Ok I found a clean 03 with 122k that Im picking up for 3000. Problem is, the last owner(I dont know who) ended up starting to tear the upper half of the motor off. So Im not sure if it was bad head gaskets or the motor took a dump.
Do these motors fail alot or it just the head gaskets? Next question besides ebay where could I find a short block or long block? So far its been in the mid 2k for prices, I know I gotta be able to get one cheaper.

 

you probably won't. roverlandparts.com is one of the best used parts dealers. The 03-04 Disco's were the only years to run that engine. Do a search on here for the 03 oil pump VIN range. They were sent out with the wrong dowel placement on the block and the pumps fail. Replacement is the only fix. Head gaskets are common , but once they are done, they are fine. If it was overheated, check for a dropped liner. $2K for a used long block is cheap. beware of buying an 03 block because of the oil pump issues. Check the VIN of the donor truck first..

 

auto sport unlimited can sell you a rebuild/rema. long block or short block with warranty for cheap.... i think a long block is 4k and short is 2500$!!!

if you find a used engine, replace the oil pump assembly and remove the dowel pins on the block, that will cure the oil pump issue!!! the oil pump/front cover is centered by the crank and like 14 bolts so you dont need the dowel pins

 

If you get an 04 engine or one out of the range, you won't have to mess with the front cover or dowel pins....

 

I dont think that advising to remove the dowel pins is a good idea, it would be better to figure out what way to move the cover to restore its correct position then add another pin to keep the cover in this new position.
Remember that the front cover also has a water pump and belt and fan riding on it, and you can bet that after the aluminum bits get hot the front cover will move unless its pinned this will quickly lead to the oil pump being moved out of its operating position and cause the front cover/pump georotor to fail

 

+1

Removing the pins only opens the housing to failure torsional stresses. It's no longer as well anchored in place and will fatigue from the spinning of the fan and water pump. If the fix were that simple, LR would have pulled the pins instead of spending thousands on replacing the damaged engines under warranty.

I'd also add that an '04 block won't necessarily take care of the problem. There's been 1/2 dozen new owners posting about their '04 oil pump failing in the past few months.

The only safe bet is a Range Rover 4.6 block from model years 99-02, I think.

 

many people pull the dowel pins on 03 and 04 motors the dowel pins are the problems anyways.... the technical crap about centering and stuff doesn't mean anything since the crank is the true centering point on a crank driven oil pump housed engine.... it would work fine..... I'd prove it for you but my engine doesn't run at this point due to cam bearings being replaced.... but anyways....


to the fact LR didn't think of this before means nothing....since when did LRNA ever do anything the easy way!!

i'm sure if NASA was building the 4.6 bosch block they would have dowel pins, but your not NASA ...your trying to keep a poorly engineered (03-04) pushrod V8 running


i drove my engine 100 miles after 2 different rebuilds (30 mi and 72 mi) without dowel pins no problem... but thats not saying much since my engine is in the shop still after the fire and cam bearings

 

if you goto car-parts.com and search for a 99-02 Range rover engine or 03-04 disaster discovery engine you'll find plenty...

some are even low mileage...

 

Why not save yourself the money and the trouble and put the damn thing back together and get it checked out while you are there.

maybe the heads are damaged maybe not. if it doesn't run and you are out a few bucks but you are learning the vehicle and the product.

and you are getting it for cheap.

Don't listen to the DIYer who thrive on putting motors in and being all big and bad cause they can change a motor by themselves.

Be smart. Go low cost and low risk. If it doesn't work its not like it will go anywhere.

Remember people who are not trained to work on vehicles give up alot easier then those who do.

 

+1 on the tear down and build back up cheaply....within reason.... a rebuild can get very expensive... like mine was...is

replace the head gaskets and do a compression test... they will tell you if the rings were shot.... pull the pan and look at the main and rod bearings also.... clean the pick up and slap her back together... i recommend pulling the oil pump and looking at the gears also.... i bet they are broken!!!