I have a 2000 Dicovery that I did the head gaskets on last June. At the time I had the heads milled at the machine shop and used the head gasket kit from Atlantic British. In the last few weeks I noticed the Antifreeze was low every few days and I began to get a Check Engine light and the code indicated misfire on Cylinder 4. The spark plug is wet with antifreeze. Does this sound like a dropped/shifted cylinder liner in cylinder 4? Thanks

 

No, it sounds like your head gasket job failed, time to pull the heads again, this time pay attention as you remove each head bolt are any too tight or too loose.

 

Mike thanks for the response. I see you have helped many with issues. I used new head bolts and followed the rave manual specs. If I do the job over would I be better with ARP studs. Have use ever used the studs and do they work better?

 

redo the head gasket.
Use Victor Reinz gaskets

 

How does a faulty HG let coolant into #4?

 

It fails, just as it can let oil out into the coolant, exhaust into the coolant or out the side of the block.
And yes, if you find the actual problem, studs are a much better way to go for better torquing.

 

Yes, but how does it fail in such a way that coolant gets to #4 without affecting #2 as well?

 

Yeah, I agree. #4 is not near a coolant jacket.
sucking in via the intake valve from??
Maybe from the intake heater leaking?

Do a compression check on #4 and see if it is low first..
This is a reasonable request and diagnostic.

 

Throttle body heater if it leaked internal (not likely) would impact more cylinders.

Nasty possibility is cracked block behind a sleeve. Look at it this way, you already know the head gasket job. A KSeal (block sealer) treatment may have some impact and won't hurt anything. You can also run a cooler thermostat like the 180 and perhaps block won't open up so much....

 

My concern was finding the antifreeze in cylinder number 4 also. I thought if the head gasket failed it would leak into cylinder 2 or 8 on that side not 4. Mike I'm sure you have seen lots of these and I hate to waste time tearing into an engine with a bad block. So mike you have seen a bad head gasket leak into the middle cylinders before? I appreciate your expertise and answer, as you can see others here assumed what I did. If you could post an answer I'd appreciate it. Thanks.