Thread: Please not a head gasket? TD5 D2a

Originally Posted by Pedro_The_Swift

OMG!!
someone stole the other bank!!

The rumoured D2b face lift with the TDV10!

Two simple tests before running off and pulling the head off...

*Do or get a hydrocarbon test on the cooling system, it will clearly pick up oil or combustion gas within the system.

*Pressure test cooling system, leave for longer than normal, say 20 mins or so.

Regards
Daz

This has been an ongoing issue for a long time that has suddenly gotten drastically worse.
No oil in the coolant, no external leaks, not burning it, constant gurgling despite multiple bleeds. The worsening coincides with raising the boost due to a fairly potent remap. Now's the time to do it, as I carpool to work and have a steady income steam for the next six months, it makes sense to do it now

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I recently changed a TD5 head and I have kept a list of parts that you should changeover at the same time. You should do all the o rings on the centrifuge housing and pull off the oil cooler to check its condition. Any pockmarks of corrosion on the internal matrix and you are up for failure in the future and a load of oil through the coolant.
It can take up to 20 turns of the crank to get the timing marks to line up. Make sure you get it exactly set up before diassembly.
The head is extremely heavy - you will need a crane. The head goes on with a tilt, so to avoid damage to the gasket on refit you should use the engine lifting leveller that can adjust the tilt. The head can be easily damaged as you lower the head because it is so heavy.
My engine had been moving around due to the performance chip - higher inner cylinder combustion pressures I think. The metal dowels had witness marks on them from the steel gasket. Something was causing the head to shift laterally.

Anyway PM me if you want to look at my head removal and replacement doc I made. It might save you some time. At the same time I did the fuel reg o ring, injector o rings, engine mounts, water pump housing to block o ring etc etc. I have a list of the o ring sizes for most.
Drop the sump as well because coolant will drop into it and you should check the oil pressure relief bolt - mine was most of the way out. I wasnt going to drop the sump but I got keen and was very lucky to discover the issue. The gasket was leaking anyway. The oil pump bolt was OK.

As you know dont use any sandpaper or grinding disks when cleaning the deck and head. The aluminium oxide will find its way into your crank bearings and other places eventually. Hope Im not telling you something you already know but lots of professionals incorrectly use sandpaper or 3M air grinder disks.
BTW - I only did the injector o rings because a cam lobe had metal coming off it - probably wrong oil from previous owner - so the cam carrier had to come off.

Its a continuous slugfest to do the TD5 head - thats why I still love my 2 V8's.

I'm hoping to get stuck into the head removal job next week, but I have just noticed poking around that the oil is about 5mm higher than it should be.

Could this be from coolant - or is it more likely the dreaded crack causing fuel in oil (which is why I had this head replaced about 2.5 years ago....).

Since it got hot, it has only been driven (home) about 15kms slowly, and been started up to move about the drive a few times, not enough time to leak a whole lot of fuel into the sump I'd have thought?

try a quick blotter paper test?

So I have a dark centre and a pale outer ring from one drop of 4000km old oil on white card after 6 hours.....

Is it an AMC?

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