see this for pix of whats involved - parts are not too high - water pump, timimg chain, front seal, oil pump, the lst goes on....https://landroverforums.com/forum/di...highlight=pump

 

Discovery Oil Pump Test - YouTube

Disregard the smoke in the end. I spilled some oil on the exhaust.

 

I definitely would contact the local Better Business Bureau and file a complaint. Not knowing much about where you live makes it a little difficult but I would pursue all available resources for assistance, local District Attorney possibly.

Also I would do the public embarassment route like I suggested, just do like others said and keep it legal. Here in Pittsburgh all the local TV channels have consumer advocate reporters that love to get involved with these types of stories.

Apparently the "dealer" is a crook, he sold you a $500 piece of damaged goods for $3500. He may have spent a little on detailing and stop leak. I would go after him if it were me.

One thing to keep in mind whenever looking at any used car is to thoroughly check everything. A closer look before buying could have saved you this problem.

I like the idea of printing Tee Shirts. Get your wife to get several friends/students/others and do a demonstration there on Saturday for a few weekends.

Write your local paper a letter asking them to publish it. Be a thorn in his side, just keep it legal.

Hack into his computer and install a Trojan Horse.

But if the rest of the vehicle is solid, determine if the engine is worth fixing. I did see one thread from a new owner that said he paid a shop to do a HG job only to find out later that his block had a severe crack, so make sure of the extent of the problem BEFORE you commence repairs.

With all the positives you have going for you, you can still overcome the majority of what you face.

As far as the gaskets and bolts go, I seem to remember possibly Paul Grant or someone else on here also offered a good price for all the necessary items for a HG repair as a kit type purchase.

If your current engine is severely damaged (does not sound like it is from your last comment) you also have the option of a used engine. Contact Paul Grant and see what he has available.

 

After seeing your video, it does sound pretty good.

I would back the Rover into the garage such that the front is right inside the door. That way you give yourself more room to work around it with the garage door up.

With the milage you do have on it, I would also do what Savannah Buzz suggested and pull the radiator out and take it to a local radiator shop to be gone thru while you are tearing into the engine.

Probably a great time to also replace the water pump (esopecially if it is the original) and I would also go ahead and replace the oil pump as well while you are that far into it. Might as well complete all the major replacement items while you have it out of service. I would hate to tear into it over and over again if I could do it all in one major effort.

Might as well replace all the cooling hoses as well, since it will all be apart and drained. I know that may sound like a lot, but in the long run I think you will be ahead. You don't want a blown hose getting you into a jam after doing all that other stuff. What's another couple of hundred dollars while you are in there the first time.

 

I would say that from watching the first of the video I am encouraged. Head gaskets normally start leaking wehn warmed up, so a cold start may not show steam until warm up. Sometimes there is no steam, it is pumping coolant into oil. You later had steam, just not a lot.

So based on this, I would say you are a good candidate for HG job. While doing the HG, you can decide if your mechanical skills are up for the water pump and oil pump. WP is a 1 hour no big deal. Keep in mind while you are running the truck you are trying to put coolant back in the oil. That is why I suggested you take out the stat, to keep running temp as low as possible while testing during the next phase.

Good job so far!

Nice neighborhood, I can see why not a lot of mechanics. They all live in the rough part of town, where you have to take your engine block inside every night....

 

Thanks guys. I'm glad it sounds good. I'm still working on the dealer side of things. Thanks for the suggestions. I emailed Paul Grant about the HG kit and I'll start looking into the HG repair process and post another thread. I hope the engine is good otherwise because I'm not sure what else to look for.

Backing it in there is a good idea. Between the bikes, boxes, and scuba equipment there isn't much room.

The last place I lived was a loft in in a loft in a horse barn where we didn't care about leaving our half-baked projects outside

 

I see you had lofty expectations...

 

And now for a not so lofty number. 400. That's how much the dealer is willing to settle for. It'll mostly cover the cost of parts and I get to move on and learn disco repair. It's still a bs situation but life is short. Actually excited to do this HG now.

On a funny note, unbeknownst to me, my grandmother went down there and gave them hell

 

Go grandma!

Good luck with your project. Im going to check out a 97 tonite and have been watching your thread progress. Being a bit of a gear head makes me approach this with a little less trepidation since i know alot of the major warning signs to look for.

 

Went back and watched the video again - the temp gauge seems at a good level about 6 minutes in, that is also a good sign. It does not mean you don't need HG, but we have lots of posts of things zooming to the top of the gauge.