i have organised to view a 2.5 td 2moz,i have just read, "its commonly accepted that this engine is bad news for overlanding (overheating and cracking heads ) so avoid at all cost' , this is from a sahara overland book so it obviosly doesnt really apply to whr i am gonna b using it ( york/lancs) , but is this a fair statement about the 2.5 being a bit of a duff engine ?
2.5 TD,advice pls
- Thread starter tookey
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the old 2.5 diesel certainly is not as good as the later ones, ie the tdi.
i can see why a book on expeditions would say dont use it. you dont wanna risk a major breakdown in the middle of nowhere.
if youre going to the sahara, it makes sense to use the best possible engine etc...
as you say, using one in the UK is not really a problem. you aint gonna die on the pennines are you?
ps,
the very early 2.25 engines, before c1980 had a 3 bearing hollow crank. not very strong. you certainly wouldnt use one for any competition work. the later ones had a 5 bearing, much better.
i can see why a book on expeditions would say dont use it. you dont wanna risk a major breakdown in the middle of nowhere.
if youre going to the sahara, it makes sense to use the best possible engine etc...
as you say, using one in the UK is not really a problem. you aint gonna die on the pennines are you?
ps,
the very early 2.25 engines, before c1980 had a 3 bearing hollow crank. not very strong. you certainly wouldnt use one for any competition work. the later ones had a 5 bearing, much better.
discomania
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I think on the whole its a good engine, the turbo I think was the main factor in the problems with it.
If you were wanting it to be a bit more reliable, you could take the turbo out and make it the N/A although that sort of defeats the purpose of getting the TD. However as the N/A the engine was good and reliable, as the components didn't have the same stress applied to them.
If you were wanting it to be a bit more reliable, you could take the turbo out and make it the N/A although that sort of defeats the purpose of getting the TD. However as the N/A the engine was good and reliable, as the components didn't have the same stress applied to them.
GRUNT
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I've read all manner of stuff about the 2.5TD engine. but generally speaking if it hasn't been thrashed and its been seviced regularly you'll have nothing to worry about, i.e in a 110 thats been used as a workhorse filled up to the gunnels and used for towing could well be best avoided.
the bl**dy battery was dead,so no i didnt buy it 
It wasnt just that though,bit of rust,some oil drips,nothing that u wouldnt expect mind,but i think i will hang on and wait for a 200tdi,although,and im trying to fight it,im starting to take a real interest in series 111's !!
thanks for the advice all
tookey
It wasnt just that though,bit of rust,some oil drips,nothing that u wouldnt expect mind,but i think i will hang on and wait for a 200tdi,although,and im trying to fight it,im starting to take a real interest in series 111's !! thanks for the advice all
tookey
bonnybaggot
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The 2.5 td is a REAL DUD. This engine was so well made that it has no engineering provisions made over a n.a.2.5 except on the exhaust where they stuck on a garret turbocharger. Hoping it would work. It didnt. Perkins got it right for them in the 200 tdi. Be thankful it didnt start. Be patient and you will get your 200tdi.
discomania
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bonnybaggot said:
Well said.
Like I said above it was the turbo that made it unreliable.
GRUNT
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Then why are there so many of them still about?
discomania
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If I added a turbo to my 2.5, which I may do, I would be happy with it, and would not worry about any problems, as its only done 24,000 miles, and I would fully expect it to be fine at 1240000 miles, but I know how I drive my vehicle.
At the other end of the scale where the 2.5 will usually outlive the turbo version, but even at that, its not beyond the wit of man to put right. It is a good big simple engine!
There are a lot of them about still going strong, but at the same time, they have been victim to more than there fair share of problems. It is this unfortunatly that everyone thinks of when they mention the 2.5TD.
Personally I would not be scared of a 2.5TD, but I would know its not going to be as reliable in the long term at the 2.5NA.
At the other end of the scale where the 2.5 will usually outlive the turbo version, but even at that, its not beyond the wit of man to put right. It is a good big simple engine!
There are a lot of them about still going strong, but at the same time, they have been victim to more than there fair share of problems. It is this unfortunatly that everyone thinks of when they mention the 2.5TD.
Personally I would not be scared of a 2.5TD, but I would know its not going to be as reliable in the long term at the 2.5NA.
eightinavee
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The 2.5td was never as bad as people made out,it was farmers and builders who ran them out of water and oil - never serviced them at all that moaned about them.In recent years its people who couldnt afford a tidy LR so bought a sha--ed one off a farmer/builder that ended up with all the problems.A decent td wasnt far off a poor 200tdi in terms of performance.(Not all 200 tdi's went well) It was fuel consumption when working hard and keeping the glow plugs up together that held them back.Reaching old age with rotting radiators and leaking water pumps must have killed loads of them.The tdi found favour because it was the first ever diesel that LR fitted that you could get in and turn the key and it would start,it was bloody reliable and generally went well.
The Td would have been much more fondly remembered if it came around 10yrs earlier.I had alot of fun with them,only have one left on my books now for annual service/mot - it is one owner 80 odd k miles and has only had a couple of glow plugs and a belt,general servicing in its life.Funny how I dont see any VM 2.4/2.5 TD's !
The Td would have been much more fondly remembered if it came around 10yrs earlier.I had alot of fun with them,only have one left on my books now for annual service/mot - it is one owner 80 odd k miles and has only had a couple of glow plugs and a belt,general servicing in its life.Funny how I dont see any VM 2.4/2.5 TD's !
quote,
A DECENT td wasnt far off a POOR 200tdi in terms of performance.
says it all really. just proves a point though. if you were taking one over the expedition trail, then make sure its in bloody good nick. look after it and youll prob be ok.
just makes more sense to use the 200tdi though.
if youre staying in lancashire/yorkshire then the old 2.5 will be ok.
just look after it. check the rad and the waterpump. do the basic checks before going off road.
if its your only car, then keep some essential spares at home. then if you need a waterpump/rad/HG etc...on a sunday teatime, you can be back in action within a few hrs.
A DECENT td wasnt far off a POOR 200tdi in terms of performance.
says it all really. just proves a point though. if you were taking one over the expedition trail, then make sure its in bloody good nick. look after it and youll prob be ok.
just makes more sense to use the 200tdi though.
if youre staying in lancashire/yorkshire then the old 2.5 will be ok.
just look after it. check the rad and the waterpump. do the basic checks before going off road.
if its your only car, then keep some essential spares at home. then if you need a waterpump/rad/HG etc...on a sunday teatime, you can be back in action within a few hrs.
yella
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eightinavee said:
ah the good old italian stallion, how i fondly remember the vm engine, what a pile of **** that was. the last i remember they were putting them in frontera's and cherokee's. i seem to remember them exploding around the 55000 mile mark and when you went to get them rebuilt no one would touch them. such a brilliant design of 6 4 inch cam shafts held in place by one bolt in each. so good that they used to vibrate loose and drop the little cam. like eight says, you dont see them any more cos they were ****e
