Why do Disco's have so many slipped sleeve issues?
#11
12-02-2012 | 04:48 PM
TReK
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 3,168
Likes: 86
Land Rover didn't care about quality when they made it. The Discovery was and is a quality vehicle when brand new, but it's designed to fail after 100,000 miles. I mean not purposefully but it's not designed to last really. Flaws in the drive shaft and high operating temperature are the main troubles with the truck. However I do believe the 4.6 and 4.0 are good motors and the good thing now is that owners are actually able to prolonge the life of these engines.
Pinning the sleeves will solve the slipped sleeve issue, ARP Studs and quality gaskets are also available. A 180 thermostat will keep your temps down and hopefully serve as a preventative measure. It's a GM motor, that while doesn't seem to have a lot of power, it does have good torque and it is mechanically tough. It just gets a little overworked and Rover half assed a wee bit. The Discovery II would be epic if it came with the LR3 motors though.
Pinning the sleeves will solve the slipped sleeve issue, ARP Studs and quality gaskets are also available. A 180 thermostat will keep your temps down and hopefully serve as a preventative measure. It's a GM motor, that while doesn't seem to have a lot of power, it does have good torque and it is mechanically tough. It just gets a little overworked and Rover half assed a wee bit. The Discovery II would be epic if it came with the LR3 motors though.
So is it possible to install a LR3 engine?
#13
12-02-2012 | 04:53 PM
Thread Starter
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Three Wheeling
Joined: Nov 2012
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#14
12-02-2012 | 05:37 PM
TReK
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 3,168
Likes: 86
Not sure about the slipped sleeve but just keep in mind that most of our Disco's have some type of a tick or knock..... don't always assume the worst case scenario.
#15
12-02-2012 | 05:37 PM
Winching
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 676
Likes: 43
I think the slipped sleeve is nowhere near as prevalent as a head gasket problem, and if you're shopping, I would either look for one with the job recently done or pay about two grand less and plan on doing it. Correct me if I'm wrong about the year range in question, but the way I understand it, slipped sleeves could happen by a somewhat rare misfortune, but blown headgaskets will happen and it's just a matter of time.
#18
12-02-2012 | 05:47 PM
Rock Crawling
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 480
Likes: 11
Is it because of lack of certain maintenance steps? Is it due to allowing the aluminum engine to overheat? Is it a manufacturer design flaw?
Do you have an actual number?
Lets also add in the mis-diagnosis factor and improper repairs into this question.
Different years had different issues, ie: if a liner could be a problem which cylinder could
it be, in a particular model year, which year could oil pump could fail, what batch of rocker arms were prone to fail, which engines had excessive camshaft end float causing the engine to knock...
Most of all, lack of maintinance leading to overheating issues,
running low on oil etc.. will bring out the weakest point of any engine component,
Including a steel cylinder liner in an aluminum block.
A well maintained Land Rover engine may never exhibit any failure mentioned including a slipped sleeve.
Last edited by threalassmikeg; 12-02-2012 at 06:02 PM.
#19
12-02-2012 | 06:16 PM
TReK
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 3,168
Likes: 86
When you say "so many slipped sleeves", how many do you mean?
Do you have an actual number?
Lets also add in the mis-diagnosis factor and improper repairs into this question.
Different years had different issues, ie: if a liner could be a problem which cylinder could
it be, in a particular model year, which year could oil pump could fail, what batch of rocker arms were prone to fail, which engines had excessive camshaft end float causing the engine to knock...
Most of all, lack of maintinance leading to overheating issues,
running low on oil etc.. will bring out the weakest point of any engine component,
Including a steel cylinder liner in an aluminum block.
A well maintained Land Rover engine may never exhibit any failure mentioned including a slipped sleeve.
Do you have an actual number?
Lets also add in the mis-diagnosis factor and improper repairs into this question.
Different years had different issues, ie: if a liner could be a problem which cylinder could
it be, in a particular model year, which year could oil pump could fail, what batch of rocker arms were prone to fail, which engines had excessive camshaft end float causing the engine to knock...
Most of all, lack of maintinance leading to overheating issues,
running low on oil etc.. will bring out the weakest point of any engine component,
Including a steel cylinder liner in an aluminum block.
A well maintained Land Rover engine may never exhibit any failure mentioned including a slipped sleeve.
All good questions here but one thing I have to disagree with "a well maintained land rover engine may never exhibit any failure...."
Alot of good people on here, many DIY'ers and they take dam good care of their trucks, but unfortunately with these old old engines their is no gurentee that they will be problematic or last very long. If the engine was designed better than yes as long as we keep up with all the maintanence then they will likely last forever, but remember that some of the main issues with the rover v8 go straight back to the designers. Instead of aluminum these engines should have been cast iron built and much more time and resources should have been dedicated to these engines. But also remember that the first Discovery models were built with mostly "parts bin surplus". They took the cheap road when they designed these trucks and we have to deal with it. But with that said we still love our Disco's.
Last edited by TRIARII; 12-02-2012 at 06:19 PM.
#20
12-02-2012 | 06:28 PM
Slipped sleeve due to age?
Nope.
Because its a aluminum engine?
Nope.
All import engines are aluminum, ever heard of this problem with a Toyota or Honda?
The DII already uses a 180 degree t-stat.
It is because of poor quality control and workmanship, the issue is with the newer engines not the older ones.
Ford bought Land Rover in 2002? and quality was not job #1.
They started working on the LR3 to bring the company back into the black and they just spit out Disco II's in the mean time
The LR3 V6 is a Ford Explorer engine waterproofed and tuned for Land Rover.
Personally I just would not buy a DII, either buy a DI or a LR3, not a '05 LR3 though, those ones are plagued with electrical and water ingress issues.
No a LR3 engine will not work in a DII.
If you have to buy a DII get a '02 or older.
Nope.
Because its a aluminum engine?
Nope.
All import engines are aluminum, ever heard of this problem with a Toyota or Honda?
The DII already uses a 180 degree t-stat.
It is because of poor quality control and workmanship, the issue is with the newer engines not the older ones.
Ford bought Land Rover in 2002? and quality was not job #1.
They started working on the LR3 to bring the company back into the black and they just spit out Disco II's in the mean time
The LR3 V6 is a Ford Explorer engine waterproofed and tuned for Land Rover.
Personally I just would not buy a DII, either buy a DI or a LR3, not a '05 LR3 though, those ones are plagued with electrical and water ingress issues.
No a LR3 engine will not work in a DII.
If you have to buy a DII get a '02 or older.