Replaced it with a brass t-piece, and ever since I did that, I'm having a lot of trouble getting the 300Tdi to warm up as quickly as it used too before I broke it.
I thought is was a coincidence that maybe the thermostat may have just stuck open at the same time, but replaced the t-stat yesterday first thing in the morning before I went out.
But still the same trouble with getting the engine to a decent operating temp as quickly as it used too.

I'm going to replace the t-piece again when I get the chance with the landrover item(the ESR thing) hoping it'll make a difference to how quick it gets to a reasonable operating temp.
Up in Darwin, obviously that isn't an issue. But here in 'freezing cold Melb' ... first thing in the morning, it does.

Originally Posted by AK83

T-piece is just as good .. although.
I broke mine the other week, when I accidentally hit it breaking off a pipe.
Replaced it with a brass t-piece, and ever since I did that, I'm having a lot of trouble getting the 300Tdi to warm up as quickly as it used too before I broke it.
I thought is was a coincidence that maybe the thermostat may have just stuck open at the same time, but replaced the t-stat yesterday first thing in the morning before I went out.
But still the same trouble with getting the engine to a decent operating temp as quickly as it used too.

I'm going to replace the t-piece again when I get the chance with the landrover item(the ESR thing) hoping it'll make a difference to how quick it gets to a reasonable operating temp.
Up in Darwin, obviously that isn't an issue. But here in 'freezing cold Melb' ... first thing in the morning, it does.

Just get a Y piece , there is no advantage in the plastic joiner.

Originally Posted by AK83

T-piece is just as good .. although.
I broke mine the other week, when I accidentally hit it breaking off a pipe.
Replaced it with a brass t-piece, and ever since I did that, I'm having a lot of trouble getting the 300Tdi to warm up as quickly as it used too before I broke it.
I thought is was a coincidence that maybe the thermostat may have just stuck open at the same time, but replaced the t-stat yesterday first thing in the morning before I went out.
But still the same trouble with getting the engine to a decent operating temp as quickly as it used too.

I'm going to replace the t-piece again when I get the chance with the landrover item(the ESR thing) hoping it'll make a difference to how quick it gets to a reasonable operating temp.
Up in Darwin, obviously that isn't an issue. But here in 'freezing cold Melb' ... first thing in the morning, it does.

The plastic T piece is a jet pump designed to suck bubbles out of the top of the radiator, and has quite a small hole in the line from the thermostat housing. To improve the warm up speed, fit a short piece of old brake pipe or copper tube (with a flare end facing out) into your brass tee inlet barb to extend just past the side connection to the rad. This will make it work more like the original and improve your warm up speed.

Originally Posted by loanrangie

Just get a Y piece , there is no advantage in the plastic joiner.

I think you've misread my reply.
I already fitted a T piece. engine now takes about 20 mins longer to get to a sufficient operating temp.
Used to get to 60°C in about 5mins of slowish suburban driving before I broke the plastic doodad and fitted the t piece.
Now it takes 30mins, 20 mins of 80km/h freeway driving, and it only just reaches about 70-75 by the time I get to work on a cold(eg. 5-ish degree morning).
After 5 mins of suburban driving(ie. a bit of idling, and a bit of 60k/h major roads, it's still hasn't moved off the 50°C mark, and then I'm on the freeway. About 10mins of freeway and it finally gets to 60°C then struggles to go from 60-70 C for the last 10mins or so.

Fitting the t piece has made it harder(longer) to get heat into the engine.
Eventually(say after about 30-40mins) if does finally get to 83°C where it seems to settle.

I've also removed the (viscous)fan to see if that helps, but it's made zero difference. Fan is in the back(just in case), but the way it's running now, it's not needed. Been running now for a week without fan.

Naturally, I assumed that the thermostat just got stuck open, which happened to coincide with my t piece replacement job.
So I got one, 88°C(190F) thermo, fitted and still the same timeframe for engine to build any heat.

Only difference the new thermostat made is that it finally settled at about 87°C on the temp gauge(aftermarket VDO sensor).
For the past year, it'd sit on 83°C with monotonous regularity.

I'm now assuming that the t piece has created this effect of delaying getting any heat into the engine.
So I'm looking to get a plastic thingy replacement to see if this has caused the delayed heating effect.

Funnily tho, having had rover v8's most of my life, they all have given me troubles with overheating(except the RRC) .. so to have a Rover(of any type) having trouble heating up, is a surreal experience.

When I snapped the plastic thing, I looked inside and could see nothing that looked like a restrictor of any type. It appears to be just a bulbuous y junction. Blowing through all three ports also confirmed no restriction either.

The other anomaly: the waxstat thermostat now out of the car(but looking fine) was tested this morning. with water at 88°, it wouldn't open!
Finally dumped straight boiled water into the tub, and it just started to crack open, and settled at an opening of about 3mm.
I got two Tridon thermostats(one 88°C(fitted), and an 82°C as a spare if I decide I want to run it cooler). Both Tridons open up with about a 10mm gap, which looks to be about as far as they travel.
The 82 starts to open at about 78-79, and the 88 starts to open at about 83-ish.
There's not really a lot of difference between the two Tridons, but a massive difference between the two Tridons and the old Waxstat.
Going by my observation of how the Waxstat is operating, I'm amazed that the 300Tdi hasn't been overheating.