99 Disco 2
80K miles
Why I thought it was the gaskets: heated up when a hose blew out so i replaced every hose and the T stat. Flushed everything and put in green anti freeze/distilled mix and water wetter
Few weeks later a pulley falls apart so replaced all 3 and the serp belt. Didn't really get hot that time. (with the inaccurate gauges who know tho)
Got hot again. Found a coolant leak at the TB heater plate. Replaced and bled air again.
Got hot and low on coolant again. It seemed to be going out the overflow. I figured I must not have bled completely so i topped it off.
Had it pressure tested and as told there was no pressure drop.
It heated again so I took to my mechanic. He p tested found no drop buy declared head gaskets. HE found moisture in exhaust and said exhaust must also be leaking to the coolant system causing it to over pressurize thus the overflow.

Decided to do it myself since its an extra car and I would really enjoy it.

I tore it down to the block. There are no obviously compromised spots on the gaskets. How can I be sure that the liners haven't slipped or that there isn't a leak behind them?
I don't really want to put money into the heads and put it all back together only to have it do the same problem.
Any ideas? I can post some pics if it helps

Thanks
Cliff

 

Honestly I don’t think there is a 100% positive way. You and rent a block pressure tester kit, completely different than the pressure test you just did. But in order to do it correctly the block would have to be up to temperature to get a true reading.

http://www.motorcarsltd.com/ROVER-BLOCK-TESTER.html

Are any of the piston tops cleaner than the rest?.

 

Exhaust in the coolant is a simple chemical test - about $60. Requires a running truck.

Block pressure test would also need a supply of shop air pressure. Could have crack behind liner or in heads, and no liner movement. Machine shop can clean up heads and test those for you, probably need to be machined. At a minimum checked for flatness.

Here is a pix of the liner slipped. There are also posts of articles on pinning the liners while you have it apart.

While it is hard to get engine back to 180 - 212 F, you could warm it up to say 120F with drain hose from home hot water heater.

 

You can look at the liners & see if they all look like they are at the same place , you can check the head & headgasket & see if it looked like a liner hammered the head ?

 

Moisture in the exhaust is normal, so don't believe everything the mechanic tells you.
As mentioned, you can pressure test the block for leaking sleeves, there was a thread posted a year or so back on how to do it and what to look for, you might do a search and find it.
Do you have a manual, or Rave CD so you know all the specs? Do send the heads in to have them pressure tested and checked for warpage.

 

Thanks for the input!

None of the pistons are steam cleaned. You can see the pictures I posted here when I was hijacking Jared's thread.

I lined up a machine shop to test, hot tank, shave, and replace valve seals before I started when I was trying to get an idea of what the project was going to cost.

The liners all seem to be in the same spot and there is no signs of hammer on the heads. That doesn't me there isn't a crack behind the liner right?
Could anything else have been causing my problem? Timing cover gasket?
Could the head gaskets have been the culprit even with no blow out spots?

Seems as though I should put it back together and get the exhaust test done. I'd really like to know what caused it all. Maybe one of the heads will show up cracked when they test it. I'm not rooting for that but at least I would know.

 

At your mileage, you most likely won't need a valve job, that usually starts showing up around 160 to 180,000 miles.

 

 

Thanks for finding and posting these videos.

 

Yes.thanks
As mentioned here the motor car ltd kit that drowssap linked and is used in the 3rd video can be rented. It's $250 to buy it. $195 to rent or $95 if you make a parts order.
I might go that route. Then I can be sure the block is good. Well mostly sure. There is still the issue of the test not being done to temp.
They seal head gasket kits and bolt kits which I will need if the block is ok. I might as well get it from them and save he $100 on the tool rental. Anyone ever use their gasket kit? as good as AB?