2004 SE
81K miles
Body, chassis, interior in excellent condition
Needs valve cover gaskets, head gasket and the liners have started to knock.
$6500.00 for short block replacement from Atlantic British installed by local LR mechanic

Repair, trade or continue driving for a bit? Average about 15 miles/day.

Thanks in advance.

 

why pay $6500 to have a short block installed when you can buy a complete motor with a 3-year warranted for $5700.00.
your labor rate should also drop down because they don't have to swap everything into to your short block.
in the long run you may be better off with a complete motor and less labor.

Land Rover Engine Remanufactured 4 6 Long Block w Flanged Cylinder Liners | eBay

 

Depends on how much you love your rover. Are you getting water in the oil? If not you could keep driving as long as you keep an eye on oil and coolant.

 

If you want to keep the vehicle, then I agree definitely don't go with the AB block. They don't do the work, they just resell so you are paying another markup. GP Rovers offer a great warranty and have an excellent reputation.
If you like the vehicle and want it to be reliable then a new engine makes sense given that the liners seem to have slipped. If you aren't getting coolant in the oil then it would cost less to just do the head gaskets and pin the liners but if you are paying to have the work done you may have trouble finding someone willing to try pinning the liners.

 

I would wonder how you know it is the liners starting to "knock"

there are a lot of possible causes besides slipping liners. Slipping liners really only happen after you over heat. Have you overheated once or more?

If not then I would suggest buying a new engine is overkill.

Many other considerations are at play. Type of oil, type and grade of fuel, engine operating temps, gunk in rocker arm assembly, etc.

You need way more info before committing to a $6000 + solution. Especially at that mileage. Unless of course your mechanic needs a new boat.

 

wasserboxer: "2004 SE 81K miles. Needs valve cover gaskets, head gasket and the liners have started to knock."
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I am skeptical. How has it been determined, and verified, that it needs all these things, and that the liners "have started to knock?" Too often only myth and conjecture have determined that knocking liners is taking place, when, in reality, problems are misdiagnosed. If problems are, in fact, as you describe, one must wonder about the serious lack of maintenance the vehicle has been subjected to, especially with only 81,000 miles. AGAIN, WAS VEHICLE OVERHEATED? WHO DETERMINED PRESENT CONDITION OF VEHICLE ENGINE, AND HAVE YOU VERIFIED THIS BY SECOND OR THIRD OPINION--BETTER YET, HAVE YOU SEEN PROOF OF WHAT ENGINE NEEDS, OR IS IT ALL BASED ON HEAR SAY?

 

Put up a video of the engine running with the liner knock.
Put the video onto youtube.com and link the video to this thread.

 

Since we have not seen any factual answers to our questions, not even a response to them, I suppose this means that the stated condition of the engine was, indeed, based on conjecture; guesswork; no proof at all of its being based on facts. If so, one would suggest in future, that you ask such questions only after confirming that they are, in fact, based on valid data; facts.

 

maybe the it's because the guy said to himself who are these yahoo's to berate me?

I asked a simple question, what would you do if?

He did not ask you to diagnose his truck without have never seeing it.

Nor did he ask the how he should go about diagnosing the problem.

He did not ask if you are skeptical of his diagnosis. WHICH COULD HAVE COME FROM A MUCH MORE QUALIFIED PERSON THAN YOU WHO ACTUALLY SAW THE TRUCK.

He asked if you had a motor the need head gaskets and had slipper liners what would you do?

 

drowssap: "maybe the it's because the guy said to himself who are these yahoo's to berate me? "
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My, my, aren't we touchy today? He asked for our opinions, and I gave my opinion to him; not to you. Can't help it if you don't like my opinion. Here is a hint: Should you run across my opinion again in the future, keep moving along, my friend!