Two weeks ago, I stupidly bought an '04 Disco without taking it to me mechanic first. I had brought my brother (A big rig diesel mechanic) to look it over, he said it looked good. The seller told us it needed a water pump and included it.

I drove it for 4 days with the bad water pump leaking roughly 1/2 a gallon of coolant a day while it was parked. We replaced the water pump and it started over heating, replaced the tstat, continued to overheat. So today a I had the coolant tested for exhaust gases, the fluid turned yellow and started bubbling over. The tech said it was probably a head gasket and that an air bubble had gotten into the, gotten hot, and popped the head gasket. He checked the OBD2 and there was a misfire on Cylinder 3.

He quoted me at $1200 for a HG job, I don't want to drop that money if the block is bad. Is there another test I can have done without tearing the block apart? Or just get the HG done and pray for the best.

I also have a 3 year 36k mile warranty that caps out at $3,000. It cost me $1300, do I want to keep it or get a refund and use that cash for the head gasket?

 

Not sure on a block check of fully assembled engine, but if 12 includes machine shop/parts/labor..... That's a great price

 

Prior to changing water pump, you said it wasn't overheating just loosing coolant, and so it was sucking coolant from resorvor to replace the lost fluid, and since U were filling it right back up U were not getting unwanted air into cooling system to make it overheat. But did U bleed the system correctly after water pump replacement, if not, then U might have left enough air in system to make it overheat and blown H-gasket. Do U see Obvious leak from gasket? If leaking out U should see it, if leaking toward inside of engine, then oil will turn milk'y , very obvious.

 

I did not bleed it correctly....

 

Ok , big chance that U blown the gasket by mistake, but search the forum , there is quiet a few nice write-ups about bleeding cooling system in D2 , cross your fingers and do it right this time , U might get lucky! And if it still overheats then, u want to look into getting gasket replaced, good luck.( but U should see the leak outside, or milk'y oil in engine)

 

If you have any co2 in your coolant your have at least a HG leak, no matter how you bleed it. $1200 is a great price but i dont think he is decking the heads at that price,
The warranty is $1300 and your first bill is going to be $1200.why wouldnt you keep, the next $1600 in repairs are free. You can have the block pressure test in the truck, PIA and not 100% reliable on a cold block.

 

head gasket job for $1,200 is a real deal.
You have lost more at Vegas in your life and buying the 2004 was a gamble anyway.

Wager $1,200 toward the head gasket.
If you do have a cracked block in the end - you are only out $1,200.
And walk away from the table.

Else you are stuck with Junk anyway.

Throw $1,200 at it and hope for the best.
most places charge $2,500 to $3,000 for HG job.

 

Yeah good call, thanks for the advice!

 

I would still spend the five minutes to bleed it correctly and then see what happens.

 

No resolution posted. No help