A week before I'm going to trade in my 04 SE on a new truck, I develop a head gasket leak. Had a disagreement with the wife about fixing said gasket. I wanted to take it to a mechanic -- she said it was crazy to spend that much if I was going to turn around and trade it in, especially when I could order parts and do it myself. I handed her the printout from the RAVE showing pages and pages of steps to show her how involved it was -- she said that if there are step-by-step instructions so it couldn't be that hard.

In spite of my misgivings, I want her to respect my man parts, so I jump in with both feet. Order gasket kit and head bolts from Atlantic British. I've now gotten about halfway through the tear down and am completely and utterly over my head. Man parts be damned, I need help! My go-to mechanic buddy said starting a job is one thing, but finishing somebody else's is another level entirely. Basically refuses to do the job.

I'm to the point that I just want it out of my driveway. So I have this rover and have no idea what to do with it. I have neither the time, patience, or knowledge to either fix it or part it out myself. Do I donate it to a charity and take a tax write off? Are there companies or people that buy rovers with just over 70k miles and a 1/2 disassembled engine? The only things wrong with it (prior to the head gasket and my tinkering) were about a 4" hole in the left front bumper (I bumped a pole at a car wash), and neither the rear door on the passenger's side nor the back cargo door would lock or unlock with the button on the key fob.

Any comments, suggestions, or offers to purchase would be greatly appreciated! I'm in Lubbock, Texas, mid-way between Amarillo and Midland/Odessa in the western half of the state.

 

You should have no problem getting $1k for it. Just call a junk yard, specifically one that specializes in Rovers. I'm sure they will come over and pick it up.

 

heck, for a grand i will come pick it up. i'm to and fro Lubbock often for work. Go Raiders

 

If a village idiot like me can do it, so can you. What exactly are you stuck at? Post a pix of the troubled area? You'll get more for it running...

IMHO you and SWMBO deserve the "decent previous owner" medal, many would have poured in two jugs of stopz leakz and traded it in within 10 miles.

 

You got this man. Take a deep breathe and take it one step at a time. When I did mine for the first time it took me a month and 2 tries. Just remember to machine the heads, use copper spry on the gaskets, blue hylomar for the water jackets and mark the head bolts with a sharpie to make the 90 degree turns.

I have faith in you.

Plus if you get hung up on something , talk some pictures and goto the forums. All of us want to help you.

 

You just need the right tools, a torque wrench, and a friend who can help. You can find step by step pictures on this forum. If there's any part of you that still wants to fix it I think you should keep trying.

Where are you stuck at right now? What is confusing you?

 

It's not so much that I'm stuck, it's that my patience has run out. I read through a ton of posts on the how-to do it, I just didn't pay attention to the time involved. Plus, I think my biggest fear is that I'll replace the head gasket, put it back together, turn the key, and it'll still sound like a bubble mower.

I appreciate all the offers to help and give advice though. I just work two jobs and I don't want to spend the free time I do have wrenching on something I'm going to turn around and get rid of.

 

Yes, but you'll get a lot more moola for a running Rover with new head gaskets than a non-running basket case. Even an hour a day and you'll get it done. And while you are a work SWMBO can... stop complaining about the mess. Good luck with that,.

 

I havn't been headgasket deep but i've been down as far as the valley pan gasket which is only a few bolts shy of a full blown HG. From experience it LOOKS a LOT worse than it really is.

I remember thinking the same thing when I had it almost all apart and had pieces everywhere but when I was buttoning it back up and finished I though "that was it?" Just plug away slowly at it and you'll get it might take a few weeks working an hour every other day or so but it'll get there.

 

If this bloke can rebuild a transfer case, imagine what you can do with a garage and SWMBO to bring snacks and beverages.