"Typical" failure mode for coolant parts?

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greiswig

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Getting ready to do some preventive maintenance on my 2016 LR4, and I got to thinking that I'd like to understand better how the plastic parts typically fail.

For example, if the molded plastic parts often split open at the mold seams, it might be that reinforcing those parts a bit might help keep that from happening, or at least from happening in a catastrophic way.

Or if the tubing itself is what usually fails, it might be better to replace that with some braided hose.

I'm kind of thinking aloud here, but wondering if there is a way to at least mitigate engine damage.
 

ryanjl

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Replacing it with something else is something others have looked into before, but I don't think anyone has had any success.

Here's a thread for example: https://www.landroverworld.org/threads/crossover-pipe-flange-dimensions.42069/#post-218739

I think the general consensus winds up being a combination of: replacing it every 60k miles isn't too big of a task, and a lot of the people who were taking the lead on it wind up selling their LR4s before then anyway.
 

jlglr4

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Some have reported failure along the seams. However, based on all the reports I’ve read, the first thing to go (especially in the supercharged cars) seems to be the small portion of the end of the pipe that inserts into the block. Even more specifically, this inserted end seems to degrade right where the o-ring rests, so the very tip of the pipe detaches as a separate piece rather than degrading from the bottom up. This is what mine did, and I’ve seen a few pictures showing the same thing (and descriptions of having to dig out part of the pipe from the block). I’m assuming that heat plays a major role here, and the o-ring provides a direct contact point between the block and the plastic pipe, i.e., the best heat conduction.

To your point about reinforcing the pipe, the redesigned crossover pipes no longer have the same glued together halves that the old pipe did. There is still a visible seam or casting mark, but it’s different than the old pipe. Not sure if its any better, but its different. I suppose you could wrap it with self-bonding silicone or something like that to slow a leak if it ruptured. No idea if that would help or not, or if the wrapped pipe would still fit.

I can’t think of any easy way to reinforce or prevent degradation at the point the enters the block.

I am curious if the rear crossover has changed in design/material. They gave it a new part number since I did mine last year.

I have seen pictures of some older motors with an aluminum coolant crossover. I believe these were supercharged V8’s in the range rovers and jags. Not sure if the same pipes would fit on our SCV6s, but might. Can no longer find the pictures.
 

16FujiDisco

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@jlglr4 I just did my rear pipe with the updated p/n; looked like the others I've seen in pictures and just like the old one I replaced (original). Not really sure what changed.
 

txfromwi

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I have a 2013 LR4 and a 2016 LR4 Can anyone supply the parts list for recommended coolant system maintenance for these?
I am quite concerned about the catastrophic cooling system failure posts that I am seeing in other threads.
Thanks,
Dan
 

Michael Gain

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I have a 2013 LR4 and a 2016 LR4 Can anyone supply the parts list for recommended coolant system maintenance for these?
I am quite concerned about the catastrophic cooling system failure posts that I am seeing in other threads.
Thanks,
Dan

Dan, there is a lot of good stuff in here: https://www.landroverworld.org/threads/another-lr4-saved-from-coolant-death.42590/

I am also selling the updated front crossover pipes and fill port cover for your 2016 in the classified section.
 

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