Hi,

For those that already replaced their head gaskets, did you do the following?

1. Had the valves ground or hand lapped with new seals installed?

2. Replaced all the lifters?

3. Machine surfaced the heads?

4. Replaced the ignition wires?

Thanks,

 

If doing lifters look at new cam shaft. Most DIY HG jobs posted here don't do the lifters. Have heads checked to see if they need skim. One owner recently posted about a second HG job after some months, he had DIY checked and thought he was OK, machine shop found .015 space. Machine shop will skim heads, spec .002 inch flatness, about 1/2 the thickness of printer paper. They will also install the new valve seals that come with the HG kit. Ask about their price for that and any valve work. There are also valve guides, but that is a more involved pocess, not part the basic service, and valve guides are not part of basic HG kits.

Good catch on the plug wires, PITA at other times. Also, if a pressure gauge is handy, you will never have an easier time of testing the fuel pump pressure.

 

how many miles?

1. if your cutting the valves you have just started a valve job, I would have them cleaned and the new valve guide seals installed

2. I would not replace lifter unless I was doing a cam the reason is they wear into each other so replacing one without the other is just doing to screw up the new part.

3. definitely

4. yes wires, hoses, belt & thermosat

 

Changed my head gaskets at 96,000 miles.
Looks like someone had been in there to change them before.

I cleaned the heads and put the new gaskets on.
Did not do anything else to the heads.

Did not want to spend the time fussing or the money.
So far - at 102,000 miles so good.

Victor Rheinz gaskets.

May now sell the Discovery II.
Simply SICK of putting gas into it.

25 mile round trip commute each day.

1.56 gallons of gas burned each day.

$6.71 gas spent each day.
$33.59 each week.

$134.375 each month for commuting.
As long as I don't go ANYWHERE else, I guess that is acceptable and I keep the rover.

 

Buy a 4banger commuter car. Keep the Rover for the weekends. That's what I do.

 

:-)
Good idea

 

You must live in California?

PS: That's not bad mileage! I'm getting 13.3 completely stock, but I rarely get on the Highway.

 

re: $134.375 each month for commuting

So if you buy a beater econobox, and cut that in half, then you would still need to back out the insurance for the second vehicle and taxes on. Having two vehicles adds up in other ways besides fuel. SWMBO has 90 miles every day, I have 116 every day, and offspring varies. I spend a lot on gas, parts, repairs, tires, etc.

 

My wife drives a 2005 New Beetle Convertible, BABY BLUE. It's VERY "Barbie". She commutes about 31 miles each day. It costs about $105 per month for the commute.

Every once in a while, I get caught driving it when I need to do maintenance to it. One day, I had the top down, and was enjoying the drive up the freeway when all of a sudden, a car full of college girls pulled up next to me and took a cell phone pic. I'm thinking, Dang, I just got posted on FaceBook, Twitter, and Instagram!

The extra $40ish per month is well worth it to me to drive the Disco...