Marks 110 Posted August 4, 2009 Share Posted August 4, 2009 Just been for a test drive with new digital temp gauge wired up. Temp rose steadily until it reached 85 degrees before suddenly jumping back to 82 (I guess this is the thermostat opening). It then stayed between 82 and 86 for the duration of the run. On the same run with the standard LR gauges (one of which was brand new) the temp was almost in the red! Anyway I feel more a lot more confident the engine isn't overheating but have no idea why the other gauges and new sender and wiring showed a high temp. Obviously not totally out of the woods yet (I don't know how accurate the gauge is, I might test it against a thermometer to be sure) but will go for a longer test run at the weekend before heading off to France next week. Thanks for all your help, I wouldn't have got this far without you guys making the effort to reply to the posts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
western Posted August 4, 2009 Share Posted August 4, 2009 Excellent news, bet your glad it's sorted , Yes the drop in temp will be when the thermostat opens, 200Tdi standard stat is a 88 degree,sounds like you have a 82 fitted which is fine [same as the older TD engine] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zulublue Posted August 4, 2009 Share Posted August 4, 2009 Mark the 200Tdi is one of the best for keeping cool, I had similar concerns and moved to a digi gauge, it has never been over 83 I don't even have a fan on it now apart from an electric one just in case the rad gets blocked when playing. My reason for the change was I fitted one of the X-Thermostats from Simon art X-Eng, but it never came on (this is in the bottom hose as I feel the rad should do it's job first) so the temp at the top is now a steady 82 no wonder it never came on. Glad all seems well. Have a great trip. Mark. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marks 110 Posted August 5, 2009 Author Share Posted August 5, 2009 Mark the 200Tdi is one of the best for keeping cool, I had similar concerns and moved to a digi gauge, it has never been over 83 I don't even have a fan on it now apart from an electric one just in case the rad gets blocked when playing.My reason for the change was I fitted one of the X-Thermostats from Simon art X-Eng, but it never came on (this is in the bottom hose as I feel the rad should do it's job first) so the temp at the top is now a steady 82 no wonder it never came on. Glad all seems well. Have a great trip. Mark. Thanks for the inspiration with the gauges 'zulublue'. I was thinking of putting an electric fan on as a back up with just a simple on/off switch in the cab. I have an old kenlowe in the shed which I removed when the mountings wore holes in the radiator (not the greatest design, the thermostat pocket in the top hose also tended to leak). Maybe I should look at making some better mounts or do what I used to do and just keep the viscous fan and the cranked spanner in the back in case of an overheating emergency? Cheers again, Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les Henson Posted August 5, 2009 Share Posted August 5, 2009 Fit an electric fan, but not through the rad core for the reasons you already know about. The bulb can be sealed, but you need the split seal, some rtv, and two jubilee clips to seal it properly. Or just fit an X-Switch and it'll be done automatically. If it runs cooler, then you have really only affected a temporary repair. Les. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marks 110 Posted September 6, 2009 Author Share Posted September 6, 2009 Well not an entirely sucessful trip to France! Head gasket blew right outside the airport in Nantes and I'm still waiting to get the landy back. Even though I had a new gasket and could have fixed it the breakdown assistance insisted in taking the 110 to garage which had no mechanics avalable for 2 weeks! Anyway I knew something was wrong when my daily checks revealed that the coolant was still pressurised when cold. Then the level of the coolant began to go up! Eventually when I removed the cap on the expansion tank (cold engine) coolant began to overflow. Further investigations revealed that the top few inches of the radiator was full of air. I presume the combustion gases must have entered the cooling system and collected in the top of the radiator. I,m beginning to think that maybe the head is cracked or has gone porous. Has anybody else had these symptoms? It's the third head gasket in about two years. I've just spoken to a friend of mine with a 200tdi and his gasket has also gone with exactly the same symptoms. The new gasket had only lasted four years. As 200tdi heads are no longer available new this could be a problem. I know there are plenty of disco heads around but I guess they will all be in a similar condition. When the head was last removed the aluminium seemed to be corroded around the coolant passageways which is where it blew. I'm thinking of sourcing a disco head and sending it to Turners for reconditioning as I've lost faith in the original. Has anybody else had similar problems with the 200tdi it seems the head/gasket is about the only weakness with these engines. Cheers Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les Henson Posted September 7, 2009 Share Posted September 7, 2009 If the alloy is pitted around the waterwayss, then it's been run with no antifreeze in it for long periods. If the pitting isn't very deep - it can be skimmed off and then a head saver used to restore it to the original gasket thickness. Head savers are about £40. Les. