Hey all - 2000 Disco II w/194k.

I’ve been nursing a minor rear-engine coolant leak for quite some time now. I wasn’t sure of the leak’s origin…..it would drip down around the bell housing area (valley pan maybe?). In any event, this is sort of a “beater vehicle” and a topping off of the reservoir once a week or so would suffice and I never experience any overheating, etc.

Today, whatever it was (assuming it’s the same area) finally let go once and for all. Upon parking (luckily) something let go and the coolant emptied out in a matter of minutes. It was difficult to zero in on a source because A) it was being diverted by various components and B) it was burning/smoking as it poured onto the y-pipe/cats.

I know it’s a tough diagnosis to make with only this info but, anyone have any thoughts on possible culprits back there?

 

You have 2 options, valley pan and head gasket(s).
You wont know anything until you get it home and pull the intake off.

 

Thanks for the quick reply.

The only thing that has me questioning the valley or head gaskets is how quickly this thing emptied out. It was, literally, like someone pulled a major hose off. I'd say that 95% of the coolant capacity was on the ground within a minute……and this was at full operating temp after about 2 hours of driving.

I see no signs of spray anywhere around the top-rear of the motor (dist/coils, etc.). Aside from the heater hoses that go into the firewall, are there any other major cooling lines tucked in directly behind the motor?

 

The only coolant lines that run back there are heater hoses and engine gaskets.
The throttle body heater plate is up top on the drivers side but that always leaks down that side of the engine and not out the back usually.
Rinse the engine off with clean water, then fill it with colored water and see what you find.

 

At least in my own experiences with head gaskets (Albeit on non rover vehicles) all my leaks were much much slower than described.... I would think you blew a hose, or potentially shot a freeze plug.... But I don't know if there are freeze plugs in the area you lost coolant.

 

04 has a good point, it may be a rusted out freeze plug.
Why didn't I think of that?

 

If you really mean all of the colant ran out then it cannot be the head gasket. Only so much coolant up in one cylinder head.

 

Thanks guys. Just dropped the truck in the driveway so, hopefully, I find the culprit soon enough. I hope it's a hose vs. a freeze plug......but the speed with which this thing bled out, that's a pretty good suggestion.

 

Although I can't see the plug itself, I can see a pinhole stream of water shooting out from the rear of the block.....and there doesn't appear to be any coolant lines/hoses in close proximity. I can't reach it, from any angle, with my hand and I'm not sure that intake removal is going to help that.

Unless a stop leak product could fix it (which I don't think I'd trust even if it did), this is going to be a difficult decision. If this will require head removal or partial engine lift-out, I may be done with turning wrenches on this old girl.

Anyone have a couple of pics of the rear of an out-of-truck motor....so I can try to get a feel for the exact position of these plugs?

Thanks again for the quick responses and, unfortunately, accurate suggestions.

 

I was looking for a pic of a engine out of the truck but I cant find any that dont still have the exhaust and everything still in place.
It is really easy to remove the exhaust manifold, loosen it and move it out of the way and you should beable to see.