Hi,
I was wondering what people do that have Disco issues that are financially debilitating. If you have a DI or DII and you have three options, which one is best? If you are not mechanically-inclined and the miles are creeping up there and engine leaks appear, should you get new head gaskets, a new engine, or an entirely new Disco? It seems all options can cost about the same. What are your thoughts?

Rover on!
Matt (Land Rover philosopher)

 

Put in Barr's leaks.
About $5 for a bottle.

Head gaskets - yes, probably needs those.
About $2,000 at a shop.
Put in two bottles of Barr's leaks just for protection.

 

What do leaks and miles have to do with it?
Keep the fluids full and drive the damn thing.

Head gaskets, replace them.
Blown engine, buy a used one.
Truck totaled in a accident, buy a Toyota.

 

While it is true that you can buy a "running Rover" for the price of an HG job; that "bargain" will soon have issues to be dealt with. Ditto for almost any high miles vehicle, domestic or imported. I just spent the evening at the local auto auction, my plug in scanner revealed many CELs related to O2s and cats, open loop fueling, etc. And my umbrella, poked against the engine, allowed me to hear the trashed valve train of a BMW 750. My point is that is not just Rover. DIY mechanics own all sorts of vehicles. The fiscal reality has forced many of us into mowing our own lawns, repairing our own vehicles, and even cutting our wife's hair ( just kidding ).

 

I think "not being mechanically inclined" is sort of an excuse. this is not aimed at the OP, I wanna be clear. But I started when I was 16 with an 88 suzuki samurai. it had every problem under the sun. mainly cause I could only afford a $1200 car. I learned cause the car broke and I couldn't afford to fix it. If you own a rover and it needs head gaskets, why sell it? study the HG replacement process and learn. I went from wondering what a thermostat was to building a small block chevy in only a few years. Now there is about nothing (assuming i have the tools) that I won't tackle. these forums give you half of what you need to know. a disco is about as easy of a platform to learn mechanical inclination on as anything. they may have some complicated problems, but the wrenching is easy, and the forum has the technical end covered. the diagnosis is half the problem. these guys have that covered 90% of the time! plus when you tear it apart and put it back together it is very gratifying! you beat your chest, eat red meat and drink dark beer. maybe even take your woman back to your cave!

 

If you are not mechanically inclined, sell and buy a Toyota.

 

I'm mechanically inclined, but don't want to spend all my spare time busting my knuckles on engine components (enjoy working on my ride because I want to, not because I have to!). I'm considering a top hat/stroker conversion. There's a lot that can be done while apart to make it more reliable (sealing the block, steel gaskets, silicon hoses, ARP studs...). There's more power (another common complaint) from the displacement AND everything bolts back up (tranny, ECU, harness, motor mounts, etc.) unlike switching to a chevy or BMW engine. This would be my sugestion.

 

But FJs and 4Runners are nice too!

 

This is an option to increase reliability and power (+15%). Basically a top hat liner conversion with a cam, proprietary block treatment (???) & head studs.
-Price starts at $4,500
-Fixes slipped sleeves
-Plug & play (ECU, fuel system & drivetrain)
-2 yr warranty

Range Rover Parts Engine : Land Rover Engine : Used Auto Parts

This won't blow the doors off a SRT Cherokee, but almost every other option I've seen is somewhere between $6K & stupid.

 

OR, you could just order a rebuilt engine from Atlantic British:

Land Rover - Parts, Accessories and Information

Since they're aluminum blocks, Im sure the shipping cost will be cheap