BLUF: At the head gaskets, do I continue replacing engine components?

Hey folks. I’m wondering if I can get some guidance, or just another opinion...
I just recently bought a ‘99 disco 2 with 150k miles for cheap to learn the ropes of car maintenance. Obviously it being a Land Rover, it has a bit more problems than met the eye. I took it to a specialist who gave me a “safety” list of parts that need replacing which included the water pump, brakes, and the master cylinder. Okay, easy enough right? Well as I’m taking it apart I can tell that she has been neglected. I found mouse $#!% and nuts in all the nooks and crannies, and the hoses were so old that they broke to the touch, not to mention 20 years of grease buildup.

SITREP:
Currently, I’m down to the head gaskets because I’m under the “Since I’m this far, why not replace everything?” Mentality.

Now for my questions: should I keep going? If I do keep going, what should I also replace? Cam shaft? Piston Rings? Where does it stop?

Any advice or guidance would be greatly appreciated!

-Stephen


Complete list of what replacements I have ready to install:
-water pump kit
-coolant hoses
-thermostat
-expansion tank
-master cylinder
-vacuum hose
-power steering pump
-power steering high pressure line
-gasket kit (valve/heads/throttle valve, etc)
-lifters / rods
-heater pad
-battery

 

Depends on your intentions. The list above is a pretty good start. Just want to get it running, or rebuilding to run another 150K?

Did you hear the engine run before taking things apart? Knocks, ticks, etc? If not, hard to say what NEEDS to be replaced.

Before pulling the heads I would do a leak down on the cylinders since it's easy.

 

You gotta be a vet. lol

 

While your in there I would do the oil pump, timing chain and new injector o-rings, good time to throw a new cam in!

 

If you are able, and have the budget, replace everything. But if you have the knowledge and can judge the condition of the parts, you don't need to change anything unnecessarily. Clean everything and judge for yourself.

I have a Kent Cams H180 Sports Torque Cam, and it is a really good upgrade. I know that other people are happy with other Cams as well.

You can also port match the exhaust manifolds as they are restrictive for a performance upgrade. I have noticed since I did my homebrew port and polish that she is much happier on the highway and passes, not like a ferrari, but much better. Could be that it is letting that cam breathe more. I did some other porting and polishing of the head, but there was much less material to move.

I highly recommend going with a Fel-Pro, Mahle or similar HG kit that has molded valve cover gaskets. Big upgrade. I also used ARP Studs, and they've given me peace of mind, but you can read all about my HG Saga. I also have a Tumblr blog with my list of parts, sequence, and tips(take them for what they are worth).

If you replace any engine sensors, MAF, CPS, TBPS, use Bosch.

When you have the heads out change the Valve seals. I got burned big time on that.

 

thanks for the info! I’ll definitely look into the performance upgrades. I’m taking my parts to a local shop to have them wash it, once that’s complete I’ll give them a good look over. Is there anything specific I should be looking for? How would I know something needs replacing if it’s not obvious (is. it being worn down a thousandth of an inch too much)

 

Before I started doing this the engine seemed to run fine with the minor leaks from the valve covers. So my intention was to make her last, but now I’m thinking with each part I replace that I’m just extending her life, correct?

 

I wish I knew! When I have the bandwidth I am going to read up on engines and engine diagnostics. Mine was running really well prior to HG, and I have no garage and it is my daily driver, so I just did not have the time or space to pull the engine and completely rebuild. I imagine evaluating the camshafts or crackshaft invloves removing it and making sure the lobes are in good condition, no visible wear. Maybe checking it out with a micrometer. If I got that far with a stock camshaft I would just replace them with a Kent or Comp cams camshaft.

For the bits and bobs Turner Engineering, and RPi Engineering in England may be your best resource, maybe not price, but they are likely the most knowledgable Rover V8 people in the world.

You don't need the shop to wash them, just a spray bottle of WD-40 and lots of towels, maybe superfine scrubbie.

But your budget should really include overhauling the cooling system, or upgrading to the inline thermostat mod, all new hoses. Or a Nanocom diagnostics tool.

 

Your list will do fine for now. You can throw money at it if you like but I would be willing to bet the performance increase if any will be small. I have two with over 220k on them with no more work than you have on your existing list. Your engine looks pretty clean by the way, coming from a guy who has done at least 6 or 7 hg jobs.

The only other things I would add would be the bypass thermostat mod and the pcv mod. If you really want piece of mind a new CPS is not bad, but you can probably achieve the same result by wrapping the cover in aluminum foil. They fail due to radiant heat soak and the foil trick takes care of it. I have had failing CPS's that I "cured" with that simple mod.

At this point you will likely have a very reliable truck for quite a while. Good luck!

 

Some duct insulation may make it's way to mine.....