IanT90

First chance to get back on forum beem working. Good news rocker back on tappet adjust complete. Managed to get core disc out no sign of metal though. Poked about with magnetic snake nothing. Even got fingers inside for a rumage nothing. There appears to be a chamber that protrudes from the block may be lodged in there. Picking up core plug tomorrow will give it one last try if no luck i will just forget about it as per advice.

Sadly guy's I don't have access to the original hole anymore. I have since fitted the cylinder head,too keen to get everything back together now committed to access via core plug. Don't think inspection tool I have bought would have gone down that hole anyway head with magnet to big. On plus side exhaust manifold still off so some time saved there and its the front plug so may not need wing off to remove it. Refit of new plug may be another question ?

I live in Warrington nr Cheshire. Managed to find landrover parts place about 25 to 30 min away who will sell me one for £2 includes vat genuine landrover too. Ordered loctite and flexible magnetic rod with a light on so less than £15 everything. Should have everything early next week. Valve stem caps arrived today and rocker due tomorrow so that's Mondays job. Hopefully I can crack on Tuesday Wednesday finding my debris. All being well back on road Thursday or is that temping fate.

Managed to find a magnetic flexible tool with a light for less than £5. Loctite 638 bit more expensive £6.50. The core plug is the problem so far I have only come across single aftermarket ones or genuine landrover in packs of 5 which is an odd number.

Might get one anyway to assist removal once core plugs out - Magic snake great name lol :-)

Thank you very much for your help and advice you have put my mind at ease well I feel bit better about it now than past couple of days. It fell down a coolant hole in front corner on passenger side. Exhaust manifold is off well tilted back as per the manual instructions. Don't relish taking wing off done it before on my old 2A but that was straight forward and I was younger then and didn't suffer from a hernia. Suppose it does make it easier to look inside the engine though. Thanks again for all your help and support.

Actually I was wrong it is a 200tdi but there is 5 bolts/nuts to tighten and he doesn't specify a sequence but does suggest tightening from central out. Difference is 300tdi is torqued to 5Nm then 50° with angle wrench. The 200tdi you just torque to 28Nm he only discusses the 200tdi on video. Thank glad i re-visited the video now its a lot clearer.

Thanks for that great feel more confident now about removing and fitting the plug. Apologies again for more questions. Can I do this with engine in place and more importantly whats the likely hood I will retreave my broken section of dowel from there ?

Yes its the rocker shaft I watched the you tube video toolbox but it was for a 200tdi struggling to remember but thought it was 4 nuts, 5 on the 300tdi. I reckon I could get the rocker on and tightened upto the torque setting After that not sure which sequence to tighten them in ! Outer first then middle then two in between or reverse ? Cannot seem to find the actual torque sequence for tightening ? If you have any idea much appreciated I have a nice sequence to follow in the manual for the head bolts but nothing for the rocker ?

Sorry please excuse my ignorance I am a basic have a go diy type. Helped out in the past doing car gaskets so thought I would have a go at the landrover and was doing okay till this happened. Never taken a core plug out and would not know where they are or tools i would need ! And to answer your question yes I am worried about it so its got to be done. Thanks for the reply by the way much appreciated at least it sounds feasable to get it out.

Can anyone advise I am unable to find a definitive tightening sequence for the rocker bolts. Manual provides the torque and additional tightening angle but no sequence. Tried looking on line but only found one for 200tdi which is different configuration. Anyone out there who can help I would appreciate the help and advice.

Definitely condensation unless you're roof and side panels are well insulated and covered in trim. Even then you still get some build up. If you have side windows they can leak plus I had a s2a that leaked at the roof seal under the gutter cured it with silicone sealant.

I know of one drain plug on near side but suspect its too high up and is front to mid way along

Worse case scenario is it gets in water pump then ! What if I remove the inlet hose to the water pump and place mesh of some description over and re-connect hose. As long as the seal is good around the hose would that sort the risk for time being of damaging the pump ? I could attach strong magnet to the hose and check periodically ? I am hoping with fingers crossed it just sits somewhere lodged in the block and wont move, or am I being too optimistic

Not gone into the head by the way it's dropped into the block in a coolant hole front near side

Definitely split still have one half the other almost certainly dropped down the hole for coolant recirculation :-(. I opened another thread cylinder head update. Is there a drain point low down at front of the block I can try to access or flush it through ?

