Thread: How to bullet proof TD5 engine for towing

I don't like the sounds of "flushed" the cooling system. Surely you should be getting the radiator checked/rodded or replaced before touching the engine.

Even if the head gasket does turn out to be the problem, at least you *know* your radiator is ok. Flushing a radiator will achieve bugger all. It's tanks have to be removed and a rod passed through to clear the tubes. You'll never remove the build up with flushing.

seeya,
Shane L.

Originally Posted by DoubleChevron

I don't like the sounds of "flushed" the cooling system. Surely you should be getting the radiator checked/rodded or replaced before touching the engine.

Even if the head gasket does turn out to be the problem, at least you *know* your radiator is ok. Flushing a radiator will achieve bugger all. It's tanks have to be removed and a rod passed through to clear the tubes. You'll never remove the build up with flushing.

seeya,
Shane L.

TD5 radiator has plastic tanks, so pulling them apart is not a good idea, a new radiator is only a couple of hundred dollars these days, they crack long before any build up inside the core.

Baz.

If you are going to do the head check the Oil Cooler while you are at it

Originally Posted by LandyAndy

Beware the temp gauge.If you are a newish D2 owner you may not realise that what the needle says is not the truth!!!! The ECU tells it to point to the middle until 105,next move is to full hot with warning light or back to "normal".
Beware a chiped ECU towing.I do have a later model ECU in my early D2,I have to VERY careful pushing it towing up hill.The tune creates high EGTs which equal high head temps.I dont have an EGT gauge,I monitor raising coolant temps via my nanocom.DISTURBING figures on a 40degC+ day uphill.
Andrew

Hi Andy , does this hold true for the 3.9 as well??
Also are you selling your disco.? And if so how much ..have a friend chasing a Td5 D2 ...Gary

In it's day the TD5 was a very nice towing engine. Nowadays the wiring looms on the latest ones are at least 9yo and brittle. I'd be more concerned about the lack of cooling to the under strengthened ZFHP22 behind it.

PaulStuart
With my 1999 D2 had similar problems and turned out to be head gasket, however my "spider" hose kept on blowing. got the gasket replaced and much better.
But have a think about coolant types, red / green
Further down the track I had a few more problems and eventually found that before I had owned the vehicle, the coolant types had been changed without a proper flush, engine had various buildups of gunk around it. So my problems didn't go away fully until I had these sorted. If you have had the car for it's entire life this might not be an issue.

the td5 has knack of the head gasket failing at a point where the cylinder head pressure can leak into the cooling system thus blowing all the coolant back into the overflow.

it happened to me and I and my mechanic took some time to find the fault,

we changed hoses, fixed the fan to drive positive, then finally the head gasket.

I now have aftermarket guages to monitor the things that arent displayed.

I think the td5 is pretty bullet proof....can't do much about a head gasket.

In over 250k I have only had starter motor....due to leaking fuel pressure regulator , alternator overhauled and harmonic balancer replaced.

forgot radiator recore.

I go on two big trips each year at least and grumble gets a comprehensive inspection prior to each trip.....anything suspect is changed and goes into spares bin.