Working on the heads once I get to Alaska would not be a problem for me. Truth is Ill be living and working on the same property and the living quarters is literally 1 minute from where Id be working. That means I would not be dependent on my truck to get me around. It also means Id be saving a **** load of money on gas since I would not be driving nearly as much as I am right now (15 miles each way to and from work). The company provides living accommodations for at least 6 months of the year and the total cost for rent/utilities/washer and dryer/internet is only $5 per day. The amount of overtime hours Id be working would put ALOT of raw cash into my pocket, more than what I make right now. So say the head gaskets failed after I made the trek to AK, after say a couple months Id be able to literally replace the entire engine if I so desired to. I could afford to take the truck apart for a week or drop it off at a shop for a couple weeks. So the notion of fixing my truck while in AK is not the issue. Its getting to AK thats the potential issue or concern rather.

It really sucks that there is not an easier way for me to determine the condition of the engine, wish I could predict when the heads will fail if ever. and no I have no idea if my head gaskets were ever replaced, if they were it would have been during the first 90k and most likely it would have been done by Land Rover. I called the dealership that worked on my truck for those 90k miles and even with the vin they refused to give me any details about exactly what they did for work/servicing on my truck. Saying that it is a privacy thing and they cannot reveal that personal info with me. So I just assumed that Im running the original head gaskets.

Ive been monitoring my coolant and engine oil levels like a hawk. After doing the throttle body heater plate I had a bad coolant leak that lasted a couple days. Had to top off the coolant expansion tank every other day. Turns out the leak was coming from the bottom of the expansion tank where I swapped out the old plastic tube for a rubber fuel line. Guess it was not tight enough with the single clamp I had on it so I added 2 clamps and some rtv around the top of the hose. Been watching it every since and so far my coolant levels stay at the full line. That said I installed a new oil pan gasket the other day but forgot to use rtv.... so far only a tiny tiny bit of oil is leaking. I checked the oil pan last night after work and I did notice a couple small green dribbles of coolant. Not sure if its a new coolant leak, possible the head gaskets or just exxess fluid from when the expansion tank was leaking. I wiped it up and will keep my eyes on it.

Im tempted to hold off on the head gasket job as it would save me a couple hundred bucks. Maybe get some blue devil in case i have any issues on the way up to AK but my concern is that after replacing the radiator do i really want to add stop leak **** to my rad? Im thinking probably not.

Is there anybody here interested in helping me with the job? Maybe in the next month or 2? Ive heard that you have to have some special measure tool and Ive heard that its a very complicated job, easy to mess up.

 

Well to be honest if you never overheated the engine you should be able to just replace the head gaskets and not get the heads decked. When you decide to do them get a buddy who's a mechanic to help you out.

Pressure test your engine for leaks. If you're temperature is optimal right now then there shouldn't be that much cause for concern as far as a HG blowing.

Yes you can drive the truck with a leaking HG. But only if the leak is external.

 

I should probably wait on doing the intake manifold gasket, valve cover gaskets and valley gasket until i make a decision about weather or not to do the head gasket job yes? Like i said before the water pump was already replaced sometime after the 90k mark. Id rather wait on the oil pump and timing chain and things like that. I dont nor will I have enough money to put aside for all those extra things before April.

Im still having a difficult time figuring out how much money I should set aside for gas and for all the tolls Ill run into. Have no idea how much premium gas cost in Canada either..... Mapquest gave me a rough estimate at around $1,119 but I know Ill be paying more than that because Ill be taking a different route to get to AK. I want to stay inside the US border at least until I reach Montana before crossing over into Canada. I did a rough budget plan last night and calculated the following:

Gas: $1,600?
Food $500?
Emergency $1,000?
Tolls $200?

Having no real insight into these numbers, I just rounded everything up and it came out to roughly $3,500. Id have to have that much money set aside before April. And I can only set aside $600 per month for savings and parts for my truck, so go figure.

 

I wouldn't change the head gaskets just to change them. If you are not having any coolant loss, consider yourself lucky and drive it like you stole it.

I would be more inclined to check quality of hoses, and maybe change the throttle bottle heater gasket, cause that WILL leak. Very seldom do these head gaskets just BLOW. I have milked a head gasket leak for 18 months more than once. Get a AAA membership, the good one, and roll out.


Now a Slipped liner........ That is a different story. Something you might check for is exhaust gases (is that right ?? ) in your coolant. Not long ago I was getting small leaks everywhere, and I started replacing hoses, throttle body gasket, etc. LATER, realized exhaust gases were building up pressure, causing the coolant leaks. And when that liner slipped........ It was obvious. Limped home.....

If you do not have exhaust gases, and your head gaskets don't leak. I'd save your dough.....

 

head gaskets are pretty easy to replace it does not take a rocket scientist, look at some of the people on here that have done them.

Most every plug wire and hose will only go back one way.
pull the ac compressor and power steering pump out of the way, same with exhaust manifolds no need to remove any of it from the truck leave it all connect to the truck just disconnect from the engine

the only special tools required is that stupid 12 pt for the valve covers, a 5/8 6 point shallow impact socket 6-inch extension and a breaker bar & a fan tool wrench.

all you ever hear about are the screw-up, the cracked block and what not that have been found after woulds , never about the HG jobs that go o every weekend with no problems.

by the way i did my HG preventatively and have 50k on them without touching the heads.

 

X2 on not doing them just to do them. Your truck should be able to make the journey up there.

Your waterpump is good, radiator is new, 180 t-stat. The system should function well. You have an UG to tell you when things start heating up. Not going to lie you might spring a leak somewhere but that doesn't mean it'll be the HG.

I ran with blown HG for a while before finally fixing it. It was an external leak. But I frequently bled the system to keep air pockets out of the cooling system.

That being said your trip isn't until April. You could get all this done in a weekend or so and have the heads and valves done.

 

Is there any really good thread on here that details the step by step procedure for doing the headgasket job? A thread with lots of good pictures? Im more a hands on/visually learner. Reading alone does not do much for me. Some of you make it out to be an easy job, others say its so complicated and easy to do something incorrectly. I looked on youtube and it looks like one user started making a couple videos on the process but never past removing the battery and air intake system, so I think he probably got into more than he bargained for and gave up on it ^^

 

RAVE is pretty good by itself as far as instructions go. You just need to be neat and keep everything organized. Most of the wiring can only go one way. There is a DIY thread on it though somewhere.

 

There is a video out there somewhere that was done by a guy named Elias. He made a rover movie and sold DVDs and at the end has a bonus HG how to video.

In Search of the Experience: The American Land Rover Family

See if you can buy a copy.

 

AB has it on sale for $26.95

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