The Super Moderator is a hypocrite and Maddow is a lesbian Racer X..... I share neither of your views. I feel Higgs has nothing to apologize for. As I see it this country is in a moral decline like at no time in it's storied history.

When did replacing a head gasket become so difficult or dramatic? The Super Moderator can't follow through on his own advice that gets doled out on a regular (PDF) basis - $350 and a weekend is all I ever hear from someone who (I knew) never ever experienced it for himself. Always quick to answer, dramatic to follow through? Don't know of a mod on any Rover site that didn't get his hands dirty through experience.

If the Rover has become the issue (you spending more time on it than on the house or with your wife) then it's your fault and only your fault because these trucks require very little attention other than what you choose to give them.

So get your parts in order, line up the machine shop and spend next weekend with your significant other under a tree......

...and it's called spalling and yes it can occur.

Higgs, this is on the same level as bolt plasticity eh.

 

I may well do that. Currently I have 12 hours a day on one job and plus a second job on weekends. Squeezing in time is an issue, and I can afford to pay some one, I'm just so damn cheap.

I poke fun at SWMBO, like a lot of folks. She wants more work on the old farm house, and less on the the high miles fleet. The Rover has not taken a lot of work once I got everything caught up after purchase.

As for having done it, yes on a Desoto, a couple of Dodges (225 six and 340), and a John Deere. The times and dollars quoted are what others say, and is part of informing someone who asks what their options range from. I am the first to admit I am not a professional mechanic. I'm an electrical engineer by training. And that training was a long time ago, in the early 70's. But I can still read a schematic, carry my own 12 foot ladder, can't scamper up it as fast, but know a lot more about what I'm looking at when I get to the top.

Being a member here requires no competency test, no fees, no vote by your peers. I try to supply accurate information, some jokes, and I love pictures that help illustrate the story. If we only allowed people on here that had their own 5 axis CNC equipment, the forum would be pretty sparse. No one person knows it all, and no one knows more than all of us together. Getting different viewpoints is a good idea.

It's $300 and two weekends with machine shop inbetween. One guy got the flatness spec page pdf at lunch and had the heads off and ready to go back at end of day, we'd still be looking for all our sockets. He was at a large engine rework shop.

Some may not like the pdfs, but half of the members don't even have the RAVE to look at, or haven't figured out where to find things. I can give them a link to free downloads, including the LR3, but the biggest I can send as part of a post is more like the GEMS ECU manual. I don't write this software. Telling someone in five words what to fix is one thing, tearing out a page from your shop manual and giving it to him is another. Takes time to look things up. If they get a sample of what the RAVE can supply, maybe they'll get the whole thing. Plus other will see the same info when searching. I try to give guys links to a couple of sets of downloads. I think the thread I have on GEMS ecu manual download has had over 11,000 views; I have started a lot of threads. Some people don't start threads, or maybe four of them to date; and prefer to add information to other topics already under discussion. That's fine, we usually have maybe 80 - 90 members (who could post) on line, and another 300 - 500 guests lurking. If guests get the idea they will be treated harshly, they will never fully participate. Even a noob can bring something to the table. I wish every experienced guy and those not so experienced would post threads with photos, hundreds or even thousands of owners will learn from them over the years.

Rather than hypocrite, I suspect I'm closer to hypochondriac. Skeered of the dark and the zombies, and skeered of what may be waiting inside the engine at 184,000 miles. Do you tear it open, and then find more problems that will take more moola? Do you sell it for next to nothing and get another one to play with, or maybe that red Volvo turbo down the street? How much money to throw at a college car for the kid? And still afford college (loved that $200 paper back book last semester).

These are the same sort of questions other members have to wrassle with. Not all of us are lottery winners. And this external failure had almost no notice. Exhaust tick started one day while I was driving it. Next day, much louder. No change in engine temp. At the moment, I'm on the fence about throwing about $2 grand at the truck. There is a red D1 and a green D2 near me for sale...

Or I can order that gasket set and decide on ARP or new TTY bolts.

