Here it goes....pardon the long story. I'm looking for ideas/opinions on what do with my Discovery as the odometer ticks higher and higher.

Background : 2002 DII with 136K (On time oil changes, air filters, new CPS, new thermostat, new plugs)

Our DII is my wife's DD (due to my long commute) and is our weekend warrior vehicle/big stuff/puppy hauler and has started to show a few signs of it's age and use.

Over the last few month's some of the manageable small oil leaks have gotten bigger, and it's broken down on her a few times. Nothing major yet (knock on wood), but still super annoying --> small but nagging cooling issues and failed CPS (what a PITA to replace). Due to her failing confidence in the Disco's ability to get her from 'Point A to Point B,' and occasionally from 'Point A to somewhere fun and remote, I am thinking it is time for the Disco to go under the knife to get a little work done.

Between my hour commute to and from work, hectic work schedule, a new pair of black lab puppies, and what seems like endless commitments in between, and just about every weekend, I do not have the time (nor do I possess the talent/tools/confidence) to attempt some of the more intensive gasket replacements and misc repairs myself so I am wondering what you guys think would be a good course of action going forward to breathe some new life into the Disco.

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My plans are to keep this Discovery for a very very long time (like forever) so I want to make the repairs worth it for the long run. By that, I mean I don't want to spend a bunch of money to have the engine pulled apart to get a bunch of gaskets replaced to fix the oil leaks, just to discover more internal issues 10-15K miles down the road that could've just been preemptively done with the gaskets.

BUT, I want to avoid spending even more money to do an overhaul/replacement on the engine for no reason (if it ain't broke).

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Here's what I have considered...

1. Get it in ASAP to have leaking gaskets replaced (bare minimum)

B. Save up to have engine pulled for a really thorough overhaul.

3. Save up for a WHILE to have the engine replaced with a fresh 4.6L or a Toddco 5.0

D. Get over my obsession with it and just drive it until it dies and get something else....who am I kidding, that is not an option

5. __________________ <--(Insert your idea here)

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(Yellow Discovery = My Dream Rig...so keep that in consideration when formulating your responses)

Thanks in advance for your insightful, helpful, and thoughtful responses

 

White Shepherd Oil Stop Leak Seals Engine Oil Leaks | USA SEALANTS | Stop Leak for Oil Leaks, Blown Head Gaskets, Transmission & A/C Leaks

Shake it for one min, add it to the crank case, commute to work for a hour.
Leaks fixed.

I used it on my truck last winter and she has not leaked since.
You can buy it at Advance Auto.
Then in the mean time save your pennies.

 

You did not mention where oil leaks were - The valve cover gaskets are a common leak point, they work loose, you tighten them with an 8mm 12 point socket (1/4 inch drive) almost every oil change. Like Spike says, the oil stop leak for other odd spots. You would also want to be sure your oil separator in the passenger side valve cover is removed and cleaned, itvents oil fumes through a hose to the intake to be burned inside the motor. If clogged, it can increase oil leaks.

IMHO, at this point you would want to be sure you arrange for an oil PSI test with a manual pressure gauge, to be sure oil pump is still providing the pressure it should. This impacts the rest of the internals.

If it is not devouring oil, and not overheating, keep up regular service. Tranny fluid and filter should have been changed multiple times in the vehicle's life. Look at the 60K service write up and have that worked thru. Can't just change oil and tires and get to 200K.

With some pretty basic service stuff, you should have a lot of miles to save for "whatever" in the fruit jar. Invest in an ultra gauge so you can keep an eye on the engine temp and other things incluidng an alarm point you program so SWMBO won't ignore the fact the truck is overheating.

Your list of complaints is small (but cooling issues can get bigger). Your list of things done does not include tranny fluid and filter, diffs and transfer case fluid drain and replace, front propshaft rebuild or replace, etc. You may have some catch up to do, but you have not told us enough to categorize this truck as "ready for the crusher."

What kind of break downs did SWMBO have, what caused them, how did you resolve?

