If my 2003 Disco II with 128,000 has made it this far without headgasket, oil pump, driveshaft or other LR maladies is it likely that with good maintenance it will continue to do so, or will the likelihood still loom or loom larger with increasing age and mileage? Members have pretty much answered this question as it pertains to the driveshaft which I will be replacing.

Thanks for the continued interest in the concerns of a new Disco owner.

 

not sure what you're really asking. yes, do routine maintenance. the more mileage on the various parts, the sooner they are to going to need replacing, generally. see the sticky on 60k maintenance and do that. plus, other things are bound to show up. the better maintained your truck, the better it's likely to run. but hey, it's a Rover- no guarantees!

 

Head gaskets are coming...

 

Parts wear out. Land Rover and others....all the same
What differs, is head gaskets. You can overheat and have them fail prematurely...that can also be true with other vehicles, But rover hates to be overheated.
Also natural deterioration with the head gasket comes at greater intervals....around 100 to 150,000 miles, a lot of other vehicles don't have this problem

 

My Engine blew at about 128k.

No problems AT ALL before that.

Sorry to say!

Head gasket blew and wife kept going!

Get a ultra gauge at the minimum. Set the alarm for 210 degrees. Tell everybody who drives it to pull over and shut it down if they hear the alarm.

 

My HGs were done around 92k.

I'm dreading the oil pump deal.....thinking of nabbing a 4.6 to rebuild out of the truck for when the day comes....

 

Shoot the wife and spend the insurance on new head gaskets

I fitted a digital coolant temperature gauge with a visual and audible alarm set at 102C on my Pajero TDi, like Rovers they are finished usually once they overheat as it's an alloy head on an iron block and then often the head cracks or if you're really lucky the gasket just blows.

 

Actually you should not dread the "oil pump deal."

Just pay attention to your oil pressure. If the light comes on at all then you have 7lbs of oil pressure or less.

If you have the means and are worried about it get it measured properly.

Plenty of threads here and else about the proper readings.

If it measures ok, then note that in your Captains Log for future reference if you start hearing excess engine noise, etc... measure again. don't wait for the light to tell you. If you see the oil pressure light stop driving.

Fixing the oil pump is much better than fixing the result of not fixing the oil pump.

Just pay attention.

 

The more short trips, the more heat up / cool down cycles to the engine.
That may hurt the head gaskets.

And run premium gas.
Cheating by putting in Regular may ping the engine and ruin the head gaskets.

No cheating.

 

I would love to see postings from members with high mileage who have had NO problems...and what they attribute their success to. Kind of like the nonagenarian who asserts that he has achieved that age because he consumes a fifth of bourbon or smokes 5 cigars every day.