The engine was completely flushed both directions and the previous owner was the one that must have used the stop leak crap. We have had this truck for 4 months and never driven it more than 20mins. Today is the first trip (around the block first) since buying it, removing the crapped out engine (timing cover gasket failure) and put in the fresh engine. The previous owner had no idea what he was doing and made his problems even worse then they were. We will now work out any other issues and take baby steps to make sure we have a safe and reliable Rover. We have another engine ready to go together that is flange sleeved and will use all new parts and when finished will be swapped in so a new cooling was manditory anyways.

 

More money under the hood than the purchase price of the truck.... ouch.

 

So here are the numbers:
Idling in traffic 197*
Driving was between 186.4* & 188.6*
So my conclusion is that the rad was the problem right from the start and with the 180* t-stat it runs way cooler.
Question time:
What is the normal operating temp when the engine is no longer in open loop?
What are you guys running for engine oil, are you using Rotella oil?

We seem to have a bit of a knocking noise and this engine didn't before but we did change the engine oil from Rotella back to standard 5W30 and I think this is way to thin for this engine. I checked with a buddy and fellow Landy owner (who I got this engine from) and he said put Rotella back in. We also noticed that a puff of blue smoke came out of the tail pipe right after we stopped and just finished climbing a hill. I'm thinking piston rings and quite possibly thinner oil. This engine is still running the same rotating assembly (no ring job) but had every gasket changed so its not a complete rebuild but more like a regasket.

Insight here is very welcome and thanks.

 

Thin oil. You will note from the factory manual that 5W30 is only advised up to 95F. 15W40 Rotella much better. In winter in frozen wasteland of the North, may have to run the 5W40 Rottela syn oil.

Blue smoke might be valve seals also.

Is that a Land Rover 180F stat or a MotoRad?

According to my scanner, my D1 hits open loop in seconds after start up. Not very long. With a 180F stat, which is in a different place on a D1, and a different radiator, I make 178-183 in cool weather at 50 mph. Hot weather it is 183 - 187 depending on speed. My point would be that under driving at a steady speed, you would want temperature to be "opening temperature" plus some, if the operating temp is below the opening point on the stat, the stat is stuck open. I would expect to see it change up/down slightly. If temp is 15 degrees above opening temp, that would be about wide open for the stat. If you are always running wide open stat, I say something else is wrong with cooling system. Your temps seem good.

Another member posted about 183F in a D2 at 65 mph to desert. Another trip he made, this time pulling a trailer with ATVs, in 109F outdoor, at just under 70, he made 195 F. That is to be expected. The guys that drive around at 217 - 225 are just baking things. But with the oem heat gauge everybody is happy, since it shows 50% from 130 - 240 ish.

 

The thermastat is OEM Land Rover 180* that we bought from Rovers North.
The outside temps we were having yesterday were 23*C (89.6*F) and we were cruising at around 80km/h (50mph) and seeing 186.4* engine temps and at 60km/h (37mph)we were seeing 188.6*.
So I feel comfortable with that and think the cooling system is working perfectly. I need to switch back to Rotella today and see how that works.
The heads that are on this engine were from another engine I had so how much work was done to them I don't know, I do have more heads lying around that I could send out and have rebuilt.
I would love to start putting together our sleeved block but last thursday the wife and I found out we will have a new addition to the family so priority change abit.
Oh one other thing, we got codes for both front O2 sensors which are the original ones from 1999.5 and a bit of a rough idle and a rich smell from the tail pipe, possible link?

Thanks

 

O2 sensors may not be fully plugged in (until they click).

As for the great news, congratulations. And two words: College Fund.

 

Thanks, we are pretty happy too, and we have a 12 yr old daughter now and she just got a new job as a babysitter.
I will check the plugs today when I do the oil change.

Thanks Savannah

 

So the wife and I change back to Rotella oil and still have bit of a knock that sounds like it is coming from the bottom front of the engine. It has also been 27*C (81*F) outside and we have vapour and moisture dripping from the tailpipe which is not right for this tempature.
I have bled the cooling system 3 times now and seem to keep bleeding out air which I believe might be coming from combustion seeping into the cooling system.
If I get a chance tonight I am going to drop the oil pan and see what is knocking around in the engine and hoping its not a liner but, if so we have the flanged block ready to go.

 

why don't you test the coolant for CO2, if it has it, then dropping the pan is for nothing

 

And the test kit will do maybe 15 tests, so it is a good "proof of performance" for any head gasket job. And handy for shopping for English vehicles...