Nik

And thank you all for advice over the last couple of weeks

After taking it on a decent run all seems ok. Temp good and water seems to be flowing ok and rad is warm. Dilemma now is how do I get antifreeze in it without filling up with air again!!

If you haven't already Read it, the book on how they along with the victors got to the falklands and bombed the runway in port Stanley with the hit and miss in flight refuelling is a brilliant read. Talk about building stuff in a shed and making it work!! It was very touch and go whether the last plane had enough fuel.

Took it on a longish run to a hilly area gave it a bit of stick going up hills temp gauge at half way as normal, don't get hot don't lose water heater fine. May look at flushing rad through.

If it wasn't for rad being cold I wouldn't say there is anything wrong with it

Yes done 5 or6 miles

The bottom of the rad is stone cold. Little bit of pressure in the expansion tank but really was next to nothing.

Gents sorry to keep going on about this bloody car but I have a couple of things I still don't understand. 1. If the water is not circulating for whatever reason why is the car not getting hot? 2. If it is the water pump impella why does the water flow faster when revved up? I know I should bite the bullet ang pull the head off and get it sorted but just want to explore every avenue and fully understand I have done all I can to eliminate anything else. As always any advice it much appreciated. Nik

That's exactly my fear. Do all that work and not cure it. I gave up being a mechanic close to 30 years ago, I don't mind a tinker and a bit of fabrication but modern(ish) stuff frightens the life out of me!! I guess I don't have a lot to lose its an old (ish) car that don't owe me a fortune so if I do the head gasket and it doesn't cure it I'll be a couple of hundred quid down and still get a couple of bob back on it as a breaker. And if under the bonnet of a td5 looks complicated to me I definitely wouldn't be attempting the BMW. Good luck hope you find what it is.

Pretty sure now that it is the head gasket after a couple of tests over the weekend. After taking it on a test drive the top hose was firm and there was a small amount of pressure in the header tank. I have done a bit of research an people are talking about 1 hole or 3 hole head gaskets and replacing plastic dowls with metal ones. Can anyone enlighten me? Any advice would be much appreciated, or if anyone local wants to trade my area of expertease if theirs is replacing the head gasket on a td5 I'm in double glazing or treble glazing aswell nowadays.

Further to the landrover figures I am sure I read somewhere that a jeep was one of the greenest cars because of its longevity and the ability to recycle almost everything it's built out if??

I think pump is ok as when bleeding there is plenty of water coming out of bleed screw and if revved the flow increases so would suggest pump is doing its job. Will give it a run round see what happens, just nervous of doing more damage if the block is getting hot through lack of circulation but as shaft has suggested temp sensor is reading air temp.

Great link shaft thanks. 2b cruising thank you too. If I do pull it apart whats the likely hood of the head needing skimming and pressure testing. Are they known for warping/cracking? I don't think I have a lot to loose if it is just a gasket set and new head bolts but any more than that I don't think I'd bother. I don't mind spending a few hundred quid but looking at the price of replacement heads it wouldn't be worth going down that route.

If the water isn't circulating properly due to head gasket failure and pressure build I would guess it will get hot, that's what I'm struggling to understand. Why is the temperature gauge reading normal or below? If I was certain that it was the head gasket I think I would probably have a go at it myself.

Thanks. I changed the stat and left the viscous fan off when I first ran it up rad did warm up eventually. Hoses getting warm either side of the stat. Jacked front up raised expansion tank and bled it. An Fairly sure no air in the system Heater only luke warm and temp gauge reading between cold and normal. It used to sit at normal all the time even when towing. Def something wrong somewhere. Not sure what to do whether attempt to change the head gasket myself or give up on it. It is an old car with plenty of miles on the clock so not worth spending a fortune on but pre this prob it's been great for dragging the horse box around and throwing the dogs in the boot without worrying about messing it up. It has reminded me why I gave up being a mechanic all those years ago!!