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dirtyrov

New Member
Hi, i think i have the early signs of a failing head gasket so i want to sort it as soon as.

I have been looking in the haynes book of lies and it says from vins 2A 736339 plastic dowels need to be fitted but and from vin 2A 736340 to 3A 793894 change the plastic ones for steel.

My vin is XA906829. (no 2A or 3A)

So I am confused as to what I need. I have a 99T reg disco. So I am assuming it is plastic dowels but do I need steel or plastic to replace them with?

Also can anyone tell me where I need to be looking for the holes that are in the gasket to identify which thickness I need or should I just get the thickest because after all we are only talking .3mm between the min and max pistion protrusion.

Thanks guys
 
all td5's regardless of age need steel dowels for the cylinder head, the steel ones have superseeded the plastic, before removing your head, whilst looking from the front of the disco, where the head joins the block on the right hand side there is a protruding lip of gasket and the holes are stamped in that.
you need to use the same holed gasket as before unless your having new pistons fitted
 
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I have read stories of cracking heads on the ones up to the vin no 2A 736339 which must have plastic dowels. I would rather re fit plastic ones if it should have plastic ones than risk cracking a head.
 
not a new thing, as this fred shows...
http://www.landyzone.co.uk/lz/f8/plastic-dowels-td5-cylinder-head-48452.html



From the workshop manual....

AFFECTED RANGE:

All Td5 derivatives within VIN ranges:
Discovery Series II (02 Model Year) 2A 736340 to 3A 793895
Defender (02 Model Year) 2A 622424 to 3A 647705

SUBJECT:
CYLINDER HEAD LOCATING DOWELS
Td5 engines fitted to vehicles in the above VIN range are fitted with plastic dowels to locate the cylinder head onto the cylinder block.

Land Rover Engineering has introduced steel locating dowels from the following VIN numbers:
Discovery Series II: 3A 793895
Defender: 3A 647705

INFORMATION:
If a cylinder head is removed from a vehicle in the above VIN range, the plastic dowels must be replaced with new specification steel dowels, which are now available from Land Rover Parts.

CAUTION:
Td5 derivatives prior to the above VIN ranges must not, under any
circumstances, be fitted with the new steel dowels. If steel dowels are fitted to earlier engines, cylinder head cracking may result.
 
Thank you. So I should use plastic ones according to that but it does seem the done thing to fit metal ones. I will ring the stealer tomorrow I think and see what they say.

ps. i have found the holes to mark the thickness of my gasket.
 
you better rely on what you get on this forum than on what the main dealer will tell you ....
 
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sierrafery said:
you better rely on what you get on this forum than on what the main dealer will tell you .... IMO fit steel dowels...i did on mine and it's also 10P engine like yours
Click to expand...

If you rely on the stealers - get it in writing - then if your head cracks coz you put steel in and you shouldn't have - they can pay to fix it !!!
 
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