Hey guys,

I was looking for a DII found a 2003 for $2800 OBO with 170,000 KMs. The problem is that it overheats. The owner says it is definitely an internal problem as he has tested the rad, thermostat, or water pump. He says he did a headgasket 3000kms ago. I am mechanically inclined so I would be doing most work myself. What are your opinions? Its a real nice disco and is in a really nice green colour but it might be to much of a gamble.

Thanks


Edit:. I'm only afraid that it could be a cracked block.

 

From the info I've gathered from those wiser than me on this forum, you should not pay more than scrap value, $1000-1500 at best.. A new engine would cost at least $3500-$4000

 

There are various routes you could go if the block is toast. You could get a brand new engine or find a 4.0 from a junk yard and swap the internals. You could search various LR sites and see who's parting out. You just have to decide how far you're willing to go and what your budget is.

Try to get a little more info. He did the head gasket himself? Did he machine the heads? How often has it overheated and is it continuously driven?

 

leave it

 

Stay away from it, you would just be buying a huge problem.

 

I can see how you would test a radiator with an IR thermometer to see if it was cold on the bottom rows, from clogged up sludge. To test a thermostat you would have to remove it and place in a pan of hot water and observe it, plus inspect for clogged metering holes. Labor to do that exceeds price of a new thermostat. As for testing the water pump on the truck, most shops would not be set up to measure the specified flow of 2.64 gallons per minute at 10 PSI at 1000 rpm.

In other words, if he didn't replace items someone made an educated guess. The test that should be run is an exhaust gas in coolant, a $60 kit can do like 15 tests. Sniffs for exhaust gas in hot coolant. Changes color. Used by shops and guys who are serious about shopping for English vehicles. Exhaust gas makes a sound like water bubbles rushing thru pipes under dash.

As for overheating, the owner most likely means that the temp gauge gets real high, maybe even to the point where the red warning light comes on. This is where knowing something about the truck will help you. The dash heat gauge in a D2 is factory programmed to display at 50% from about 130F to 240F. So you can drive around with a "fever" or "low overheating" for months. If you don't have a scanner or Ultra Gauge, to plug in the OBDII port, then you have no idea how dang hot you are running that truck. You would like to be 180 - 190's. So the "problem with overheating" was not just once or twice, but more likely for thousands of miles. In grandma's 52 Roadmaster you would have noticed the pointer edging up every few days. Not so with Rover (and many other modern vehicles) - the heat gauge is programmed to keep us calm and not annoy the service manager.

A cracked block can make very high overheat in very short time. A cylinder liner can begin to slip and cause a ticking sound once warmed up. No easy cheap fix for these. Heads warp easily when overheated, the flatness spec is 0.002 inch, or about 1/2 the thickness of your printer paper.

He didn't talk about replacing the coolant cap, if it is wimpy it won't hold pressure and coolant is vented while you drive, leading to overheat.

A pre-purchase inspection by your trusted mechanic is worth while. This vehicle is not worth your time at the price quoted.

 

X3 avoid.

 

Totally avoid it.
Or offer $500 and take your chances.