Hi Guys,

I'm doing a head gasket job on a 2000 Disco and noticed the block deck maybe warped. I checked it with my (machinist) straight edge and on one side I can get a .006 feeler gauge between the straight edge and the block and .007 on the other side. I also noticed one of the sleeves is sticking up slightly. Do I need to get the block decked?

 

The flatness spec for the heads is .002 inch, so seems like you may have a problem. The liner may have been slipping up/down, and when block cooled it was in the up position. Machining block for "top hat" liners is a possibility, not exactly for the average DIY home shop.

 

A rather big problem.
You may find it easier and cheaper to buy a good short block and rebuild it.

 

Sounds like it was driven overheated.

 

They can come to rest low as well. And they can be pinned (drilled and bolted), write ups on that. But at this point the labor to remove/replace block is there, so getting another block may be a strong consideration.

 

Thanks guys for the info. It maybe more than I want to deal with right now. I'm not sure what I want to do at this point. I may sell it as is and look for another one. Anyone looking for a cheap Disco on need of a little work. Lol.

 

Seems the middle liners are the ones which loosen.
Which cylinder liner is up?

If you have it apart -
All it will cost you is head gaskets.
Even though you are .007 out, just put it back together and see how it goes.

The other alternative is to stop work and forget about it - but then you have a mess.

I would also try another straight edge and make sure they both report the same.

The head may be warped in the same direction as the deck as they were married.
And, that would work out.
Cause the gasket will bend.

Just make sure to get the correct head on where it came off from.

If the heads are mixed up now, well, you have a 50% chance.

I would just put Victor Reinz head gaskets on it - no machine work to the heads and see how it goes.

If it goes bad again, nothing lost.

If it says good - then all gained.

 

I once worked on a ford six cylinder engine.
Took out the crank shaft.
Threw all the bearings in the trash.

Then found out that the standard bearings I bought would not fit - loose.
Crank was ground down.

So, I pulled those bearings out of the trash.
Cleaned them.
Used plastigauge to get the tolerance correct by mixing and matching the shells.

What a hack!

I was 20 years old.
or 19.
But, that engine ran that way for years after.

I took it apart to repair the rear main seal.
Which - was ROPE soaked in some sort of oil or grease.

FORD...

The neighbour gave me that car to fix for them.
I ran around in it and it blew a rod.
So, they said - do you want the car for free?
And, I put in a new engine.
The new engine had a bad rear main seal which I did not know enough from the get go to replace.

But, that car got me thru school.

I think after school I drove that car to the junk yard.
The flex plate was loose - had un hooked from the engine as I was trying to get the car out of a snow bank and rocking it a lot.

I must have had a misalignment of the engine and the flex plate.

Oh well.

My point is -
Maybe you'll just get lucky.