Future of TD5

Military vehicles of fifty years ago, when Land Rover got into that market, were not so different from civilian vehicles in their essential engineering.

Now the manufacturers have to pay attention to things like EMP and electronics, and an ordinary 4x4 utility is as dependent on electronics as a fighter plane.

We've already had people suggesting we're headed for the one-plane Air Force, as costs rise.

Maybe that's why the King's Troop is there. Horses will be cheaper, and they want to make sure somebody knows how to use them to move artillery.

And maybe that's why the RN seems to have more active Field Gun Racing teams than they did in the days of the Royal Tournament.

Main reason was the military's insistance on a single-battlefoeld-fuel policy, i.e. it had to run on F34 Avtur, and the TD5 couldn't run on it, it knackered the pumps. Hence the continued use of the TDi. Badger.

Sales are extremely low in West Wales. A Defender sale is rare at some major rural dealers but it would be wrong to say that sales were non existent.. The winners are those oriental pick-ups, mostly king cabs or double cab four door models. Nissan and Isuzu in particular.

Huw

Can anybody answer the original question, ie where is the TD5 engine made?

In a factory.

Probably at Solihull.

P.

I seem to remember reading in an LR related magazine (LROI, LRM, LRW or LRE) that it is an in-house built engine. Definately has no connection with BMW as far as where it is built or assembled.

Take care Pantelis

On or around Sun, 3 Jul 2005 16:28:53 +0300, "Pantelis Giamarellos" enlightened us thusly:

Annoyingly, bearing in mind that in general it seems quite good, BMW shot down the TD4 2-litre and the TD6 3-litre versions that were planned, using the same pistons, injectors etc. in differnt blocks. 'twas a good plan...

The TD5 is a very cheaply built engine. For instance the camshafts do not run in bearings as such but run in the machined casting with no replaceable bushes. Not my kind of engineering even though it may have a very long first life. It better had, because its first life is likely its last, not like traditional LR engineering.

Huw

...that said, if someone offered me one with knackered cam shaft bearings, I'd have a bloody good go at fixing it..."All" you need is a line-borer.

Steve

Possibly. Unless there is some complication. There are other cheap bits like the simplex chain drive to the head. It looks exceptionally lightweight. There are also some other bits that are exceptionally expensive, like the unit injectors which, unless they come down in price significantly, will be like expensive albatrosses around the vehicles neck and therefore a huge drag on resale value on vehicles of a certain age. Of course an owner can hope that they never go wrong and that any potential customer for his ten year old will remain in blissful ignorance of their potential replacement cost. Maybe I worry too much.

Huw

On or around Sun, 3 Jul 2005 23:17:48 +0100, "Huw" enlightened us thusly:

then again, you could make similar comments about the toothed belts that everyone else uses. If the chain's of decent quality, and has a proper adjuster, it should last quite a long time. Consider how long bicycle chains last, generally in far sub-optimal operating conditions.

I suspect that all the new generation of engines (those from about 2000 onwards) are going to prove expensive to repair if and when they need it, though. The days of small back-street garages with a bod who knew how to fix things are sadly on the way out, along with the home mechanic who bodged his way through life. We'll all be restricted to ever-older vehicles and the costs of getting the newer ones repaired will doubtless increase. Buggrit.

Indeed - Jap motorcycles have done this for years, as anyone who owned a G5 will most likely know! Anyone remember Jock Kerr Motorcycle developments.........

Richard

Yes, remember the name but never had any dealings. In the bike shop where I first started working, we used to bore and bush a lot of Honda OHC engines, CB125 being the most common to see this wear on, closely followed by CB175/200. C90 was also pretty bad for wear, but seemed to just keep on going, usually until the frame corroded out just in front of the rear shock mounts, then the cam 'bearing' wear was the least of your problems!! Badger.

so Huw was, like...

Isn't that also true of the esteemed V8?

Not exactly, the V8 cam runs in 5 bearing shells that according to Landrover / Rover are not user-replaceable. Bearing sets are available from many aftermarket suppliers and can be removed / installed using machined adaptors and a low-force press. Badger.

so Badger was, like...

Your reply makes me glad I put my comment as a question rather than a statement ;-)

Of course you're right.