I sold my '02 Disco to my son about 6 months ago knowing that it had a small headgasket leak and hoping that it would last for longer than it has. He took it to independant Rover shop in Louisville to get the heads done, they started with a "block test". I believe this is a compression test, but I'm two states away in the military and getting everything second hand. They reported that it failed their test giving us two options to replace the whole engine or go ahead and do the heads but only giving us a 50/50 chance that it would fix it. The truck was still being driven when he took it to the shop and was running well. The only real symptom was a constant slow coolant loss without puddling and of course the obligitory seepage from the head gaskets, again very little puddling. So I'm looking for opinions and thoughts on which way to go, he loves the truck and doesn't want to get rid of it. We are splitting the cost of the repair, whichever way we go, but I also don't have readily available the kind of money they estimated for half of a new engine (5k total). I would do the heads myself but I leave for 3 months of training at the beginning of March and so don't have the time. Thought, suggestions, recommendations are all welcome and appreciated. Thank you.

 

Sure it wasn't a chemical block test? It how how we test for exhaust fumes in the antifreeze. That was test I used to determine I had a HG leak.

 

How i no this so well ..stop with the engine rebuild . dont wast your money .
www.carcannible.com look them up and call them ..they will help u out they have a v8 replacement for the disco

 

Find out what the test is that they did.

 

If you have codes for a cylinder misfire on cylinders 1 or 2 or 7 or 8 then
go ahead and have the head gaskets replaced.

If cylinder misfire on cylinders 3 or 4 or 5 or 6 then STOP.

Do not have it fixed.
Get rid of it.

 

Used Range Rover Parts : Land Rover Replacement Discovery Parts

Link was messed up, this one should be good.

 

What was the name of the shop used?

 

Why is this jfall? I have a misfire on 6 and I am about to pull the heads off.

 

It has to do with the proximity to coolant channels. Being that 6 is not next to the channel going to the head so coolant would in theory have to come from a crack behind a liner. Keep in mind misfires can be caused by other things then coolant in cylinder.

 

if he drove it in and drove it out in the same day, then all they could have done was a chemical test.
The guy is covering his butt in case the head gasket dont seal it up, he have probably heard that every land rover need a block because of slipped liners, which is not true.
But the longer your son drives it leaking the more damage he will do, steam racing over the head and block surface will eventually cut a grove in one of them.