Thread: Planned Upgrade of Stock Standard TD5

Originally Posted by RRT

Hmmm, it is a 20 yo vehicle and although has only done highway k's it is still a big leap of faith in the inherent structure and abilities of the TD5

I view this very differently. It's not a leap of faith on the Td5 - it's a leap of faith in the used second hand parts your buying being sound, and the Darkside products being reliable longer term when they have a limited history. The Td5 has proven itself for 22 years now - it's the one factor in your equation with a history to back itself...

Originally Posted by RRT

Few questions for here, with the gear box out should I look to do the rear crank seal? Front one yes? Is there anything I have missed that jumps out?

Personally, I default a position that if it's not broken don't touch or disturb it. But, there's some things that are common failures and therefore would be silly to take this approach when known. The crank seals aren't such - mine has 306,000km on the 18 year old original seals without issue.
The second but is that if you are already there and have gone through the labour to access there can be a value in replacing it now rather than having to deal with it later on - comes at a risk of opening pandoras box though and finding more and more to deal with or new seals quality or fitment is lacking and leaks etc. hence the original position of don't disturb if you don't have too...

Firstly thanks, and I mean a big thanks to all on this Site. The amount of help given freely is unbelievable and made this journey so much easier. It took a lot longer than I thought possible and there have been many trials along the way a lot of them due to covid lockdowns and inability to just go to shop and find what was needed. Order, wait and then wait some more only to find the bespoke part was not suitable, especially pipes, cost months of time.

So the finished upgrades to get to do this, put a little mud on it was just over a year from the last thread on this.
20220212_180721.jpg

My original estimates for the work were a little shy of the mark but conversely also included parts that I had not anticipated such as the Turbo, Manifold and Turner Head. So removing these aspects of the build and having had some significant savings along the way on purchasing products I was not originally looking to buy, the cost was not too far off with all the work to date being by the BIL and myself.

If these items were to be purchased at retail the build would have around $20,000 but having had spent so long preparing for this, the savings were considerable as bargains came up and gladly purchased. It is currently insured for $17K

Upgrades

Engine and Associated;

• Darkside Development Manifold and Turbo
• Customized Oil pipes to and from Turbo
• Customized Darkside Development exhaust
• Replacement 6 BAR MAP and this replaced again with a 4 BAR MAP
• Manifold and Exhaust wrapping with Turbo Beany
• SAAS EGT and Boost Monitor
• P38 Auto Cooler
• Pertek Hoses to ATC
• Serck Intercooler
• Davies and Craig Electric Waterpump, sensor EWPC and EF's
• Davies and Craig Coolant Guard
• Silicon Hoses for Coolant and Air
• Modified Hoses for the EWP
• Customized Shroud for EF, subsequently deleted as advised to place fan directly on radiator - shroud but down and only top over radiator remians
• New Mechanical Water Pump with vanes removed (Thermostat also removed)
• Turner AMC Head and associated bolts and replacement parts
• Gaskets for all attachments ie the waterpump, oil cooler...
• New Chain guide
• Harmonic Balancer
• EGR delete with Boost Outlet added to pipe
• FPR Regulator
• Fuel Filter in head - ridiculously expensive, astoundingly so even, had reservations about buying it but this is going to places which may give dodgy fuel or require refilling from a jerry can.
• Belt Tensioner
• Catch Can
• Power Steering Pump ( and now need an ACE pump and a new AIR BOX as well)
• Dual Battery Tray
• Electrical Upgrades, fuse boxes and relays
• Philips LED globes - the great ones
• Replacement ECU and SLABS
• Shack Tune, its good, very very good.
• V8 Auto Torque Convertor and Ashcroft Plate - not yet fitted, TC purchased from States (all V8's no diesels) and not England, looked again for the D2a, they had doubled in price ugggghhhhh

Suspension and Drive Train

• Two inch spacer for SLS and install bags (previously removed)
• Kit for service of Air Compressor
• Dobinson's front springs +50mm
• Bilstein's +50mm from LRA
• Extended Braided Brake lines +50mm
• Slotted Disk Brakes all around
• Yellow Stuff Pads front and rear
• Ashcroft HD rear Axles
• New Rear Hubs
• Ashcroft HD front Axles
• Ashcroft HD front Uni Joints
• Ashcroft ATB rear- ARB air locker had did not fit.
• Ashcroft ATB front
• Ashcroft 4.37 ring and pinions front and rear diffs
• UTAH front drive shaft
• Rear Shaft Rubber Replaced
• Front steering arms and shock
• Ball Joints (absolutely the worst job that we did by a long long way)
• Metal diff bolts
• LRA Front Cross Member Riser

4WD Accessories

• Front MMC Metal Bull Bar
• Rocksliders with tree bars
• Rear Metal Bar
• Warn 9500 XD winch and internal controller
• UHF Radio with 6.6dB and 2.5dB aerials
• Rear Diff Protectors
• Front Diff Protectors
• Steering Guard
• Roof Racks
• Kings Hard Top Roof Top Tent
• Cargo Barrier
• Tyre Pump Controller and 4 way hose
• 1000W inverter
• Rear Spare Tyre Carrier LRA

There are also other upgrades not pertinent such as the Alpine Head Unit, this I already had.


Would I do this again and was it worth it?

Yes absolutely! Have learnt so much and am now reasonably confident that I could fix issues on the road or rebuild as necessary, marginal at best before.

People are paying twice what this has cost (full whack) for Toyotas and Nissans which will never ever be as comfortable as the D2 and require as much or more as what my costs have been to make it perform to the same level and still not be comfortable. Are they a better 4WD no, but the better 4WD is the driver rather than what they are sitting on.

I know from the D1 Tdi, it was easily able to drive any terrain and do it with aplomb. Sure it was a gutless slug on the road but put it in Low Range and it was a blast, perfect not but fun fun fun.

The enhancements of the D2 for mine add, not detract and having to go auto due a knee on its way out, perfect.

Comfort is a safety issue for mine, having spent many days in the BIL 6.0 Chev Powered, 5spd Manual, Twin Locked, Fox Remote Shocked Toyota 80, sure it goes well and has the right bits but you're knackered at the end of the day with the jolts continually coming through and the sight lines from the drivers seat are inherently abysmal, the patrols just as bad or worse.

D2's have a well measured meeting of technology against total reliance's on CPU


No doubt if you are able to do the work yourself a $8-10K budget and pick and choose on needs based on requirements, this represents a bargain and incredibly capable 4WD