I've read everything I can find on headgaskets and blocks and liners I can find. Essentially I'm getting the impression that if you have blown a head gasket, you have a cracked block, period. Everything I read says that headgaskets will just repeatedly pop after replacement due to block issues. I realize you can't definitively say what the issue is until the engine is out, and in some cases just the heads, but in reality, what are the chances of a late model rover engine "just" blowing a head gasket?

Basically, should I just bite the bullet and order some top hat liners along with everything else I need to rebuild or is there actually a chance that I simply have a blown headgasket and that I can repair it and go on down the road? The latter option seems nie impossible given the flood of doom and gloom I've read.

 

Before buying anything (except maybe the actual gaskets) I would pull the heads and find out exactly how much damage you are dealing with.

 

Since when is a 2004 a late model? I have put head gaskets on trucks with 16k miles on them. You mean to tell me you're only on the first set of blown head gaskets? Go play the lottery. Do the gaskets first 90% chance it will fix it.

 

Generally I see anything newer than 1990 a late model, should prob adjust my paradigm a bit lol. I have no idea how many sets it had honestly, could be first or 10th. I just havnt read anything where someone with a 4.6 block had blown a head gasket and it wasn't a result of a block issue. Perhaps I just havnt read enough or skimmed over the success stories.

 

I will say that this is my first rover and I have very little local support to draw info from so basically everything I'm learning is on here or Google searches or first hand experience. I just thought I had my cooling issues pinned down so this throws a wrench in my plans and I have yet to find anything that could be construed as good news when it comes to head gasket failures on rover V8's.

Blown gasket on cast iron ford, wouldn't think twice. put a set on Saturday morning and drink a six pack for the rest of the day.

 

Most people only post the dramatic stuff online. Mostly the HG does a slow coolant leak out the rear of the passenger side. Catastrophic stories are the result of not noticing things like that and only noticing when it overheats.

Headgaskets at around 80 - 100k are normal for these with or without block issues or overheating.

 

Well I think I may be one of those guys because it doesn't leak from the back of the heads and I've chased a loss of coolant and air pocket in the heater core for weeks and just figured out it was overheating.

 

Sorry for being harsh... Do your troubleshooting with an exhaust gas in coolant test, look for coolant in the oil, etc. If negative on the above keep searching for why you are getting air in the cooling system.

Keep your chin up and a cold beer on the ready.

 

Already did an exhaust gas test. It failed. So can't definitively say gasket but they only other option is worse.

 

Blown HG and cracked block are still not synonymous. Going to have to pull the heads and take a look see.

Be sure to have the heads redone and skimmed at a good machine shop.