Your mechanic wants you to pay him $2500-3000 for head-gasket replacements.


I went the TD-5 Stat route instead of the inline. Temps between 188-194 constantly, and I believe I'm still on an old fan-clutch (new one coming).


Before, I was well up to 220F on a minor uphill (but the stock stack was giving up the ghost.)


With Rotella-T being so cheap, and head gaskets not, I would rather have low temps and ignore the possible sludge issue. Failing gaskets and slipped liners are a reality with this motor..

 

So as someone who lives in a climate that goes from -30f to 110f and works the crap out of the engine since I drive at high altitudes, what is the best option? Stick with stock and keep it maintained? I'm thinking stock, yearly flushes and installing electric fans on a thermostat to help regulate temps.

 

Looks like nobody answered you, so I will.

I'm running stock right now, even a 190 degree stat. Personally I can't see blowing $50 on that in line thermostat housing, but my truck doesn't overheat right now. I'd like to do the mod, but currently have no reason to. If the reason comes up in the future, a 180 stat is $40, that's not a huge difference and I might just do it because it just makes more sense to me for the system to work that way.

So on the end, it' 's up to you. I, personally, would do the mod if I had a reason. If you have a reason, I'd recommend it. Otherwise, just maintain your system as it is and don't worry about it. Of course, in the end it's up to you.

 

I did it, and have no regrets. There's a blurb in the RAVE about how the stock system will sometimes allow drastic temp swings, and it's nothing to worry about.

Yeah, no thanks.

I've driven in temps from 0ish to well over 100 with no problems.

 

Why you would design a system that ALLOWS drastic temp swings is beyond me.

 

I think it's just a unintentional result of the weird system they put in. But for me, that was the last straw. 50 degrees C is too d@mn much of a swing as far as I'm concerned.

 

I don't know, my system works just fine...i don't have temp swings. constant 195-199.


I also have only bled it about 5 times since July 2013 when I completed the head gaskets and upper half rebuild.


All factory setup.

 

Does ANYONE have any first hand experience with the inline mod not controlling engine temps better?

 

I have a new(to me) 2004 SE7 which I bought in December knowing it needed major work. It had 110k on the odometer. After diagnosing problem after problem I came to the conclusion I would just pay up for a top-hat sleeved engine from Motorcars LTD here in Houston. In the process of swapping in the long block I've also replaced the radiator with a Nissens branded one, replaced the power steering pump, water pump, all 4 O2 sensors, basically everything that was failing in addition to the engine. I set the cooling system up as stock with green coolant. I fired up the new engine and then monitored temps with the Torque app to a bluetooth OBDII adapter. Temps with the stock plumbing and coolant mixed approximately 60% water 40% antifreeze were between 194 and 220. They would climb rapidly at any stop light. After 2 days and 100 miles I did my first oil change and decided to switch to the inline thermostat. I used the Meziere inline housing and a sight glass/bleeder from jagsthatrun.com. I also reduced the antifreeze proportion to 30%/70% water. Now my temps are 186 to 189 if speed is over 40 mph. If I slow to 25 mph or come to a stop light temps will slowly creep up to 194. I have reached 200 once at a very long stop light. On the highway I'm running about 10 degrees cooler than the stock setup but am more pleased with the lack of sharp spikes when idling. I think running this experiment on an essentially new engine is confirmation that this mod is absolutely something all Discovery owners should consider. If you live in a northern climate just put in a higher temperature thermostat(imho).

 

Congrats on all the work done. I am going to need to do a new radiator so I am goin gto service the entire system. I am going to go inline mod.

I am also going to try Evans pressureless coolant. We'll see how that goes.