D1, 185K, suddenly started making exhaust leak sound, quite loud. Muffler shop used a rubber hose and pin pointed the HG leak, which is near one of the center cylinders or driver side. Too much compression noise to be exhaust leak, sounds almost like a spark plug real loose. No smoke out tail pipe, no coolant loss.

With an external leak, how long in miles before a groove is cut in the block by the exhaust gas? 10 miles? 100 miles? I have maybe driven 50-60 miles on it. If I unplug that cylinder's spark plug, reducing the heat, can I limp around without cutting a groove in the block?

 

That sounds like a pretty good plan. Maybe unplug the injector too, so that you don't get a lot of gas in your oil?

 

SeaFoamed to check leak, hard to see on driver side, but easy to see on passenger side by exhaust down pipe flange. Closer look at space just forward of dipstick tube showed a spark when revved up. Unplugged cylinder 3 spark and injector, noise still there, but reduced. All manner of codes.

SWMBO has informed me that this repair shall not be conducted under the shade tree as I have too many other assigned tasks waiting. Five indy shops called so far, one "we won't work on a Land Rover" , one - "when they do that you need an engine because head will be too warped - don't bring it here", two waiting on quotes, and one at $1720 (10 hours labor, which I feel will be "light", includes head machining, new bolts of course.

Won't be driving this one until repairs done.

SWMBO has also kiboshed the idea of another vehicle, as I spent 8 months tinkering on this one before turning it over to offspring.

 

Buzz, you've just increased your question/answer ratio by 1x10^-5000.

Get offspring to tackle it?

Another enthusiast?

Reprioritize?

Pour stop leak in cylinder...

 

Stop leak won't do much good for a non-coolant leak out the side. Maybe high temp RTV and a thread cutting screw from this side....

Offspring is graphic arts student, so she'll be handling the paint job.

I can barely afford to pay a shop, can't imagine paying a local guy to do it. No garage, just an old house in the country with a shade tree. Which is too close to the house, she can hear me...

SWMBO may change her mind when the estimates come in. The first HG I worked on was a 57 Desoto 392 CI hemi, with hydraulic lifters. Dad and I did it in the driveway. He brought home a torque wrench from his dealership.

 

um ok so what the heck is swmbo ? guessing wife? I finally got my heads back tonight and go to va. to work next week so my wife is not happy the rover is still down

 

Start by trading in SWMBO, or change her name to SWMSTFU because you should be wearing the pants.

On one hand I say don't even run it because you risk damaging the block instead of the head( it always goes from bad to worse). On the other hand it would seem there should be no risk in damaging the block or the head, since neither the alloy piston nor the aluminum head are subject to flame cutting under normal use.

I do think you will find none of that logic works in your favor if you attempt to exercise it. Almost guaranteed by Murphy's Law to do damage to the deck surface of the block because that is the most difficult to repair.

 

Agreed. I'm going to inspect with a mirror (can't actually see the leak) as it is hidden by the exhaust header. I'm also going to do a compression test, the thought being that an external HG leak should take that cylinder to very low psi. If the leak is actually the head to exhaust header flange, then compression test should be normal range, I would think.

Don't plan on driving it, but am worried about damage that may have been already done. A D1 is only worth putting so much into.

She Who Must Be Obeyed is willing to fund repairs by others so that I can keep up with the structural repairs on a home built in 1842. Like a battleship, always something to scrape and paint.

 

Compression test on cylinder 1 (dry, TB wedged open) - 155 PSI.

On cylinder 3, 40 PSI. With brake cleaner sprayed on metal space beside dip stick (where serial number is) - can see breeze caused by the leak.

Now to decide on how much more moola to throw in this rolling teapot...

 

I had the same failure, and drove for about 400 miles before finally getting it fixed.

Higgs Boson, I have word that 1953 called with fantastic news! Your membership into the Make me a Sandwich club has been accepted! Here are a few members, but you'll meet the rest soon enough:

The 'science' of gender roles - The Maddow Blog