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveSIIA Posted September 7, 2009 Share Posted September 7, 2009 It's the third head gasket in about two years. I have experienced problems with cheap, unbranded head gaskets on a 200Tdi. What make of head gasket are you using? Also, have you checked the flatness of the head face? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marks 110 Posted September 7, 2009 Author Share Posted September 7, 2009 I have experienced problems with cheap, unbranded head gaskets on a 200Tdi. What make of head gasket are you using? Also, have you checked the flatness of the head face? Yes the head was skimmed last time. This removed most of the pitting but there was still some around the waterways. As Les says it may well have been run without proper anti-freeze in the past. The gasket i used was from paddocks, only a cheap one. I have a new gasket which I'd ordered from craddocks as a spare. This one was more than twice the price and consists of three separate metal shims. Has anybody used these? Quite frankly I don't mind paying for the best gasket available, but which is the best? Would I be better off going to a LR dealers for a genuine one? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marks 110 Posted September 7, 2009 Author Share Posted September 7, 2009 If the alloy is pitted around the waterwayss, then it's been run with no antifreeze in it for long periods. If the pitting isn't very deep - it can be skimmed off and then a head saver used to restore it to the original gasket thickness. Head savers are about £40. Les. Hi Les, What exactly is a head saver and where would I go about getting one? Someone suggested alloy welding the head where it is damaged and then having it skimmed, have you heard of anybody doing this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveSIIA Posted September 7, 2009 Share Posted September 7, 2009 The gasket i used was from paddocks, only a cheap one. Quite frankly I don't mind paying for the best gasket available, but which is the best? Would I be better off going to a LR dealers for a genuine one? My recommendation would be Elring, as I haven't had one fail (and I have done probably 8-10 200/300Tdi's over the past 10 years). All the cheap, unbranded gaskets (supplied by the vehicle owners) have failed fairly quickly - the worst case being <600 miles. A check of the head flatness, replace the gasket with an Elring and the job has been a success. BTW: The Paddocks gasket looks very much like an Elring, but isn't! There may be other decent brands, but this has been my experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les Henson Posted September 7, 2009 Share Posted September 7, 2009 Elring, Payen, BGA, are all good gaskets which I use for various vehicles. Head savers should be available from any engineering shop that does head/deck skimming. They are just similar to a head gasket, but not as a replacement for one. They are usually made from the shim steel and are designed to replace what has been skimmed off. Some are 'sticky' - in that once fitted, they can't easily be removed. The head gasket you got from Craddocks is MLS (multi-layered shim steel). These types of gasket are getting quite popular as a replacement for composite ones, but rely more on a dead flat gasket face. Les. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marks 110 Posted September 8, 2009 Author Share Posted September 8, 2009 Elring, Payen, BGA, are all good gaskets which I use for various vehicles. Head savers should be available from any engineering shop that does head/deck skimming. They are just similar to a head gasket, but not as a replacement for one. They are usually made from the shim steel and are designed to replace what has been skimmed off. Some are 'sticky' - in that once fitted, they can't easily be removed. The head gasket you got from Craddocks is MLS (multi-layered shim steel). These types of gasket are getting quite popular as a replacement for composite ones, but rely more on a dead flat gasket face. Les. Cheers les Just had the landy delivered back from france this afternoon. Whipped the head off straight away and sure enough the gasket had gone in exactly the same place (corroded waterway). Think i'm going to get the unit reconditioned at turners (I want it to be reliable for more trips abroad)at least i'll have their opinion on whether the head is re-usable. I'll use an elring gasket and new set of bolts as well, hopefully it will be good for a few years this time Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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