You can confirm or deny the sludge build up by removing the valve covers and having a look see.

 

I guess I'll go and try and drain it tomorrow and see if anything comes out. If it doesn't, anyone want to purchase a 1998 LE? lol

 

Absolutely yes to your first question. Yes to your second question. Possible but only to grenade the bottom end is my reply to your third statement. You cannot add back material lost. Once tolerances are widened to the degree of ill maintained 182k occlusion it's only a matter of how soon it will fail. When it does fail how catastrophically it does will be the final cost to the OP. Right now the truck as it sits is worth something if it runs.......

So Buzz/Spike, do you two still wish to pursue your over optimism and bare the responsibility at the OP's completely vulnerable expense?

The return for poking a stick, washing the motor galleys with solvent (and much that was not mentioned to do the job correctly) is far less than just doing it right once and for all. Way too many miles on it. Since my eyes and years don't fail me I'd say the OP doesn't wish to pursue a rebuild/replacement which after reading their first post (which was excellent) it is the right course.

WapTProf, call a few shops you trust or know of and see what they say about your situation. Do that before you sell it so you can at least pass that on to the next person and recommend the shop that gives you the best honest answer. The buyer will appreciate that and you might squeeze a few more bucks out of the deal because you took the time and are honest.

Best of luck......

 

ihscouts,

Thanks for the brutal, yet honest, feedback. I will be calling my go to shop shortly and asking them for their opinion. Also, just for kicks, I decided to check the dip stick yet again. And to my surprise, it read spot on. I am to the point that selling it is just simply the best for me. While I have some mechanical experience, a rebuild of this magnitude is far beyond my capabilities or financial standing.

Final question: What is a vehicle worth that is in this condition? I know I won't get what I paid for it out, unless I am just as deceitful as the seller I purchased her from. But I hope I'm not the last one holding the hot potato.

 

Not sure how much you can see thru the oil fill hole, but if you see any gunk you can assume it looks worse with valve cover off. Don't know if a long Qtip or probe would bring back sludge on it. As for cleaning it out, yes that might help for a short time, but it is also a very valid point that old engine with slow oil flow will also have excess wear on plenty of surfaces. The oil light goes off at like 7PSI. So are your driving around on 10, 15, 20 when it needs to be 40? A mechanical oil PSI test gauge will reveal. Switching to 20W50 may prolong operation, depends on your climate, and miles used.

Some guys with oil light coming on at higher rpm have had this happen to them, the oil simply can't flow back fast enough to keep the pump fed. Another reason for a jumbo oil filter, it increases the quantity of oil in the system and provides some small margin of safety.

Oil flush, 20W50, and maybe you keep driving. How far is yours to Discover. It won't be another 100K. If you have spec oil pressure things may not be as bad as they could be. Perhaps you have not developed rod knock at cold idle, excess piston slap, etc. Once you open the engine, wear will dictate swapping a lot of parts. How long it will keep going is hard to say based on an external exam. By the time you pay to have it torn apart and a micrometer attached, ....

Your love for the vehicle has to exceed your love for a heavy wallet. This weekend a lot of us are having our wallets lightened to support numerous government programs. If you are getting a refund, the truck has already detected this from the electric seat sensors scanning the wallet and plans are already in place to reduce that windfall.

 

Talk to your go to shop first before setting a price. You know what you paid, the shop should give you a ballpark estimate of what it may cost and adjust the price to reflect the repair work. You'll off it faster than it was sold to you. Remember to send the shops name along with the sale. Works out for everyone and you'll sleep well knowing you did the right thing.

 

Well the three reputable shops around here have all quoted prices that exceed what I paid for the vehicle, and nearly comes to what the books is valued at by KBB. Dang. What an awful mistake I have made.

Thanks for all the help everyone.

 

Well, it still runs. Maybe clean out the gunk. It will run longer. It is not making a noise like a handful of sockets thrown in a blender. If it comes to it, consider a used engine from the boneyard. Where most are there because of head gaskets.

Owning an old Rover is (1) fun, (2) expensive, (3) fun. Important to have more of 1 and 3. A pre-purchase inspection is always good. There are plenty of these things still on their last legs from Lagos to Los Angeles. Various oil treatments and more viscous oil can make up for some metal worn away for some period of time. If you paid $4000 for it, drive it two years, sell it for scrap at $500, then you have spent $145 per month on a truck payment.

It may surprise you. And being the last owner that loves a vehicle is not a bad thing. You look just as good in it as the first owner. There are those among us who can't stand a dent or a scratch. Others must have a sound system with more power than the modulator at most AM radio stations. Some want survey grade sub-centimeter GPS systems so they can be sure they are in the exact center of their assigned parking space. Others lust for a roof rack that could carry 12 mothers-in-law.

But all of our Rovers will one day reach the end of the trail. You may get there ahead of some of us. But all of us should have fun along the way, otherwise just drive an econobox.

 

No noises, drives great...and paid $1,400 for it. And if I knew it was going to last 2 years, I would have no issues keeping it. I am just concerned that if I start doing an oil treatment regimen might guarantee an engine failure sooner, rather than later. At which point the value would be non-existent. Guess I have quite a bit to consider. Thanks for everything.

 

I'm sorry. I had hopes too. Where are you? PM me when you get settled down a bit. I'll talk you off the ledge, promise.