AJH,
Don't you have an independent shop that can do the job, here in the states, there is a difference of about $1000 US between the dealer and a small shop, both of course using original Rover parts.
Here in Colorado the dealers charge apx $2500 and I just had mine replaced by a small independent Rover shop for $1460 including having the tranny serviced.

 

Not that I can trust. I tried one they're the ones who pinched the tranny gasket then denied they did anything wrong after spending about 4000 with them in 3 weeks. They also seemed to take about twice as long as I'd expect for any given job. No, the labour for heads up will be $1100 from the dealer plus parts and I can get it back in a reasonable amount of time vs anyone else who will have to order parts, wait, strip bolts, wait, etc. Plus with the dealer it has a 12 month warranty on the work that they'll actually honour.

 

Yep, what AJH said. dealers up here might be charge as much as the States, but they are no crook stealerships. The service manager is a member of the local club. By the way AJH, a membership of the Ottawa rover club is $30.00, and you get 10% off parts and labor at the dealer. Now would be a perfect time to join if not done. Talk about getting your money back!!!

 

Yeah I joined last year only remembered to start asking for the discount a few weeks ago though. Right now though I'd just like things to stay reasonably stable for a month or two, the only other scheduled upgrade right now would be the rear bumper replacement, modified watts linkage, and perhaps the adjustable panhard bar, and disconnects. Nothing likely to cause a major hassle once this leak is out of the way.

In fact once this is fixed I might actually have a fluid tight rover for a few months.

 

well, you'd have more luck than me. Drove by the dealer today, and all is perfectly dry except for the very bottom of the bellhousing. Ends up it could be the rear main seal, or the cross gaskets I think they're called. When you remove the inspection cap at the bottom, it's all dry in there???. so, whatever it is, at least my worries about taking the Disco on a trip and braking down or damaging the engine due to faulty head gaskets are gone. So now I can enjoy the ownership at least. I wonder if going from Mobil 1 5w30 to 10w30 would help stop the leak??? and if a full synthetic 10w30 is good enough for our winters???

Later.

 

I'd say 10w30 is ok, it'll be a bit harder on the starter though but with a good battery I have yet to see mine not turn over and start right away. I don't remember what I ran for oil last winter.

 

I was running regular oil in grade 5W30. My reasonning behind my question, is regarding the fact that the synthetic keeps its fluidity, while regular oil does not. So I wonder if a full synthetic10W30 is as good if not better than 5W30 regular oil when it comes toour very cold winter climate. I know that synthtetic 5W30 is most likely the optimum, but .....

 

For the first 1000km the properties should be fairly consistent, it's after that where the mineral oil begins to degrade about twice as quickly as synthetic. After 10,000km I think mineral is shot where synthetic takes until about twice that to degrade to the point where it needs to be changed.

The reason most people change it earlier is historical and paranoid. In reality if you change your filter every 10,000km and keep the oil you should be good as long as your engine is putting minimal water into the oil. It is water contamination that causes sludge and overheating that causes premature breakdown. There have been some good studies on this I'm sure you can find if you spend some effort searching.

In the end the reason 5w30 was introduced (and 0w30) is for small inline 4's with tiny starters not engines like the 1960's V8 we have.