If you are going to that trouble then as above as the guy says. Unless an unplanned failure, I'd always buy new head bolts, mains and big ends, and major suspension bolts and engine mounts. It's just not worth it and it also gives you new heads that have not been abused perhaps, or rusted for...

If it's supposedly hot air, then perhaps your thermostat is stuck open or whatever TD5s use?

Handbrake almost certainly as others have said. Try parking in gear and with the brake off and chock the wheel if safe and see if it doesn't do it the next morning.

Thats an interesting transmission brake. Cable operated I hope lest the MOT man gets antsy.....

Please dont tell me you intend to drive it with that amount of corrosion? Theres a reason things fail MOT tests....

No one thinks it's head gasket. If it's pressurising the case that fast that the breather cannot cope then the rings are well stuck. You wont fix them without having the pistons out, no matter how much you understandably wish it were possible.

I don't think you are going to get away with anything other than head off and pistons out for a good examination of it. You say it's stuck rings - could be rusted bores if it's been stood that long... If it's loosing oil pressure too then that indicates serious problems I would have thought.

I'd be wanting to grease them a lot more frequently than that especially if doing a lot of low ratio work. Weekly would be my preference, and if you do any deep wading I would grease them at the end of the day too. Don't use moly based lube either - it tends to make the rollers slide as its too...

I picked up my copy at a bookstore today (see thread called a bit of light reading in this forum.) Could you have a look at my picture and tell me if it looks like yours?

The wire for the temp sender is by the bracket that you move to do the P gasket. Start with the obvious and check for broken or loose wiring.

http://www.paddockspares.com/imperial-combination-spanner-set.html plus the socket you have already found. If you ring Paddocks tomorrow they will fedex the same day for a price which isnt too unreasonable. If you are in the backwoods of Chile though I'd find the local bus station and see if...

You will probably find it easier with a 9/16 ring. As long as the nuts are not rounded then it's easy enough there is just not a lot of space. You can get a "waisted" socket that clears the yokes and it makes it MUCH easier if you can wait a couple of days...

Companion book club yes. It looks like a first edition although I've not checked yet.

Its mine I tell you, mine.... But there are a few on Amazon at sensible money - I went looking to see if the fiver I paid was a bargain or not, and it was but not as much a bargain as I thought it would be.

You can but there are a few things to consider - you cannot control easily where the end of the rod lands on the piston. Hopefully it lands in the swirl pot in the same place.... and there is no carbon gunk on the crown.. Also the glow plugs are on different locations relative to the block, so...

So I found a nice book in the secondhand shop... First print run of that edition. Nice almost unread condition. Keep me occupied this weekend.

I know someone who fitted Disco swivel balls to his series though - I know that the joint used UJ's on the series. I suspect that he did a bit more than just swap the swivel balls then from the sounds of it - I wonder if he just swapped the entire axle or summat. Reason he did it of course was...

Looks at name... You wouldn't be the Peter Butler that does down hole instrumentation and used to have a Ford Focus would you....?

Are the series balls different to Disco ones then? I perhaps foolishly thought they were the same?

Check the wiring to sensor isn't broken first....