davie Posted June 8, 2013 Share Posted June 8, 2013 Hi All looking for help and advice on a problem with my 2003 td5 csw 90. garage recently told me i have a cylinder head leak from a plug in head (allen key head) which cant be cured as apparently when you unscrew this plug the threads fall apart and head is toast. only cure is new head at £1200 plus other bits like bolts, gaskets etc and then a day or so of time. can pop covers off tommorow and upload photos to help isolate plug but its on passenger side and just hidden by cover. so my thoughts are would there be any sealents/compounds/magic chemicals i could add to coolant to stop this leak, levels barely seem to move one end of year to next and trail down engine/g box looks tiny. obviously am aware if i heat up head due to leak then most likely head is in scrap pile but keep a keen eye on guage and hoping for best or should i just kill piggy bank now? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
landroversforever Posted June 8, 2013 Share Posted June 8, 2013 If the thread is screwed (pardon the pun) a helicoil thread insert is your friend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snagger Posted June 9, 2013 Share Posted June 9, 2013 Or even just a re-tap to take a thicker threaded plug. The mechanic sounds pretty inexperienced... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matfield Posted June 9, 2013 Share Posted June 9, 2013 Or greedy....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davie Posted June 9, 2013 Author Share Posted June 9, 2013 To be honest i dont know why thread is leaking, whether its a common thing or not or if just a tighten would do it. is there any compound on market i can use for example if i took plug out (lil nervous cause if thread goes car is stuck), coat threads and put back in. have had a suggestion of just finding a sachet of leak cure stuff, lobbing in and seeing what happens. any good or bad experiences doing this? and yeah cost sounds mad, will pop cover off today and take picture if i can. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snagger Posted June 9, 2013 Share Posted June 9, 2013 The plug is more likely to come out without damage if done with the engine warm. Cleaning the threads with a cotton q-tip or similar and brake cleaning fluid, or better still using an aerosol of electrical cleaner from Maplins or similar to blow the threads clean with solvent, and cleaning the plug threads with the same, will allow you to use thread lock on the plug. That'll be the end of the problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reb78 Posted June 9, 2013 Share Posted June 9, 2013 I have the same thing in my D2. From what i have read, its a simple matter of removing and fitting a new one with some sealant on the threads. In all the reading i have done, i have never heard of anyone having the problem your mechanic describes. Access is often the longest part of the job. I'll be removing my exhaust manifold to get to mine and then replacing the plug. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Team Idris Posted June 9, 2013 Share Posted June 9, 2013 I think it will come down to the quality of the antifreeze over the years and how much corrosion occurred. Ours ate a lot of the oil cooler housing with tin worm, so I can imagine our head would be corroded (if we hadn't lobbed it for the large cost you describe). I don't know the plug, but there are a range of tapered BSPT plugs that might help if the thread goes really bad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davie Posted June 9, 2013 Author Share Posted June 9, 2013 far as i know only ever had recommended antifreeze in it before me, huge pile of tickets to say landrover service before i bought it and since then i have only used what local 4x4 place has suggested. had a quick look today and its an exhaust manifold off job to get at it for sure. doesnt look bad at all but going to be cheap and lob in k seal or similar as a start and then hose down area real well to get rid of any staining so can see if that works. can anyone pop up a parts like to the plug that knows it? cheers david Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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