Newby info needed TD5

[Bigbird]

Hi all i am Wes from Cairns north queensland,i currently drive a 88 hilux extra cab, i had a 2000 model landcruise ute before the hilux,it was a great vehicle but the fuel consumption was terrible it had the 1HZ engine non turbo very reliable until the gearbox expired apparently they had a light duty prado gearbox in the 2000 model cruisers that was the weak link,anyway i have been looking around and would like something different,i was thinking about a TD5 powered defender ute can you honestly tell me what these are like unbiased please,i like the rugged no frills look what is there to worry about mechanically i here good fuel economy,but i have been told that they have a week gearbox as well,i am a mechanic so all servicing and repaires will be done by me however i dont want any failures when i am out bush your expert advice will be much appreciated.....Wes.

[spudboy]

They are not known to have gearbox problems.

The things you want to search for are:
- oil in the loom. Early TD5s had this problem and sometimes even if you replace the original design with the newest design it can come back.
- Missing loctite on the oil pump bolt. This affected the early TD5s prior to 2001, but one or two people here have pulled their sump to check it out even on later models, and found the loctite missing.
- Fuel regulator leaking at the back of the engine. Have to replace it.

That's about it really. The oil loom is pretty cheap to update (couple of hundred), the oil sump bolt is a couple of hours of your time plus a sump gasket kit, and the fuel reg is about $300-odd to replace.

Apart from these things, they are an excellent motor.

HTH

David

[Bigbird]

spudboy....thankyou for your info,can you tell me what you mean about oil in the loom,what happens when there is oil in the loom,what part of the loom does this stop the engine running.....cheers Wes.

[Aaron]

Oil runs from the start of the ECU loom (front of the engine) and stops at the ECU under the drivers seat.

It usually pressents its self as weird spikes in revs/loss of power. Ive had it for about 6 months now, and really, to be honest, I can't be screwed fixing it. I just spray it with contact cleaner and its good for a long time. Even if its oily, it isn't to much of an issue to deal with, I hardly notice it.

The main fix is strapping a bottle in a funnel type setup to the start of the loom. fill it up with meth/contact cleaner/other plastic friendly cleaner and let it drain through for 24 hours. I *think* its also standard procedure to replace the injector harness at the same time also.

I dont think the oil in the harness will stop you in the bush though. I could be rong though.

My biggest warning to you though is. Once you go Land Rover, you'll never go back.

[spudboy]

Yeah - basically what Aaron said. The oil disrupts the signals to the ECU and it does peculiar things, like loss of power over 2500RPM, uneven accelleration, or rough idling. Replacing the engine side of the loom is the ususal fix although some people here have developed clever systems to flush the oil out with various fluids.

[Mulgo]

Had a Defender 110 Td5 from 1999 to 2003 (110000k) ; since then a Defender 130 Td5 (125000k so far).

With both I had to change the fuel pressure regulator at about 90k. Otherwise nothing on the engine which was not my own fault!

Very happy with the fuel consumption (10.5 l/100km). Enough power to get me through everything.

Bottom line: I would buy another Td5.

[discowhite]

dont forget the clutch master cylinder issues...

the OE fitted ones have a tendancey to expire at 10-20 thou k intervals.
this is not a biggie as if its replaced with an alko one the leaking is fixed.

cheers phil

[Bigbird]

discowhite......mate what do you mean by a alko type master cylinder...is that an aftermarket type one....cheers Wes.

[rangieman]

discowhite......mate what do you mean by a alko type master cylinder...is that an aftermarket type one....cheers Wes.

He means it is replaced by your run of the mill trailer brake master cyclinder cost about $30 from a your local brake place
I bought a Td5 110 december last year they are a great jigger and economical as well , I had a Tdi 300 110 before this dont worry about the gearbox they are strong enough for there intended purpose

[scarry]

Coolant is also VERY important,fit an engine saver,do a search about these,use the correct OAT coolant & after a flush,it needs to be bled correctly.Overheating from low coolant or an incorrectly bled systm is probably the biggest killer of the TD5(as it is for most modern engines).
If properly maintained,aTD5 will give you great service,and last a long time.
Good up to date service records are real important on a second handy.

Good Luck & happy hunting for a goodie