V8 Freak

I too would be suspect of heat on the fluid, either creating air / bubbles or thinning the fluid by warming it... Can't remember your 110, does it have the heat shield on the down pipe?

Always happy to help out guys.... Good to see you both again too

Thinking about this, black smoke is usually unburnt diesel. Either not enough air (Blocked air filter) or too much diesel re-mappped incorrectly.... Or, your engine isn't burning the fuel properly! Reading it's reasonably high mileage and using oil, I'd be suspicious that your bores / rings are worn and your compression is low, meaning poor burn and back smoke......

With the rocker cover off there's is no access to the seal from inside the head. The cam is between the two parts of the head and fills the section completely. The seal will only come out from the rear of the engine. Try as we might, we couldn't get purchase on the seal ..... You might get some better access by lifting the engine, remove the engine mounts and then drop the engine away from the bulkhead.... Only a theory. Not tested.... As you can see from the attached picture of a TD5 head split, the cam is clamped in the hole at the end... The wider inset hole is where the seal is pushed in. With the cam in, there is deffo no access from inside the head. Sorry.. I didn't take a picture of the head built up from that end.... Probably quite a simple task in a Defender as you should be able to drill the plug and extract... Might need to remove the airbox and bracket, but that'll only take a few minutes.

We looked at this one friends Disco and it was ultimately the FPR... Did you put some additional sealant on the back section of the rocker cover gasket? Looking back on the head change I did, I don't think you will be able to get the rear seal out and back in because of the location of your bulkhead. No access to it from within the rocker cover... I may be proven wrong...

Sir Les of Hensonshire taught me to use a soft bar across the bearing race and tap them in.... (Easier if the ball is already attached to the axle as it doesn't move) Neil

Looks a lot like a compression air fitting as you suggest. I'd be worried that a air line was used and not fuel safe pipe and fittings when it was converted. Might be simplest and safest to run a length of fuel safe pipe without joints. Neil

It'll be a waste of a wheel arch Mo..... You'll be forever moaning about the wasted pace on the wheel arch, you'll not be able to carry anything near half the weight you have in the drawers at the moment elsewhere in the back and you won't be able to use the space behind the fridge...... But it is your totally standard 90 with it's relentless 200tdi torque. You could consider carrying less things most of the time and packing more for the trips using the drawers.... Maybe move them towards the rear of the truck and make use of the space behind them between the drawers and the bulkhead?

Ditto with Les... Ashcroft all round and all have O-rings....

Mark, Where are you located? There may be a member nearby with some diagnostics equipment that might help. Do you know when your injector loom was last changed? Do you have a lot of oil in the Red plug that goes into your ECU under the drivers seat? Has your vehicle had the EGR blanked or removed? Neil

That is the new flywheel / ring gear. Old Dual Mass Flywheel removed. All bolted up to the torque converter now. Neil

I can assure you it's not there now and will not be incorporated!!!!

After emptying and organising all the contents of the boxes, there was a complete set of bolts and a retaining plate so beyond any doubt the Ashcroft team had supplied options in the way of X2 spacers, 1 of 1mm and 1 of 2mm... Once all measured to get the required gap it was torque wrench time..... More in another thread... Neil

This seems to help some..... Some text in a label describing the disks as spacers. The mystery is solved. Now dry fittted and measured and 2mm spacer selected. Neil

I thought it might be Les. I've gone for an upgraded torque converter so the standard rules and codes may not apply. I have read that I will need up to 2mm between flex plate and torque converter lugs before attaching the two. It may be that the thinner ring is to achieve this. I have assumed the thicker of the two will be the support plate. Just trying to find out for sure. I will do some measuring later.

Appealing to the superior knowledge of the LR4X4 collective.... I've started a journey from manual to auto in the 90. Its a TD5 and I've acquired a kit from the good folks at Ashcroft's. Alas, they are not available for consultation today and I was rather hoping to install the auto box today.... in the kit they have sent what appears to be 2 flex plate support plates.... One is thicker than the other. Uncle Ralph (Western variety) helped with a diagram that shows only the one! (item 5 in the link) http://www.albrit.de/epc.cfm?PAGE=G01090&CAR=L5&SPRACHE=EN Does anyone know for sure how both should be used or should I apply myself to other tasks today and have a conversation with the knowledgable Dave Ashcroft himself tomorrow? Thanks in advance. Neil

So.... You could pull the whole lot off again and fit the old clutch back in really!! Glad you found the reason finally. Well done for the diagnosis Mo.. Neil

To test a theory I'd put it in with new bearings and leave the races for what could only be a few miles in reality. If you need to swap out the overdrive for more than a test, then pull the t/box and do the job when you know you need to. I'm with you on this Rich. If it's not the O/D Ralph, then you will have pulled and change the races for nothing.... Just my thoughts. (More importantly why aren't you under the truck in the dark changing it now !!)

Well remembered Mo.... Forgot he has that under there and the symptoms do sound familiar now you mention it.... I hope the input gear resolves the mystery although it does bring another set of challenges with it of course...

I went to Griffin http://www.griffinperformance.co.uk/defender.htm Great system, fitted perfectly, still looks like new several years on...

Ralph, Did you go for the standard plastic bearing carrier or upgrade to an alternative metal one? Just wondering if the release bearing is remaining in contact with the forks and reducing the clamping pressure on the clutch? I assume you replaced the pressure plate and clutch material?

Ok.. I think I can see what Simon is talking about when you look at the plug design and the role of the O-rings... Look at the picture below; This is the Injector loom / top part of the injector loom joint that is inside the TD5 head. If the oil gets past the o-rings it gets into the bottom section of the joint and pools there.... With temperature and time, the oil enters the main loom and wicks it's way along to the ECU plug over time. If these o-rings do not compress / age / crack and ultimately leak, no oil can get to the main loom... The pins of the connection are in the top part and these should not leak / let oil through. The picture below is a 2 year old loom.... No evidence of oil around the pins at all. I think we have a winner...... Now to find me some Viton o-rings. For information... Inner Diameter 25mm and 2.5mm thickness. Neil EDIT: Went to fit the O-rings today and they were too big ! The loom currently fitted must have a different external design to the one I measured against ! The current one is 24mm ID and 3mm cross section o-rings.... Might pay for anyone wishing to switch to Viton o-rings to check what their loom needs.

I dunno but his information has been bang on so far. His suggestion was oil travelling along the loom, but I guess on the outside of the wiring and within the protective loom covering. Hence my fact or fiction comment because I thought it went inside the wiring as you comment. But... That means it jumps across the loom connection as it exits the head and then forces itself back into the wires once again! Any more views / facts?

Hi all, I've been in discussion with someone who is suggesting that the oil transferring from the engine into the main ECU loom is as a result of the injector loom o-rings getting hot, compressing and effectively letting oil past. They suggest getting the equivalent Viton o-rings are good to 200 degrees C and will not be affected by the temperatures and thus, should not leak... Hopefully this will mean and end to oil in my seat box and red ECU plug...... Fact or fiction.... I'm happy to find out.... Can anyone advise either Viton part number or internal dimensions and thickness of the o-rings so I can seek the equivalent? Thanks in advance. Neil

Only time will tell....