Well I replaced the oil pump and took it for a drive. Sounded good, no oil light, for the first three miles, cruising at 65. I turned around to go home and didn't seem to have power and then the dread knocking sound I was afraid of came.
Pulled into drive very loud wouldn't stay on sounds like the motor went. This one has 86k miles. I purchased it off craigslist as running great but someone stole the cats outta Denver for 3 grand. Cosmetically the vehicle looks mint. This is my second 2003. I just parked my first after driving it for 10 years. It had all typical gremlins these are known for. Drove it for 2 years with the sleeve slip it, then it just started losing power now it barely moves. Parked it with 170kmiles.
My plan was to do the 5.3 swap with my original truck then this new one came up and I spent the money I saved on that. I'm going to pull motor on this low mile truck and see if block is good. Can anyone recommend a machine shop in Colorado or New Mexico that can resleeve with the flanged style liners?

 

@Brinkley Find out who does work for race tracks, and good - not cheap, but good engine shops. Any them should be able to it, sleeved engines are not that uncommon.

 

Thanks, I'll look around.

 

The block is aluminum so you can double box and ship it anywhere in the continental US for a reasonable price so shop around.

 

Q and E ? Engine & Machine Shop / Q&E

 

What I was told from an old timer Land Rover mechanic kinda changed my opinion of the 4.6 engine....he said that at least over the last few years, the Atlantic British top hatted motors had a success rate of about 30-40% (60-70% failure within months of install), locally rebuilt engines with new parts failed almost 2 out of 3, and that resleeving didn't work very well because one of the main issues with these engines failing had to do with the quality of the block casting themselves (especially of the 02-04 blocks, getting worse towards the 04 models). He works at a very popular LR shop where engine work is common.

For me, it kinda cemented the notion that an LS swap may have to be in the Disco's future, YMMV

 

If that's the case, why not take a block from a 99-01 D2 (or P38?) and use the 4.6L internals?

 

Part of the problem is the state of the blocks when they got them, while manufacturing most certainly played a part. The bigger issue is likely the treatment they received prior to being selected for rebuild,lots of overheats incorrect coolant and other issues can lead to aluminum blocks micro cracking, at some point that becomes a crack.

Also I will point out these are pretty popular blocks for race engines etc in the UK and failure rate seems to be lower.

However there are processes to check an aluminum block for cracks and improve resistance to cracking as well as coatings. You could also investigate a Darton wet sleeve if there is an applicable set for a 4.6.

 

This is the simplest and most cost effective way to have a good 4.6 or source a P38 4.6 but that has to be getting harder to do these days I would imagine.

 

thanks for the reply. I think I will be sending it out to Q&E in Anaheim CA. Should have it out by the weekend. 2100 includes resurface, bored and sleeved. Price includes the top hat style sleeves.