Flow appears to travel from engine to the water pump. So if I fit some gauze in the pipe feeding the water pump I could at least eliminate water pump failure in short term. I could also fit a magnet to hoses as suggested they sell them at RS components £5 for one with 3kg force. Ideally though need some outlet at bottom of the block that I could remove and flush it out with a hose at the heater connection at the head.

Its front corner on rht hand side it dropped in. Unfortunately I am at work at the moment so carnt look plus it's at my mothers at moment she has a garage I don't. Earliest I can get back there to carry on with it is next Monday. Waiting for replacement rocker anyway so that should arrive Monday. Just spent £8 on 5litres anti freeze so could do with locating it before I top that up. If I was just travelling back and forth to work I could cope with water pump seizure but going to Scotland for a week in February don't want to get stuck there with no pump. If I have an outlet at bottom of the block I could connect a hose to heater outlet and try to flush it out. Thanks for your advice and support much appreciated.

Thanks for all the advice posted reply on original thread but need further advice. Got all parts off my head and transferred over to replacement head. All went well except one of locating dowels broke when I tried to insert it in the block. I caught one half but suspect the other half dropped in a coolant hole. Looked inside best i could and rummaged around with a long magnetic screwdriver nothing. Decided to go ahead anyway and assemble the head etc everything back except exhaust manifold and rocker. Now worried whats worse case scenario with the piece of metal in there ? It could possibly reach water pump and potential jam it or get lodged in pipe work and restrict flow. I cannot afford full strip down of engine to locate it either time or money. Any advice or recommendations. I have had to source replacement rocker as 3 stem caps had badly worn too and damaged the rocker faces :-( not happy at the moment. I could live with extra expense of rocker but piece of metal in engine block worries me although at least its on coolant side not oil recirculation hole. Any advice would be gratefully received. Regards Ian

Good news and bad thanks to all the tips got all stubs off head on. Bad news one of the locating dowels broke when trying to fit in head not a major problem you think. But only found half looked everywhere I can only assume it dropped in one of the holes in the block probably water Cooling hole. Had prod around but could not feel or see it. As I have now re assembled head, whats worse case scenario ? Assume it could reach the water pump and jam it ! Or get trapped somewhere ? Cannot afford full strip down to locate it either time or money. Next problem was rocker 3 valve stem caps had worn and damaged surface of rockers one badly. So ordered another rocker assembly and new caps, expense I didn't need but easily replaced. The missing dowel part is worrying me though any advice ?

Cheers guys for the help I can crack on now tomorrow and hopefully get most of it back together.

Sorry its a 300tdi engine. Used spanner and they do move but not loose enough to just pull out though.

I have finally got around to doing my head gasket using a pre skimmed head I bought in advance off ebay All went well today until I got the rocker off and discovered worn caps, which in turn have pitted and damaged some of the rocker faces. So replacement rocker needed and new caps. No problem I thought I can order a second hand one cheap enough, in the mean time I can get on with rebuilding the rest of the engine etc back up. Next problem the replacement head is clean as a whistle its flat, no threads, dowels etc. Their are no dowel locating pegs to align the gasket. So I need to transfer them from my existing head, they appear split. Can they be contracted with a pair of mole grips to remove them and swap them over ? This one may sound stupid but how do you get the injectors out ? Ended up lifting the old head off with them still in. I disconnected all the pipework and removed the small support brackets now at a loss how they come out ? Do they unscrew or are they a tight push fit and I have to work them loose ? does not discuss actually getting them out in my manual I am assuming they unscrew ? Last problem I need to transfer all the threaded stubs from my existing head to the replacement head, are the threads anti clockwise to remove them and would you recommend using mole grips as a means of getting them out. Or is there a better and easier way ? Back on the job tomorrow hopefully re-assembling so would appreciate some help please.

Fortunately I have not gone ahead and done it so have the opportunity to fit a 2 hole. However does make me wonder for a small drop in compression would it be worth fitting a 3 hole ! Particularly if as you say I wouldn't even notice it. Is it better to err on caution ?

Well I learn something new every day. I new gasket thickness was related to the piston clearance above the block but thought wrongly that it was okay to put a thicker gasket in when head was skimmed. I haven't altered the engine block set up so I should be using a 2 hole gasket. Not got a magnetic dti and got enough expense at the moment so got to assume right or wrong that 2 holes is correct. I can see the logic for not fitting a thinner gasket pistons will hit the head, but whats the impact of fitting a thicker gasket. I don't intend to ignore the advice and will fit the 2 hole version. Just wanted to know for my own curiosity why ?