As for super moderator, that is what the software calls us. We can move guy's threads to a better part of the forum. We can block problem children that bring spam and nothing else to the forum. Even delete posts or edit them. You get invited to do this by DM. There is no application, no salary, just a thank you every once in awhile. I do like the forum, perhaps spend more time than I should, and from time to time have folks that just can't stand me and wish I would evaporate. I enjoy this. Half the people in the world don't care about your problems, and the other half are glad you've got 'em. And when people perk up and post responses to correct things, we all learn. And years from now some one will be trying to get an old Disco running and here will be a wealth of knowlege from owners who have lived thru it before.

As far as what I'll do or won't do, depends. I got real motivated when I met the Death Wobble. Sometimes you do dumb things, like the time I drove to three junkyards looking for a dash plastic insert, they had them, just cracked from other partz vulturez yanking the radios. What Paul Grant charged me for a pristine one plus shipping was less that the gas I wasted (Savannah-Columbia-Augusta). I also learned not to stop at the Rover dealer for small D1 parts, Orlando and Columbia did not stock clock light bulbs.

 

well I've been playing the Landy game for a few years now, but only been playing with Discos for the last decade.
So I admit I have plenty still to learn, and I'm very appreciative of all the information I can gain from this and other forums around the world.
and as a relative new comer to this forum I have been most appreciative and thankful for the input I've seen provided by many members and very noticeably by Savannah.
The helpful Camaraderie amongst all Land rover owners has always been something I've noticed compared to other marque associated clubs.
Keep up the fantastic threads and feed, it is helpful and much appreciated.

 

SWMBO has reviewed the fiscal reality and agreed with me that DIY is the way to go. I'll be deciding on supplier and placing the order, tear down starts tomorrow. While I'll take pix and bag parts with notes of where they came from, have a printed RAVE procedure to work with, I'm not sure how much of it will be worth posting, unless I start a thread of how not to do it. Won't be any speed records set, I can only throw a few hours a day at it.

I had a 92 300TE Merc that had HG external oil leak, common. Thought about repair, then reverse went in the tranny, and the SLS in the rear, 305,000. Found a new mid-life crisis (93 300 CE Cabrio) and sent that wagon to the boneyard.

Goal is for Rover to last four more years of maybe 100 miles a week as a college car. Sits in the dorm parking lot, ready for a night time run to the store, or the weekly trip home with laundry. If offspring will come home. Other vehicles I had for offspring included 90 Chevy SWB PU, 4 speed, small v-8, pony stomper, not a good idea for high school kid. F250 351. 12 mpg downhill. Not swanky enough for SWMBO's tastes, would have fit right in at college. 2003 Montero Sport 2WD, 295K. Too many miles and reliability issues for SWMBO. Land Rover - now that's a hunk of machinery we all can admire. Plus I just have to follow the leaks to locate where she parked.

 

Tada! We have a winner!

I was wondering how much of a wordsmith I needed to be to get you to move. You saved me allot of time. Now I don't know what to do with the rest of my Sunday.

At least three of us are satisfied with the results. You know which three.

The only wrinkle in the rug will be with the exhaust manifolds. If you've removed them once or twice you'll be fine otherwise it might present a few expletives which you'll unknowingly vocalize loud enough for the SWMBO to hear.

 

I have arranged for time beneath the shade tree to be when SWMBO is at Ft Stewart, some 45 miles away. She can't hear me from there, however it is close enough for artillery to rattle my window panes.

The motivation was purely fiscal. Can't justify dumping that much more in it, when I could get another one to start over with. They are fun to tinker with. But offspring gets to drive my Merc convertible until I'm done with the Rover. So I'll be motivated.

 

Purely fiscal, uh huh. Totally wiped that statement out with; "They are fun to tinker with."

Tinker away bro.

 

Make no mistake, I'm so cheap I squeeze a nickle until the Buffalo jumps. Rover repair on a budget can be a challenge.

 

Ok so this might sound like rover abuse but before the comments start to fly it is the only vehicle I own and I have only had it for a short time. (hand me down)

Currently it has 263,000 on the clock and it's a 94 5 speed. I know the HG's are leaking due to the loss of coolant in the tank and the visual inspection a few months ago. How long has it been leaking for....... well lets say anywhere from 150,000 - 212,000 miles. She still runs fine, strong, and reliable. It's an everyday driver. No smoke out the back, no milk in the oil.

According to Murphy's law she should have been toast a long time ago. She is a defiant SOB to say the least.

 

Could be a leak between the head and intake manifold. If it's between the head and block you'd be drowning your crankshaft in chocolate milk by now.