And being an a Rover owner doesn't mean you have to enjoy home mechanics. But whether you maintain as a hobby or by open check book, you still need to get the basics taken care of. And being an educated consumer helps when dealing with your shop.

 

Spike - Thanks, completely forgot about that stuff, I'll pick some up and add it next oil change, and report my findings. Glad to hear you had success, hopefully it'll help mine out as well.

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Savannah - Thanks, and sorry, in my long winded post I breezed over that I am not worried about the basic stuff (fluid changes and such), that I take care of on a regular basis. For lack of a better word, I wanted this to be a more "advanced" question about what could be done to extend the life and reliability of the vehicle (which I realize goes hand in hand with basic maintenance). And wether putting money into the engine that is already in there makes sense, or just planning on a replacement down the road makes more sense.

As to the "break downs," they have been very minor but very obnoxious when it happens to my wife when I am a long ways away at work. I referred to the CPS failing and then we had an issue with the thermostat housing breaking apart causing a gross loss of coolant and quick overheat while we were out in the mountains <-- In the scale of Rover break downs, these were very minor but when it's the wife and she's alone, things tend to be a little more dramatic and frustrating. I would like to give her a little more peace of mind (and myself also).

On to the Oil leaks - Front seal is leaking pretty badly, valve covers of course even after tightening numerous times. Also getting some seepage from the rear main, and probably elsewhere, as the underside of the engine is pretty coated. I'll be hosing it down this weekend if I get a shot. I am losing maybe a pint of oil in between changes....but it's pretty messy underneath the truck, and my once pristine driveway is taking a beating

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Like I said, I'm looking forwards to a long future with this thing, basics will always be taken care of, and I can and will do much of the maintenance myself, it's just the larger undertakings that I prefer be handled by someone who does that for a living.

I guess I'm just curious what you all might do if you were planning on keeping YOUR Rover forever.

 

I'm in the same boat with the front cover seal. I'm trying to tag team with a friend that is going to do his head gaskets while I do my, Oil pan seal, front cover seal, water pump, oil pump gears. But he's dragging his feet because he does not have the $250 to get the heads machined. So i will probably do it solo. I have been putting that off since 2007. But replacing the front crank seal and oil pan gasket last winter really slowed down my leaks. i was not mentally prepared to do the front cover then. Plus I dont get drips on the driveway. Just some blow back on the front of the engine. But now I need to replace the oil pump gears so I gots to do it soon.

The White Sheppard does work. as it expands seals. You can get away with a 1/2 bottle per oil change which is only $10. As its $20 per bottle. But remember to drive it for 45min to 1 hour soon after your oil change

 

ylodiscoII ,I have the same thoughts as you.....Got leaks,Got ticks,Got Miles,Got Amigos...Love My Rover....Plan on keeping for ever, my daughters are starting to call dibbs already and they still have 6yrs to go.....Hummmm what to do?

 

IMHO there might be an ROI (redneck opportunity for income) here on the oil leaks. Make clean plastic large mats, cut out as a stencil with the logo. Park over mat. Over time, the oil leaks paint the logo into the concrete.

Or build your own shallow sand pan to park over. Kitty litter is a great thing. lol

 

HAHA! I'll start calling it "Rotella Art" and charge people asinine amounts of money to let me park in their driveway overnight.

I appreciate the input and I'm going to start with the White Shepherd to see if that helps. Oil change is due, so I'll plan on an underhood/undercarriage douche and fluid change on Saturday morning....EDIT : Found it at O'Reilly's...$23.XX with tax. Such a small bottle for a big vehicle...fingers are crossed!
2012-01-12_11-58-18_20.jpg?t=1326398467

In the meantime, I will be saving up for future major engine work/replacement and an LR4 for the

 

It's like it's a part of the family

I'm just hoping someone has a breakthrough in the next few years and figures out an super easy/cheap/legal way to do a diesel swap...

 

Im with ya on the diesel swap......Maybe we can keep patchin up till then....Or should I say WE WILL BE patching them..

Or we can chulk up the oil leaks to automatic rust inhibiting/Lubrication system.