I've been reading the forums for a while. My Disco has 177K miles on it and has already had the head gaskets done 1+ years ago. The overheating started again at Christmastime. Replaced the radiator. Replaced most of the tubing. Replaced the overflow tank. Now my mechanic friend thinks its the water pump because he sees fluid coming out of the weep hole.

I followed Disco Mike's advice and went to an indy Rover only shop and had them pressure test the coolant system. They found combustion gasses in the coolant and very high pressure in the system. They think I have been having to pour coolant in because the pressure is so high it just blows out the top of the expansion tank. (Although the water pump does have seepage at the weep hole and probably does need replacing.)
There is some indication that the previous HG was not done correctly. There are no marks on the bolts, so they are not sure the bolts were tightened correctly. There is also evidence that some type of rotational device was used to clean the block, which I'm told is bad.

So, on Monday they are taking it apart and pressure testing it (with hot water?) and will determine if it is the heads again or if the block is cracked.
Then the choice is repair the heads again or get a new engine.

They recommend a '00-'02 Range Rover 4.6L engine. They will not put another Disco engine in these trucks due to the problems with them. Or I could get an "improved" engine from a guy out of Oklahoma City called a CannibalV8 (CANNiBALV8 | Project Resurrection).

There is a big difference in price. The cannibal v8 is ~$6k and $1500 to install it. A used Rover engine is $1500 to $3k but then it will need heads and install for another $2k.

SO the questions:
1. Are there problems with these Rover engines too? Am I trading one set of problems for another?
2. Has anyone else used the CannibalV8? What has your experience been? They claim an increase in get-up-and-go and MPG as well as no future problems because they have fixed the intrinsic problems with the engine.
3. Do I have other options, besides junking it?
Thanks for any info and advice you can give me.
Catherine

PS: I've looked at the rebuilds at AB, they don't put tops hats in for the sleeves, but rather pins to keep the sleeves from moving, which seems to me still have the potential to fail in the future.

 

Yes, all Rover V8s are junk.

 

Share this with your mechanic. 3 year warranty I believe. Top hat liners. http://www.greatplainsrovers.com/***...8-Tutorial.pdf

 

GPR-V8 sure sounds alot like what CannibalV8 does, all the way down to the "high-temp ceramic coating and placed under heavy pressure for 24 hours to cure" --I wonder if they are distributors? I put in a call and am waiting for a reply. Maybe their cost is less, I doubt it. I don't think my indy shop can just do this themselves can they? I suspect they cannot, because they are distributors for CannibalV8.

So ya'll aren't recommending a Range Rover engine? I'm in Atlanta, by the way, not OK.

 

Odds are still in your favor that it is still just head gaskets.
By the way, to test the sleeves on a block requires air pressure not hot water so I would talk to your shop about this.

 

Thanks,
I will double check on how they plan to check the sleeves, maybe I misunderstood. If this is my second set of gaskets, is there any benefit to replacing the engine? Or just do it right this time?
I have to be honest, it got pretty hot, scan gauge said 287 degrees, so you can see why I'm worried. I had put fluid in the day before and it looked good that am, I didn't pay attention and then my heat went cold, looked at the scan gauge, cussed and pulled over.
Catherine

 

That level of heat could also make liners start to slip. One of the pluses for the Ultra Gauge scanner is that it has programmable alarm points. Can't always keep an eye on the scan gauge.

Also review this thread and links. https://landroverforums.com/forum/di...light=warranty

 

Thanks for the link to that thread, I searched for Cannibal yesterday and got nothing, not sure what I did wrong, so sorry for starting a new thread.

I have to say, I just read some other threads (not here) comparing the scan gauge to the ultragauge and I don't know how I missed that when I was buying it, it seems like a much better product! Just the alarms alone would have saved my butt more than once, since I feel like I always have to glance at it. May need to get one and put the SG in hubby's Volvo.

Maybe a silly question, but can my shop just put in tophats to solve the sleeve problem themselves, or no?

 

I replied in you other thread. As for the top hats, a competent machine shop with the right equipment can do that, the equipment to do that is not part of a standard auto repair or dealership. Does require complete block removal from truck of course. I would suspect that you would want a block pressure test to be sure no cracks before doing the machine shop work. But once you start down this path, so many other things in the engine are or can be worked at the same time. New oil pump, timing chain, lifters and cam, rings, valve seats, valve seals, valve guides, etc. You have to love your vehicle to put this kind of time and money into it. And it certainly can impact the college fund. People sometimes buy another Rover and retire the dead one. The cycle of life begins again, the old one is sold to a boneyard for under a $1000, or to someone for a parts truck. And pieces live on, my daughter calls her D1 "Frankenstien", brought back to life with parts from the dead ones.

Rental or second car while all this is going on, these are also the kinds of stress that push people into car dealerships. This time of year (tax refund season) the used car operations bulk up with inventory. Craigslist. A variety of options and decisions. Best used Disco ever posted about on here (other than a gift) was a D2 with 117 miles kept in a garage by an eccentric owner and sold to RoxieMoxie for $2000.

 

See if you can get that Range Rover engine from a junked Rangie from a junk yard.
That is your cheapest way out.
But, the range rover has to be running.
Do not buy an engine from a junk yard that you have not personally heard running.

The '03 is probably worth $4,000 tops with 177k on it.
Don't throw good money after bad.
You can lease a Toyota for about $200 a month.
If you are going to spend $3,000 on this project - you can lease a car for a few years and kick the can down the road.

Or buy a Rover with less miles on it and a good engine.
That is what I would do - actually.
2000 to 2002 are good years.

2003 - not so good. Nice headlights but...