The sound in the glovebox is likely the SAI/air pump.
It's on the firewall in front of the glove box.
It pumps air into the exhaust to help heat up the catalytic converters on start up, then it turns off.
They all make noise, some more than others apparently.

 

As far as the "some crank bearings replaced", I read that as a non mechanic seller listing the truck with limited knowledge.
I can't imagine anyone dropping the oil pan, and only doing 1 or 2 of the 5 main caps. It's only a few more bolts, 4 per cap.
And you can only buy the main bearings in the set of 10 anyway.

 

"The moment it goes up to 210 or higher, turn off the car and get to your first task--replatce the thermostat"

Actually that job is much easier if you wait until everything cools back down before you go spilling coolant everywhere, Just sayin... But otherwise, yes.

 

Regarding the SAI pump. It becomes active when the car is cold and goes away once the engine temperature is about 90F. I tell my other half not to drive until the car "sneezes" ;-)

 

 

 

Hey man, so you got a water leak and another problem to chase. The piece that you have broken is not a big deal. The much bigger problem is detecting the real source of water. There may be several:

1. Cracked roof gutters
2. Improper welding between the a-pillar and the roof
3. Sunroof drains that have been disconnected
4. Roof rail bolts that are not secure
5. Windshield

If you want to perform the inspection properly, remove the headliner, pour lots of water in the areas mentioned above and detect the leaks that way. If you want to troubleshoot one area at time, you can do that too. However, there is a good chance that you want to replace the headliner anyway—exposure to water causes a lot of damage over time and the headliner begins to sag. Note, you still have an option of returning the car.

You caught me in the middle of a trip, and once I am back I’ll post a visual tutorial about how to change things out and detect leaks. Here is a short version.

First, become familiar with all the pieces of trim and watch the videos below:

1. How to remove/replace a-pillar trim, . You will need to remove the trim to get out that broken piece of trim you’ve mentioned earlier. Note, it is highly like that if you remove the trim for the first time, you’ll break it. Better find new or used pieces before you start. You need to ensure that the pieces that you’ll install have the mounts (many used pieces come with broken ones).

2. How to remove air intake cowling. This cowling covers Discos’ heating intake. If it is cracked, and most are, water will get into the heating system and spill into the cabin.

To get started, remove a pillars, the intake cowling (if yours is broken), and the drip finishers. Clean all the areas where water travels. Under the intake cowling you’ll see two ports that suck in air—make sure that they are tightly secured to the body. In general, all valleys where water travels down the car must be clean of blockages.

Inspect the area where a pillar joins the roof. Take a bottle of water and pour it over the area. Do you see water leaking in? If so, you need to patch the area with quick weld or a similar substance. Do it for both a-pillars.

Inspect the weather strip that covers the top of the windshield. Pour water on it and see if water comes inside. If it does, do NOT attempt to remove and replace the weather strip. Clean it gently so that there is no obvious debris between the strip and the body, then use a fine line of silicon to cover the strip.
While your drip finishers and a-pillar covers are down, inspect the roof drip rails, the metal ones. They should not have any cracks in them. If there are cracks, fill them with quick weld, sand off the excess of the weld so that the work looks professional.

The three steps mentioned above solved my water issues. I wish I did everything at once, because it would be faster and less frustrating. I chased the leaks one weekend at a time, so it took me about a month to be done. And I don’t even have a sunroof.

If you have a sunroof, check out numerous posts on this forums. Sunroofs will leak sooner or later, so you are better off setting a day aside to take the headliner and all the trims off. That way you’ll be able to fix not only the leaks that happen now but prevent future leaks too.

Cheers, —mc

 

And YES... Go to Shell Rotella 15w40 ASAP... You are running too thin of oil.

 

Check those rubber corners on the windshield - it is a known leak zone on these. There were actual pine needles under mine.

I attached the TSB about it - might help you out