Possible head gasket td5

For what it's worth have just done the head gasket for the second time. At 300k km. Cost about $500 AUD for the kit with a few extra bits. First time was 120k km. Wife cooked it. This last time was radiator damage due to extreme river crossing and having to drive out after destroying radiator.

Put it in a top hose that has a t piece with solid bleed section. Was lucky that all went well. Last rebuild machined the head. This time warp was in tolerance. Pistons and bore were pristine. Just replaced gasket.

I suppose its its a case of if you can do it yourself you're always going to be cheaper.

The cooling system on the TD5 is fragile.

Metal dowels are the go.

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Originally Posted by eckolsim

For what it's worth have just done the head gasket for the second time. At 300k km. Cost about $500 AUD for the kit with a few extra bits. First time was 120k km. Wife cooked it. This last time was radiator damage due to extreme river crossing and having to drive out after destroying radiator.

Put it in a top hose that has a t piece with solid bleed section. Was lucky that all went well. Last rebuild machined the head. This time warp was in tolerance. Pistons and bore were pristine. Just replaced gasket.

I suppose its its a case of if you can do it yourself you're always going to be cheaper.

The cooling system on the TD5 is fragile.

Metal dowels are the go.

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Have been quoted $750 labor in Nowra NSW, why so cheap?

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Originally Posted by str405

Have been quoted $750 labor in Nowra NSW, why so cheap?

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Hi mate. Is that just for the head to be pressure tested and refaced or is the price for the head off and refit with new gasket and metal dowels. As I said it cost me $4800 for pressure testing found a crack in exhaust port (scrapped head) then the price of a reco head plus fitting. I had fitted the first head after It's rebuild myself but have moved interstate and didn't have the facilities to fit a new head as refferred to by previous poster. If you are capable of doing it yourself you will learn a lot about your engine and save at least $2000.
Hope all goes well for you.
Regards
Tony milliken
Celtic4x4

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Originally Posted by celtic4x4

Hi mate. Is that just for the head to be pressure tested and refaced or is the price for the head off and refit with new gasket and metal dowels. As I said it cost me $4800 for pressure testing found a crack in exhaust port (scrapped head) then the price of a reco head plus fitting. I had fitted the first head after It's rebuild myself but have moved interstate and didn't have the facilities to fit a new head as refferred to by previous poster. If you are capable of doing it yourself you will learn a lot about your engine and save at least $2000.
Hope all goes well for you.
Regards
Tony milliken
Celtic4x4

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called to confirm, quote was for pressure testing and resurfacing only. No removal, no replace - drop off/ pickup only.

mechanically inclined but am not 100% confident in doing it myself. Plus it’s my daily driver, don’t have a second set of wheels.

graeme cooper in sydney has quoted $4000, plus cost of new head if current one is no good.

roving mechanical have quoted $2000 but have yet to confirm what this involves.

might have to run the gauntlet and fork out the cash :(

Update on this post;

Have had the head rebuilt by Roving Mechanical in Penshurst, Sydney. Was turned down by every mechanic in Nowra citing ‘low on staff... etc’.

Cost $2500, and the guys really seem to know everything about land rovers, when I dropped mine off there was another td5 there for the same issue.

Head came back good so didn’t need a replacement head.

Have done around 500km so far and no issues, no coolant loss. Reckon the overheating issue is all done and dusted.

Yup. From 2300 to 2500 is a good costing for replacement of head gasket using genuine or high quality parts.
We've had to go to 2800 pnce when having to repair several threads etc caused by the owners previous 'workmanship '
Jc

Chasing down these kinds of problem can be a real pain.

I completely rebuilt my engine (new bearings, pistons, hg, all bolts, honed block, valves and seats lapped, new stemseals etc) after chasing down mayo in the breather/filler cap and reducing coolant levels - no oil in coolant. Had the head checked for flatness and pressure tested. Replaced oil cooler, etc etc etc

Cost a packet, but I did the labour myself.

Still the problem persisted.

Bought a used AMC head and it went away.

It turned out to be a cracked exhaust port on the original head, the engine shop only pressure tested the fuel galleries for some reason :/

Sounds like a different issue, but if you get a pressure test done make sure they test inlet, exhaust, & fuel rail.

PS, posted before reading last page, oops, glad it's sorted - might be useful info anyway for others.

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Originally Posted by BennehBoy

Chasing down these kinds of problem can be a real pain.

I completely rebuilt my engine (new bearings, pistons, hg, all bolts, honed block, valves and seats lapped, new stemseals etc) after chasing down mayo in the breather/filler cap and reducing coolant levels - no oil in coolant. Had the head checked for flatness and pressure tested. Replaced oil cooler, etc etc etc

Cost a packet, but I did the labour myself.

Still the problem persisted.

Bought a used AMC head and it went away.

It turned out to be a cracked exhaust port on the original head, the engine shop only pressure tested the fuel galleries for some reason :/

Sounds like a different issue, but if you get a pressure test done make sure they test inlet, exhaust, & fuel rail.

PS, posted before reading last page, oops, glad it's sorted - might be useful info anyway for others.

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Funny you mention this...

Problem seemed to be repaired for several weeks after head rebuilt. But then, as with you, problem persisted.

Long story short, head replaced with AMC head. Mechanics report problem solved.

Ended up being twice the cost of just replacing the head in the first instance.

So, lesson for all prospective head rebuilds - even if the head passes the test, consider replacing with a new head.

Thanks to Glen and the guys at Roving Mechanical for the good work!

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Originally Posted by str405

Update on this post;

Have had the head rebuilt by Roving Mechanical in Penshurst, Sydney. Was turned down by every mechanic in Nowra citing ‘low on staff... etc’.

Cost $2500, and the guys really seem to know everything about land rovers, when I dropped mine off there was another td5 there for the same issue.

Head came back good so didn’t need a replacement head.

Have done around 500km so far and no issues, no coolant loss. Reckon the overheating issue is all done and dusted.

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You're lucky the other mechanics didn't want to do it! I would never let a "normal" mechanic anywhere near a 'Rover! This place, (and other forums) abound with tales of so-called competent mechanics buggering up peoples vehicles to the tune of thousands of dollars. Lots of dealerships seem to be no better, too. Once you find a good indie, stick to them!

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Originally Posted by str405

G’day all,

have been having issues with my 2002 discovery td5 spitting out coolant on a frequent basis, mainly, it seems, at highway speeds.

symptoms;

-high pressure build up in coolant system even after cooling down overnight. Pressure present even after several days.
-coolant loss with no leaks. I’ve strapped a 600ml bottle to the overflow tube and it fills up occasionally.

doesn’t blow smoke, no oil in water no water in oil. No power loss, runs just fine. Have drained and bled of air many times over using all the tricks of the trade. System has been pressure tested and passes. Heater blows hot.

reservoir and cap replaced, radiator replaced, top hose replaced. Again, no leaks.

Anyone experienced this before?

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Sounds exactly like my old TD5. Turned out to be cracks in the head rather than a gasket. Could easily be a head gasket thought. Only way to tell is get the head off. Just be prepare for a plan B.