I have a 2000 Discovery. It has numerous oil leaks. They are seeping and dropping a few drops a couple of nights per week.

I took it into a shop and they said I have the following leaks:
engine oil pan gasket
the rear main seal
timing cover gasket
valve cover gaskets

They recommend resealing the entire engine, or replacing the engine. To reseal the engine, they estimate about 18 hours of labor, at $100/hour, plus parts...totaling about $2100.

I've inquired about the cost of a new engine (refurbished or used), and it's not a whole lot more money.

So, what are your opinions? Fix the leaks (reseal) or go with a new engine?

Thanks,
Patnali

 

Replacing an engine because of some leaks is crazy IMO as is $2100 for those seals...

Are you handy? If so the oil pan and timing cover are fairly easy. The rocker covers may just need to be tightened down but they are easy to replace also. For the rear main switch to a high mileage 10w-40 oil (mobil 1 is good as are numerous dino oils) and add a bottle of White Shepherds leak stop (from advanced auto) and keep an eye on it for a year or 2 oil changes. Also a leaking oil pan at the rear is also easy to mistake for a rear main leak so don't worry about that yet until you have done the front cover and oil pan gasket.

 

few drops a couple nights a week??

that's a rover! step back and think...is that worth $2k?

fix the easy seals like lipadj says, use something to cover up your garage floor, keep an eye on the oil, and use the $2k to buy a lift, bumpers, and sliders.

 

I just did all of those seals as well. Except throw in a rear main and a t-case reseal as well. Took me about 20 hours as a novice and my rover does not leak anymore, at all. If you're going to do the pan you pretty much have to do the rear main and the rear bearing cap seals to make it all work.

Once you get the transmission out, and the fan off it's all easy from there. I can't stand even a drop of oil on my garage floor so this was a must for me. However I may be crazy since I have both a LR and a 911 that don't leak a drop....

 

British spelled backwards is oil leaks lol....

 

I owned a 97 Land Cruiser that leaked more than my rover so it can't be isolated to the British.

 

There is no way in hell I would spend $2000 to fix a oil leak.
Even is you used full synthetic motor oil at $7 per quart thats 285.7 quarts of oil.
Even at a quart per week it would take you 5.4 years to leak that much oil.

Go to Sears and buy a 8mm 12 point deep well socket, tighten the valve cover bolts.
Those leaks are now fixed, cost...$3.
The oil pan gasket you can do yourself in a afternoon.
The rear main, try a thinker motor oil, that should slow it way down if not stop it.
Depending on where you live depends on how thick you go.
But a 20w-50 wouldn't leak out of the Titantic if she had been full of it.

 

Thicker oil will just mask the problem. My rear main in 2009 fell apart in my hands. It's just the reality of gaskets, they have a finite life. If you want to own an older car be prepared to replace the mains, they don't last much more than five years on any car.

If you want a leak free car replace the seals, really no way around it. Just get a wrench and do the time. Magic oil doesn't solve the problem, it may prolong the symptoms, but in the end you need new seals.

 

if you want a leak free vehicle, dont drive a Disco

 

If your engine is otherwise in good shape - good compression, no knocking from the lifters, etc., AND you plan to keep the vehicle, by all means get the engine re-sealed. You could do parts of it yourself but you're really not going to save much money, because the front and rear seals will need to be replaced requiring the engine to be removed. May as well let the mechanic do all of it. The oil coming out of your timing cover gasket is most likely coming from the front seal. The rear main seal must be replaced along with two crucifixes. I agree with Scott R - don't try to hide the problem with thicker oil and snake oil. Once a gasket or seal is compromised, it will only get worse.