I bought my 2003 Discovery in 2006 and have driven it very little since then. I was told I had a blown head gasket in cylinder 6 and it was replaced. Then it over heated and they said the machine shop drilled it incorrectly, so they replaced it again. I ended up taking it to Land Rover and they have found liquid in cylinder 6 after a week of very expensive test. They said I need a new shortblock engine. They say it will cost me 11k. Wow! I am wondering..is there a cheaper alternative?I am going to let a local foreign auto shop work on it to reduce some of the cost, but should I consider another engine other than a Rover engine? If so which one? My car has under 60K on it..is this normal?

Les

 

The mechanic that did your head gaskets, is he familiar with Rover engines? When drining the ruck, did it get hot and if so how hot for fow long?
I don't understand your statement about your machine drilling something incorrectly. Heas shops don't drill on the heads when replacing head gaskets.
If it is number 6, have the shop verify that by pulling the plug and pressurizing the coolant system and also set number 6 to top dead center and pressurize just the cylinder looking for leaks.
Mike

 

I agree with Mike's comments, and would suggest getting a second opinion on the condition of the engine from a specialized LR repair shop as well. If you do need to replace the engine, than you should be able to find a used low mile 4.6 for a couple grand, maybe with warranty. You will get a tall block when you buy a used one instead of a shortblock. Make sure that it was checked out well. Ebay, craigslist, local yards or yards that specialize in Land Rovers are all places where you can find a motor. Then, all you will have to do is pay a shop to put the motor in - guessing a couple grand as well. So, worst case, this shouldn't end up costing you more than 3-5k in my oppinion.

Piotr