My friend's '04 DII has a front cover gasket hemorrhaging coolant on the driver's side where the coolant passage is. No pressure test needed, just try to fill the reservoir and coolant pours out.

We replaced his headgaskets nearly four years ago and mine a few months later so I believe we have the mechanical ability to replace the front cover gasket; we just don't know if we have the time, inclination and heart to do it now. So the question is, what are the standard hours for this job? With that info we can perhaps estimate the labor cost to have someone else do the work and see whether or not doing it ourselves makes sense.

 

Removing and replacing the crank bolt can be a chore without the proper tools/ technique. Other than that, give yourselves 3 hours to get it done.

 

dealer 8hrs for a front cover gasket, are you sure it is not coming from the water pump?

 

No it's clearly the front cover gasket. We have a good view of it and the water pump is dry. It's leaking where the cover mates to the block and running down. Doesn't even need cooling system pressure to leak; just pour into the reservoir and watch it drain right out the void in the failed gasket.

 

that Sux you will have to drop the oil pan to get the front cover off

 

We decided we didn't have the time to change the front cover gasket, plus we'd have had to do it at the curb in front of my friend's house. Not a good setup, so he had it towed to Autoworks Unlimited in Huntersville. They charged six hours and did a few other small things to my friends truck at no extra charge. Dale and his techs really know their way around Rovers. The water pump and the timing change seemed good so a couple of days and a few hundred dollars later the truck was back on the road. Nearly $600 for a $9 gasket. Sheesh.

 

I was going to say put in a bottle of Barr's leaks.
Would have fixed it.

I paid $1,200 for a 1991 range rover in '2004 in Seattle WA. And that was TOO MUCH.
I spent $800 more to put brand new tires on it.

Drove it from Seattle to Boston.
In Chicago - I was in trouble. Steam out the back - for 1/4 mile behind me.
Sucking down antifreeze.

Put in two bottles of Barr's leaks east side of Chicago.
When I got to Indiana - I pulled into a hotel - there was NO more steam out the back.

I drove it that way all the way to Rochester NY where I fixed the brakes and then on to Boston.

Huge snow storm too.


I changed a 1991 Rangie water pump in the winter in front of a hotel in Wakefield Mass in March.

Needless to say - I did not get the gasket onto the water pump correctly.
Still leaked like crazy.

I was sick of working on it.

I put in two bottles of Barr's leaks.
again.

I then proceeded to drive it to New York City.
It blew a hose about 10 miles into the trip.

I cut off the end of the heater hose and clamped on the rest.
Put in more antifreeze and more Barr's leaks.

Made it from Boston to NYC.
Then back to Boston and on to Rochester NY.

In Rochester, that 1991 Rangie found a new owner.

They tore the engine down and found that it had a bad intake gasket and head gasket issues too.

From Rochester, I took the plane back to California.

In a pinch - Barr's leaks works.
And to keep a problem at bay - Barr's leaks works.

People scoff at it.
I used to.
But after it saving me twice on the road, I respect it now.

Ran Barr's leaks in our Discovery I for a good 4 months until I fixed the head gaskets

 

600 for all the work they did is not bad. plus you did not have the frustration of getting into it. Sometimes its nice to drop your truck off and pay a little more a few days later to drive it home.I try to do all my own work, have a great relationship with a local mechanic who is LR specific. I get to use his shop and tools when I do not have the right ones or am unwilling to buy yet another specialty tool. However, I do enjoy the times when I drop it off give him the parts and say I will be back in a week. I too had him do the front cover gasket it is one of those things that i felt was worth having him get it all done. I watched so I understood more of how things are built,was worth every penny.
Oh and as for the bards.... well you have a good story Personally any stop leak stuff is in general a bad idea. But I do carry a bottle of K-Seal. If I poke a hole when deep in the woods I like to think it will help me out to me any of these products are emergency only.Used to get you out so you can fix the issue not mask it. the colateral damage to water jacket passage ways etc is beyond the ability for any of us to fix. but hey it worked for you

 

my mistake the quote was 8 for head gaskets and an additional 3 for the front cover sorry