I bought a 2003 discovery about 2 years ago for $7k, fully expecting it to cost a bit of money to keep on the road. I've had zero problems up til now, but the tick is getting too loud to ignore. I've had two LR specialists in Orlando give me the same answer, once they start to tear into the engine it's quickly becomes easier to replace the engine. I got a quote for $5600, which is definitely cheaper than buying a new truck, but I can't decide to whether it's ridiculous to spend $6k on a truck that will be worth $6k when it's done. Any advice is welcome. Thanks!

 

I realize it is easy for me to say either pull the engine and have it redone at a shop or pull the engine and buy a cheap, used replacement, but those are your only real options if you don't want to take it to a shop. I have been in your exact situation and my truck sat in the garage for FIVE YEARS.

I've done both of those things and taught myself how to do it, then got some craigslist and harbor freight tools, but I also had extra cars to drive and space for the projects while I spent a couple of months learning how to do it.

What did they say was wrong with it? Lifters ticking? Rockers? You could fix those things yourself with guidance from the forums. You can do it all with guidance from the forums and/or an engine shop.

I bought a 2003 for less than a thousand dollars recently for parts and with about another 2000 I'm going to have a new engine, transmission, and a lifetime of parts. Don't let yours be a parts car. Make it new!

Anyway, I know it is easy to say but when our trucks go down they either become projects, craigslist sales, or cost an arm and a leg.

Post what the mechanics said and i'm sure you'll get good advice here.

 

If you have the space and the desire to learn.

Buy a second rover for 4-6k, 2004 if it were me and start working on your 03' on the side. You could part it out, or rebuild the motor and have 2 nice discos for the same price the mechanic wants plus some rebuild money and time.

Parts car is a nice luxury.

 

Why not just run a heavy oil in it and upgrade to an inline tstat? Run the motor till it dies while you save money on a motor.

 

I just Re read the OP. I still don't know what the mechanics said.... maybe they just said they would have to tear it apart and find out.

With basic tools you can get all of the way down to the lifters in th bottom end.

Intake comes off. Six bolts and some hose fittings and electrical connectors and you can flop it out of the way. A few more bolts and it is out of the truck. Few clips and bolts and a fittingand your fuel rail and injectors are out.

Lower intake. Bolts are obvious right in the valley.

Valve covers. Four bolts. Now you can see the rockers.

Ten more bolts each side plus I think eight for each of the exhaust manifolds and the heads are off after you have removed the fan and pulley assemblies. Now you can see the pistons, push rods and lifters.

Underneath, several bolts to remove the oil pan. Now you can see the crank shaft. If they are saying it is a slipped liner, you can pin the liner following guidance in the forums.

All of the steps above are in the engine bay. I could talk you through that your first time and I am an IDIOT at this. One of the geniuses here could do much better.

I bought an engine crane on craigslist for 150 and about a hundred dollars worth of tools at harbor freight for all of those operations.

200 dollars for a complete gasket kit (heads etc) plus maybe 70 for head bolts. Miscellaneous cleaners and loctite plus whatever part is the problem, if it isn't a traumatic problem. If so, pull the bottom of the engine out and take it to a shop.

By then you will know and have done more than most people on the planet have ever done to a car and yours will be fixed. More importantly, you will know how to do it, how it all works, and be way ahead of the curve next time.

Of course I'm leaving some little things out that I don't remember but the folks on this forum are incredibly giving of their time and valuable advice. I know NOTHING compared to them and managed to do all of these things and more with their help, and I'd never done anything beyond change my oil, windshield wipers, and one belt before tackling the project. I've said that with a few basic tools and access to the RAVE manual and these forums... oh and deep pockets... you can keep a rover going forever in style, and those words are true.

The parts rover I bought needed a 200 dollar head gasket kit installed. That takes me a day. I am NOT a mechanic. But he sold an otherwise beautiful rover worth maybe 5k to me for 900 dollars because shops gave him multi thousand dollar estimates. I told him he could do it for 200 dollars. Don't be that guy!

 

would you put $100000 into a house worth $100001? it doesn't say were you are located but i'm guess a 03 discovery can be bought for a lot less than $6k jmho

 

Thanks for the responses, I really appreciate it. Everyone on here is so helpful. Picked up the truck this morning and spoke to the mechanic for a few minutes. The diagnosis was head gaskets, cam shaft and lifters, which would be $5200 parts and labor. He recommended a reman engine for $6600 all in with three year 36k mile warranty.

I could probably do the work myself, but this is my daily driver and I couldn't afford for it to be down while I work on it.

Still torn, I love this truck and if I go replace it with and F150, its going to cost way more than $6600 and there will be no three year engine warranty for sure. The rest of the truck is in really great shape (all the windows even work!)

 

make sure you get a price out the door lots of people start out $ and end up paying $$$.

 

Thanks drowssap, does $6600 sound in the ballpark?

 

if you can get out the door with a complete re-manufactured engine with a 3-years warranty, for $6600 i would say that's fair. turner engeneering is getting $4300 US for a complete motor, because of the strong dollar