Thread: Td5 Head Dowels - when did steel replace plastic?

Mechanic told me yesterday my 2000 defer would have plastic dowls

Yep, my ‘99 Defender has plastic too. Rather it had, now has metal :-)

Mines an 05/2000

Originally Posted by twr7cx

Anyone able to advise the build date, engine number or VIN on when the plastic head dowels were replaced with steel on the Td5 motors?

I read through some old threads on the subject that I found but they mainly related to replacing plastic ones with steel versions.

Like many things Land Rover I don't think its that logical I can confirm that a 2002 TD5 had plastic dowels

Originally Posted by djam1

Like many things Land Rover I don't think its that logical I can confirm that a 2002 TD5 had plastic dowels

Yes, my 10/02 built D2a had plastic dowels as well. So the changeover mustn't have been with the D2a update and is either very late 2002 or later.

I suspect it depended on whatever was at hand when they were being built , I have done around 15-20 eu3 , including 3 , 2004 models that I can remember having plastic dowels, can't remember doing any eu2's that had steel dowels

The change was done during MY03 model run. If I can find the VIN I'll add it here.

No, I no longer have a copy of the TSB that notes the D2 & Defender VINs but here's a link to it pon another site.
www.landroverclub.com.ar • Ver Tema - Reemplazo de pines plasticos por metalicos en Td5 - boletin

TECHNICAL BULLETIN NO: 0011 ISSUE: 1 PAGE: 1 OF 1
TECHNICAL BULLETIN
MODEL / DERIVATIVE: Bulletin No: 0011
Discovery Series II (LT) CDS. ref: L8821bu
Defender (LD) Issue: 1
Date: 20.11.02
AFFECTED RANGE:
All Td5 derivatives within VIN ranges:
Discovery Series II
(02 Model Year)
2A 736340 to 3A 793895
Defender
(02 Model Year)
2A 622424 to 3A 647705
SUBJECT:
CYLINDER HEAD LOCATING DOWELS
DETAIL:
Td5 engines fitted to vehicles in the above VIN range are fitted with plastic dowels
to locate the cylinder head onto the cylinder block.
Land Rover Engineering has introduced steel locating downs from the following
VIN numbers:
Discovery Series II: 3A 793895
Defender: 3A 647705
INFORMATION:
If a cylinder head is removed from a vehicle in the above VIN range, the plastic
dowels must be replaced with new specification steel dowels, which are now
available from Land Rover Parts.
CAUTION: Td5 derivatives prior to the above VIN range must not, under any
circumstances, be fitted with the new steel dowels. If steel dowels are fitted to
earlier engines, cylinder head cracking may result.
PARTS INFORMATION:
Part number Description Qty / Veh
LVB000240 Gasket - cylinder head - 2 holes (1.20mm) 1
LVB000250 Gasket - cylinder head - 1 hole (1.27mm) 1
LVB000260 Gasket - cylinder head - 3 holes (1.35mm) 1
ERR5384 Bolt - cylinder head 12
YLL500040 Steel dowel 2

My 2002 D2 TD5 is in the VIN range for the plastic dowels to be replaced by steel.

I recently checked my cam timing and noticed that the coloured portion of the timing chain was not adjacent to TDC no1.
My question is - did all TD5s came from factory with the coloured part of the timing chain at TDC?

If they did , then it is likely that my head has been off at some stage and it probably has steel dowels.
It has now done 198KK and looks to be water tight.
Regards Philip A