As all owners of Td5’s will know, there is a significant design flaw within this amazing engine. Whoever thought it was a good idea to put the wiring harness for the injectors inside the engine may have been a genius, or insane. They clearly did not think that oil would be able to track up through the wiring plug, along the wires and start causing havoc within the ECU.

So, when I started getting random bing bongs, chirps and flashing lights on Larry’s dashboard, I knew something was amiss. A quick look under the bonnet showed the tell-tale sign of a worn wiring harness and a smidge of oil in the ‘red plug’. Now would be a good time to have a look at replacing the old loom, looking at that rattling injector and maybe replacing their seals too. I am fortunate to have a large bank of receipts, and a quick look told me the injector seals were last done in 2017 – another known flaw and seeing as I was going into the top half of the engine anyway, I may as well replace them. Doing several jobs at once soothes my inner love for efficiency, so there was nothing for it.

Armed with step by step instructions and having watched several YouTube videos, I felt I was ready to tackle the job. Honestly, this turned out to be one of the easier jobs I’ve done. It was really exciting to see the top part of the engine after I’d removed the rocker cover. The rocker shaft came out without a fight, and although it was a bit fiddly, the injectors popped out with barely any need for persuasion.

Below – No fights needed to get the injectors out!

Now, I do have a set of replacement injectors on standby, in case any of the existing ones looked too fouled up to be reused. I do not have a device to reprogram the ECU, which could have been a problem. Fortunately, with a bit of patience and some fine grade sandpaper I was able to clean the carbon deposits from the tips. I then slid brand new seals over the injectors. This was another lesson in patience, as if they twisted there was a chance the new seal would not sit properly and create a bigger problem.

My glamorous assistant, Spare Dave, ensured that the spaces the injectors sat in were also cleaned up and ready for them to go back in. The injectors popped in, and the clamps ensured they remained so. Tightened up to 32nm, then backed off by 180 degrees to make sure the clamps aren’t too tight. It was amazing turning the crankshaft and hearing the valves do their job – perhaps that is a bit sad… The rocker shaft followed, also tightened down to 32nm.

A new seal, with a touch of liquid gasket at the back to assist with settling it in place had the rocker cover back on. The bolts quickly followed, once again tightening them down to 32nm… Except, this was wrong. I found out this was wrong when one of the bolt heads snapped in my torque wrench. What followed was that gut sinking feeling and the swift removal of the rocker cover again. Fortunately, the bolt was easy to get out with a pair of mole-grips. Lesson learned – always check the torque settings, never rely on what Spare Dave tells you!

Above – Debbie learns the hard way not to trust Spare Dave’s mechanical skills. There is a reason she is the master mechanic of the family.

Once the bolt was replaced, and the cover was back on – 10nm is the correct setting – we tried to fire Larry up. This is always a scary moment. Checking to see if the hard work has paid off. Boy! Did it pay off. It took a few attempts, but when he did fire up with a huge puff of black smoke, he returned to normal running settings. What a relief!

The best part of this venture was the rattle had disappeared. He still has diesel knock on idle, which I know all Td5’s have – I’ve heard enough to know that noise with a blindfold on! The added bonus was the significant boost to fuel economy. I know none of us drive Land Rover’s for the miles per gallon, but I am going to humbly brag that I am currently getting around 30, which has put a big smile on my face!