2003 Freelander Coolant Leak : Suspect Head Gasket
 

All

Our Freelander is 2003 and 65K miles.

My mechanic believes the head gasket has gone. He reports milky oil and I have seen some of the so called mayonaise build up under the oil filler cap.

It is loosing about 2 pints of coolant every 20 miles and there are no signs of leaks around thermostat housing or in the

I will have him check the coolant pump as it sounds like that might also contribute to a hidden leak.

The mechanic appears to be very good and they work on many on Land Rovers as well as other imports.

Assuming it is the Head Gasket:

1. Is $1500 a fair price for changing gasket on both banks of the V6 including machining if necessary?

2. I have read that there is a need to check liner clearance vs top of engine; does that apply to the V6 as well?

3. What other PM tasks should I roll into this job given the access etc. Assume timing belt and water pump? (what is reasonable incremental cost for this?)

Thanks in advance

R

Yes on WP and belt. $1500 seems realistic to low. The V8's bring 12 hours labor for that task, plus parts.

If there are no visible leaks, and there is no coolant in the valley under the intake manifold (thermostat leak), then it is likely that you have a head gasket failure that may not be corrected with new gaskets. Has the engine overheated recently? If so it is possible that the liner(s) has sunk into the block. There is no simple fix for this problem, so you may want to ask your mechanic to check the liner height when the engine is apart. The liners should project above the block .003 to .005 in. to correctly seal. If they do not,reconsider putting it back together and instead look for a replacement. Note that it requires special tools to hold the camshafts while the engine is reassembled, and they are not readily available. Be sure to replace the timing belt and tensioner if the engine is reassembled. Also be sure to install new cam gear bolts as well. Best of luck, it's a great engine when it's healthy