Yesterday I took my hood latch apart and lubed the cable, cleaned and lubed the latch and put all back together. Now the hood pops open with an easy pull. While I have the hood open I check all my fluids. While I am checking the transmission fluid with the engine running I noticed a slight trickle of fluid down the drivers side front engine block. The speed of the trickle tells me it is coolant, but when I run my finger on it it just looks oily and I can't smell coolant. I have 111k on the clock. Should I do a coolant system pressure check or proceed with the repairs. I am totally capable of doing them myself. I searched the archives and didn't find a good thread on the process.

From what I know, I should order head, valley pan, valve cover, intake and exhaust gaskets and new head bolts. Anything else I am not thinking about?

 

Rule out the valley pan gasket first. That can leak from the rear or front and make it seem like the head gasket. Are you losing coolant from your reservoir? Powescrub your engine as best you can and trace it down.

 

I checked the coolant yesterday and it did not appear low. The valley pan has been leaking some oil in the front. I will clean her up today and check to see if I can find the source. If I was going to replace the valley pan gasket shouldn't I do head gaskets with 111k miles?

 

I would do a coolant pressure test to make sure it is not head gaskets. If they are bad, go to Atlanti British and order their head gasket set, head bolts. t/stat and whatever hose you are ready for including the PCV hoses.
Let us know what you find.

 

I ran into that dilemma on my rig back in early march. I needed to replace my valve cover gaskets and went ahead and did the valley pan gasket and wanted to do heads but up to that time I wasn't loosing any coolant nor had any leaks. I wasn't sure what I was getting into so just did the valve covers and valley pan gasket.

If and when I do have to replace the head gaskets im comfortable i can do it. I do all the work myself.

At your mileage and your mechanical know how maybe just get it all done. I would if i were in your shoes.

Let us know what you find after the power scrub

 

When you did your valve cover gaskets, how long did it take you? I did my wife's BMW 525 valve cover gasket last month and it took about 1 1/2 hrs. I know the Disco won't be that easy.

 

on a DII one has to remove the a lot of extra's. i believe on the passenger side of the YOUR DI it will be VERY easy and the other side im not too sure.

Hopefully someone with a DI will chime in and give their experience on the valve covers

 

Just a long shot, but was ur a/c on when you noticed this dripping???

Down here it's very humid, and the a/c lines that run across the firewall will drip onto the bell housing, and down, very similar to a head gasket..

If you are going to do the repairs, follow mike's advise. Buy the AB headgasket kit, it comes with a lot of extras that should be replaced while you've got it apart.