Disco TDi300 98 overheating (?)

Gazbo said:

Have you used waterless coolant, do you know anyone who is using it?
Asking this because my friend and his son, both using it in much modded 300Tdi's, drive them like they've stolen them, never a problem since putting the stuff in, they both swear by it for taking the pressure off and preserving bits.
I believe there is no comparison between running constantly at a higher operating temp, and head cracking happening with water based coolants, there are such things a ""microboils", once the water component turns to steam, it no longer cools at all. Use of it is not for everyone, but then again many said electronics and efi would bring nothing but grief when we ditched carbies, but here we are. And progress is progress, bitter sometimes, but still progress.
On the water jacket restriction, my first 300tdi had overheating problems because some brilliant mechanic had punched a couple of the exhaust side rusted welch plugs right into the cooling jacket, must have then just put two new plugs over the top, I fished them out whilst doing a p gasket and timing belt job, they were sitting atop each other around cyl3, cooling system problem fixed.

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lynall said:

Ive owned land rovers for many years quite a few different models/engines and have never had to replace a core plug, some of the engines were over 50 years old.

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lynall said:

Ive got a special core plug removal tool and have used it to do literally dozens of truck core plugs, its basically a large chisel with a small curved point and this is the important bit you drive it into the side of the core plug and then hit the chisel sideways which literally popes the core plug out in seconds.

The weird thing is I was installing 3 phase cable up in an old overhead crane track and found the chisel and hammer and still have them both to this day, Ive seen people struggle with all sorts of gadgets trying to get the core plugs out, whereas my foc chisel just does the job.

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Gazbo said:

You must have been very fortunate then, my old Disco came to me cheap but much abused, in many ways, and the p.o. never used coolant conditioner, just water, cooling jacket full of rust, sludge, and old bits, original head when removed for h.g. replacement had looked like the termites had eaten it, new head required.

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lynall said:

I reckon the secret is fresh coolant every couple of years, long term water on its own is very bad news for an engine

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