Hello all,As i start my hunt for the perfect DiscII for me the ???? start poping up in my head.Between these two power plants i would like to know which one has less "issues". I know the 03 has the oil pump thing with in the vin range.
THANKS ALL

 

Issues wise it's a wash and there's no question the 4.6 is the better motor for the application. Both are the same motor and the 4.6 is just a stroked 3.9/4.0. For some reason the 4.6 seems to get a bad rap. I truly have no idea how this got started but any claims that the 4.6 has more issues are nothing more than conjecture and completely baseless.

 

Sounds good to me, cant go wrong with more HP

 

Just from hearing from DI owners around the world they have much less issues with the 4.0 than 4.6. Spike55 is pretty much the hero DI Land Rovers. He hasn't ever reported a serious issue about his truck.

Everyone likes the power of the 4.6 but to say the crappy land rover gaskets, seals, and stupid cooling system is conjecture and baseless is wrong. But I guess that's speaking more about gaskets than the motor itself. But for the application you are right, the more power is better. But for the OP, not every 03 motor has the oil pump issue. You can most definitely get a 4.6 without the pump issue.

 

Since I have been on this forum I have heard of more 4.6's giving up the ghost than 4.0's.
Oils pump's going bad even in the '04 which is supposed to not have the same problem as the '03.
Dropped sleeves, cracked heads.
Yes the 4.6 has more power but not by much.
BUT, it is just a truck, buy the one that feels right to you, 4.0 of 4.6 does not matter IMO.

And no, I have had no major problems with my truck in the 58,000+ miles I have driven her.
She has always gotten me home, she always starts, goes straight down the road and drinks more gas than oil.
My only complaint about her is the car seats do not fit well in the back seat for the kids, but that is a DI problem not a DII problem.

Just take care of your truck, use the proper grade of fuel and dont hot rod it and you will be fine.

 

I guess my deciding factor will come down to service history and overall condition of the truck, i must confess though i love the head light assembly on the 03,04's.

 

I'm just the opposite. I prefer the look of '02 and earlier front end. To me it makes the truck look more utility than luxury.
As for your search, I would recommend first and foremost the service history of the truck over the engine size. I looked at 9 different Discos and narrowed it down to an '04 and an '02. The '02 had a great service history and the '04 couldn't be verified.
Having driven both engines, i must say I have gotten used to the rather anemic 4.0 in my '02.

Probably the most important thing you can do when choosing your Disco is to have it inspected by a reputable LR shop before you choose to buy.

 

You can buy the '04 head lamps and install them into a earlier model DII.
I agree, go by service history and the least amount of owners if possible, mine was a one owner dealer maintained truck.

 

i am a firm believer in "car karma" where in your vehicle will treat you only as well as you treat it.

that being said i have always treated every vehicle i have ever owned with love and care. and more then routine maintenance. i have never had a major issue with any vehicle i have owned from multiple motorcycles to nearly a dozen cars/trucks.

of course normal wear and tear happens and parts need to be swapped for new, but i have never had anything more then that occur to any of my vehicles.

my rover has been bulletproof and even my 30+ year old ferrari with 80,000 miles has had nothing but normal fluid swaps and maintenance. only big thing was a water pump swap a couple years back.

parts break and things wear out, but in between those times take care of the truck overall and it will take care of you overall


cheers