Thread: TD5 losing coolant

Hello,

It could be a cracked head, it could be the head has moved due to the plastic head dowels failing. Are your coolant hoses hard or soft? After a climb stop jump out (not forgetting to put handbrake on :-) are there bubbles in the header tank?

I would check all over for simple coolant leaks first such as hoses, radiator, there is a plate on the exhaust side of the block which can corrode and leak. Also a large threaded bung on the exhaust side in the head, this was loose on mine (year 2000 TD5)

I fitted mine with a new head, bit the bullet and bought a spanish made AMC head. This cured my coolant loss, I also made my own steel lozenged dowels. Dont use the plastic ones.

I have yet to pressure test my old head but looking at the combustion chambers there is some pitting in cylinder 1 which would indicate a problem in this area, I have heard with cracking in the exhaust port but I cannot see anything although the casting looks poor in this area.

Do you get white smoke?

Steve

Originally Posted by DeeJay

Boy, what a dilemma!! I've just bought a 1999 Defender that runs really well, but will lose coolant on any decent hill. You can run around the 'burbs all day and the coolant level never changes , but a quick run up, say Mt Dandenong and there goes over a litre. I did it twice & was down 2.5 litres !! And there is no indication as to where it goes. The temp guage sits on half on hills but once it gets near the top it quickly gets up near the red for 10 secs, then drops off. I would think a longer hill & it will boil ( it did this going to Marysville)
The seller is also a LandRover mechanic & offered to refund my purchase $$ which was 15 grand, the trouble is it was over $1,000 to transfer reg & get a RWC. He will try to replicate the symptoms, but says its OK around town - I already know this.
If he says there is no issue, I'm seriously thinking of copping the grand loss and go for the refund as if its, say a cracked head or block, then i'd rather cop the pain now.
Anybody got any clues as to the cause? It is chipped, has a few extra's & 172,000k's.
Thanks,
David

David, almost certainly a head gasket failure, steel dowels will fix this ever happening again. The TK dye tests won't show up a fault usually in this scenario as at low boost pressure and under no load it won't be pushing gasses in to the cooling system.

Ask him if he will send parts to fix it, and maybe help out with labour etc? Or get him to fix it rather than change the whole vehicle, if he was willing to refund you he sounds a very reasonable person?

JC

Have you checked the fuel heater/cooler on RH side of engine. The "O" rings in the ends tend to act exactly like you describe.

OK round town, but when everything is fully heated and up and running they weep. Shows up on trips.

The other one that has similar behavior is the water pump centre seal.

Cheers

RF

Rick, most of the fuel cooler leaks I have seen have been strangely enough when the engine has cooled, overnight they drop water. BUT that is only an observation, and yes if the pressure in the system is high enough they will leak, IE head gasket pressurisation...

JC

David, my 1999 TD5 had the same symptoms, it turned out to be the plastic head location dowels had deformed and the head moved when hot causing the problem. It was fixed by a skim of the head, new gaskets and bolts! About 9 hours of work following the book but not a hard job. I would do it sooner rather than latter as you may avoid warping the head.

Right mileage for a Head Gasket
Make sure its had the right coolant (usually OAT red) if it hasn't you would be better off to get your money back.
I spent over 7 K replacing the head and dealing with new oil coolers etc because of the wrong coolant.
A head gasket job if its a simple as a head gasket with a light skim of the head would probably be 2 K and it will go for years.
As you say you are going to drop a grand anyway another grand and you will have a trouble free motor.
As Justin says if they will cover the cost of some of the parts and labor you are laughing.

Originally Posted by justinc

Rick, most of the fuel cooler leaks I have seen have been strangely enough when the engine has cooled, overnight they drop water. BUT that is only an observation

JC

I will confirm this, overnight my TD5 drops a small amount of water from the back O ring. Get the engine hot and no leak.

Plus side it was only $15 for the two O rings (Bs225 Vitron).

Should also have added that the head on my TD5 was dancing so much that the valves left relatively deep witness marks in the bores. No water or oil contamination!

Questions:

• Is the radiator pressurising? (Run it and before it gets too hot lift the the cap - CAREFULLY!
• Is there any oil in the coolant?
• Is the engine making oil, ie is the level rising?

If you have a yes to any of the above it will probably be the head or the gasket.


If No, then chances of a head gasket or crack are unlikely.


Another simple one is the radiator cap. If the cap is knackered the normal pressure in the cooling system will just pump coolant overboard as either steam or liquid; especially on a trip, and under load.



From my steam tables a 15psi cap will give BP of 134 degrees + the extra bit the glycol gives. A knackered cap will cause lots of steam bubbles adjacent to the cylinders and within the head, and these vent over the side.


But, but, but; my nanocom or whatever, says the temp is only ?? If that was the case then they wouldn't need a high pressure cap. It is to stop boiling at the point where the cooling is needed most.


Check the simple things first, it is cheaper


Cheers



RF