I just bought a 1998 Discovery 1 from a friend. He bought it 4 years ago and it needed some work which he did it. Now it needs some work again. I always wanted to try a Rover after seeing his so now is my chance.

I plan to use this thread as a journal of my work. I'm a long-time BMW M3 enthusiast and I've spend a lot of time in those forums. I'm in my 40's so no value-destroying macho mods for this Rover. Also, I'm keeping it cheap because it's a 3rd car for me and gas will cost enough. This should be fun!

Here's some 1st pictures. I've got my work cut out for me as you'll see.
Possible Projects....
Power Steering flush
Valve Cover Gaskets
Oil Pan Gasket
Valley Gasket
Headliner removal
driver seat leather repair
instrument bezel mounting
right-rear window fix
rear carpet removal and wash
wash and wax
all fluids and filters

 

Nice looking rover. I bought mine for $100 and after fixing now driving daily and 40k miles its giving me fits but I only have $3k into with purchase price. Some parts probably didn't need but when it runs great its great and a tank! If I can keep going ill end up keeping just as a offroad woods truck when we move. But your is great looking I would mine have that.

 

The pictures that stick out more than the others is the amount of brake dust on the front wheels, holy cow! With that off it'd look nineteen years newer..... it's in great condition. Good luck with it, I'm sure you'll enjoy it. I enjoyed mine and it was a tank especially in the snow.

 

Yes. I saw your other post.

I did some work this weekend.
1 - Washed and waxed the paint
2 - Removed the running boards. They were an $800 dealer option but dam... they are heavy. Weight reduction bro!
3 - Bought some gas and fluids
4 - Drained and sucked some ATF out of the power steering reservoir
5 - Removed and re-sealed the oil pan with RTV. I had to remove the front sway bar mounts. Once those 4 nuts were off, I could pivot the sway bar low enough to slide the pan out towards the back. I think the sway hardware was 17mm. Nut and bolt.


Next:
Silicone seal the top of the rear sunroof - it is broken and I don't like fixing those things. Then next guy can deal with it if he wants.

Valve Cover gaskets and Valley gasket - big job this early but I think I can do it. The biggest problem this Rover has is all the little leaks. Nothing major but I can't park on the new pavers in the driveway. They will stain them.

I hope that Preston anti-freeze is OK. Also, the Valvoline ATF is hopefully OK. Maybe someone can chime in. Thx!

 

All fine Rovers are not super picky about the fluids they puke out.

 

Big difference with the brake dust gone, mucho bedah.

 

Nicely done. Change that oil and filter frequently to start.

Download the service manuals from the link in my signature.

Are you sure it is a '98? Looks more like a '97 based on the wheels.

 

Thanks guys!
The VIN SALJY124XWA759611 says it's a 98. Maybe someone put 97 wheels on it at some point.

I'll just use the fluids I got. In my experience fresh trumps fancy, meaning, cheap fluids every couple years is better than synthetic fluids a decade old.

Another problem with this rover is that it's 78" tall. It won't fit in the garage where it's easy to work. I can only get it in 1/2 way. That makes it impossible to do overnight projects because I can't leave the door open. Working outside parked beside the house is the only option for big projects. Also, I can't park it in the driveway because all the leaks will stain the new pavers. It's a game.

I called in sick to move alone with my list.
I replace the valve cover gaskets. They were on hand-tight and the gasket material was brittle. Those were long overdue. I've read how it's wise to check them at every oil change. That makes sense. I debated about doing the valley gasket too but i didn't have the Loctite518 sealant and I didn't want to drain the cooling system. I think the valley gasket can be replaced without taking off the valve covers and I think I have to drain the coolant. Can someone confirm?

Then I removed the rear carpet and hosed and scrubbed it to death with a bunch of dish soap. Put it all back together.
The back sunroof is broken so I put some clear silicone around it. That should keep it sealed for a couple years, then re-apply. I REALLY don't want to develop and expertise in sunroofs. I wish they never existed.

 

You'll have to drain the coolant lower than the heads.

 

You could replace the valley pan without removing the valve covers but it would be easier to. The coolant will have to be drained below the heads.

Sorry for the double post, wasn't paying attention cuz I was looking at the motor guts pics. Noticed carbonized oil on the rocker shaft and was looking at the bottom of the crank...... I suggest a compression test at some point just to set a baseline. Tops is 150 psi on a Rover V8, bottom is 110 psi. Also check the PVC thingy wiggle worm device. They get brittle so be careful when pulling out of the passenger side valve cover. They get carbonized blocked and don't allow vacuum flow back to the plenum. Two things, doesn't evacuate the bottom end and idle gets effected.