In the event I do have cracks/fissures in the cylinders - which would seem quite likely given how long-term this problem has been - I'm wondering if anybody has had any experience with additives for sealing the cracks, like this one: http://www.heal-a-seal.com.

I realize these may, at best, be a temporary fix, but really, at this point that's my only hope, to buy me some time to get a new vehicle. Anyone had even temporary success with anything like this for overheating issues?

Incidentally, that site has a HUGE amount of information about cooling systems and overheating problems. Very useful, at least for understanding exactly what kind of clusterf*** you may be facing with your Land Rover.

Dan

 

$100?? damn, that's a lot of money. I think they make cheaper block sealers than that. If you're just buying time to get another engine, then what the heck... couldn't hurt. My only experience with those products is one called "K&W mechanic in a can" I used it years ago when I had a Pontiac 6000 with a blown head. I followed the directions exactly and it worked! Drove it another 3,000 miles and didn't have to add coolant. Didn't overheat either. Not a long term solution but a good temporary fix.

Eric

 

Thanks Eric. Good to know it can work temporarily. $100 is kinda high for an additive. They're packaging it as a kit with a coolant flush kit. Probably unnecessary. However, compared to a paying a shop a bunch of money to do diagnostic work on it, $100 isn't really that much if it gets the vehicle running a bit longer.

 

So, I have more questions that all seem to tie to the reservoir tank. I've been trying to remove things from the equation to figure out why I'm still getting too much pressure and overheating. I wanted to pressure test the radiator to remove that as a factor and rented a pressure tester at AutoZone (for free, too! Great store.). However, the pressure tester was clearly designed for a radiator with a cap, which the LR doesn't have. I finally found an attachment that would attach it to the reservoir tank. But ... when I pump pressure into the reservoir, the pressure was immediately "leaking" out through the reservoir's overflow/drainage hose.

Is there some workaround to this? If not, it seems really difficult to pressure test a cap-less radiator. Could you just stick a thumb on the end of the overflow hose, or is there too much pressure going to be built up for that to work? I didn't want to proceed and potentially get false-negative results because pressure was actually escaping without me knowing.

Next question on the reservoir ... if I keep the cap loose, does this disrupt the proper functioning of the cooling system? It relieves the problem of having too much pressure in the hoses because the pressure is obviously escaping from the loose cap, BUT ... is that because it's actually failing to keep pressure in the system at all and therefore not circulating coolant correctly (and ultimately resulting in more overheating)? When I run the vehicle with the cap loose, it feels like there's NO coolant running through the upper hoses (I can squeeze them all in the way without any flow pressure), but there IS coolant spitting out of the upper hose bleed valve when I release it.

Haven't tried the block sealer yet. Wondered if there was maybe a simpler answer relating to the reservoir before proceeding the multiple flushes, taking out the thermostat, etc.

I checked for any untoward gunk in the oil filler cap. Also took out the plugs and looked inside the plug sockets, and saw nothing unusual. So there at least isn't those signs of blown gaskets or anything.

I've also read that any minor damage to the blades of the fan can cause overheating. Anybody experienced a resolution to overheating problems by replacing the fan?

Just trying to look at all possible causes. It's maddening trying to figure this out vs. dumping my vehicle.

Thanks,

Dan

 

Also, gasket and block sealers in the store run $6-$20. Not quite sure the big difference is between the high end of those and the $90-$100 ones online. Is this kind of a scam?