TD4 Freelander engine-help.

Right, here goes. My friend is changing the glow plugs on his 03 plate td4 Freelander. He has taken the bits off to give access to the plugs. As you look at the engine there are four port holes next to the plugs. Now, he has dropped a small socket in the engine bay. He thinks it fell down the back of the starter BUT due to lack of good light, he cannot be sure. The question is...if it has gone down one of these port holes, where do they lead to? The one nearest the drivers side seems to drop away, into the sump? Can it do any harm in these holes? Advice please. Yes, I told him he should stuff rags into open holes but too late now.:doh:

I think he has to find it! Off with the sump guard - I did something similar some time back.

You could try getting a small strong magnet on a wire down the hole in the hope of picking it up.

He will try to get the plastic sump guard off but it is seized solid. The bolts may need to be drilled out. He tried the magnet thing on an extending stick but no joy. It was done in a farm shed with a single bulb so it may appear in the daylight. Thanks anyway.

Anything dropped down the back of the HP Pump lands into a blackhole. The amount of stuff ive lost down there is unreal!

Although Angel is right , before doing anything, he has gotta be sure it definately didnt go down a port.


On the bright side , you can guarantee next time he wont forget to stuff rags down the ports

I've just dropped him off at the farm, hopefully he will find the socket. If it has gone down the porthole is that bad? Where do they lead, I think its the inlet ports?

Don't risk it or it may be expensive. If he still can't find it with the sump guard off see if he can borrow an endoscope, or buy one off ebay or Maplins (start at about £30)

crashbox said:

If it has gone down the porthole is that bad? Where do they lead, I think its the inlet ports?

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Yep it's an inlet port, don't turn the engine until you've found/recovered the socket or it'll be fecked....the engine that is...and perhaps even the socket!

start it ..it will only go bang once ......

"He will try to get the plastic sump guard off but it is seized solid. The bolts may need to be drilled out."

Completely off topic but that is why I like to drop the undertray to do the oil & filter every 6-months, it not only allows you to give it a good visual check but it means that all fixings can be run in & out by hand and just nipped up with a spanner or socket.

Anyway :focus:
I think the endoscope is the way to go, as already stated there are plenty of places that you can get a cheap one from and with the USB ones start at under £20 it really isn't worth the risk.
We use the professional ones at work for underground cabling operations and they have transformed the way some jobs are completed and while I had never previously thought one might be required on a Freelander this could be the perfect situation!

AAAHHHHHHHHHHHH too late, he phoned me to say he started it up and its running okay. No sign of the socket even though he got the sumpguard off. I can just imagine him driving along one day and it goes BANG.

Also , thats not a sump guard. Its a **** catcher, its to stop all the oil leaks and such ruining your drive

Vissie said:

Also , thats not a sump guard. Its a **** catcher, its to stop all the oil leaks and such ruining your drive

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Very true words. I need a ****catcher for my Series3.

Ive lost sockets behind the HP pump also, It most certainly is like a black hole behind there, where they actually go I have no idea, is there a pully wheel on the left of this black hole? If so this could the where my aux belt like squeel is coming from, the socket is rubbing on the pully in the black hole of the hippo.

I must admit I stupidly / carelessly have lost sockets 'down the black hole' but I have luckily found them again - many weeks later in the '****catcher tray'.

If I drop anything now (I haven't learned have I?) I get underneath and give the '****catcher' a thump with my fist and lo and behold the missing item has been known to bounce out the side, saving me the work of taking off the tray!