you need to get it checked out by someone who knows what theyre doing. it could easily be heads, or front cover, or even just an intake gasket. dont take a guess from someone that hasnt looked at the car.


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You can have a much better diagnosis with a compression test. If you have or borrow a tester, that should take a few minutes.

I would chnage my gaskets..and more. Once you remove the top of the engine (plenum). You will need a head 2002 gasket kit ($149) and a head bolt kit ($72). I would go a few steps further once you are there. I would change the plugs ($106), the wires (Magencor blacks NOT Blues or reds for $65) and the coil pack ($262..notorious weak spots on that model. Total of $654 of parts (US retail prices) for a far more extensive job.

I would also do the job myself. It is NOT difficult and requires patience, only a little guidance and care. I can do it in a very leisurely 4 hours alone. The first time took me 8.

The problem with calling people privately is that it;

1. deprives the group and its archives of needed fixes.

2. deprives the two parties involved of any safety net the group provides, thereby increasing the risk.

James

 

Here's the update. Drained the oil pan. Got 4-5 gallons of liquid out. I think it is even draining directly out of the reservoir. Seriously. The reservoir level went down and liquid is still coming out of the pan. This is bad. Real bad. But just how bad is this?

 

Not any worse than was suspected. When your head gasket(s) goes, the coolant can often flow into the adjacent oil passages and ends up in the oil sump (pan). Your coolant seems to disappear and your oil level looks like its it going up! Ultimately, after a while of adding coolant, your engine "hydrolocks" or freezes as it is full of liquid and the pistons can't move. It can also happen if there is a short in a fuel injector bank and the engine fills with fuel, to the same effect.

The pudding you saw was an emulsification of coolant and oil.

James

 

You need to pull the heads, find where the leak occurred and make sure you didn't drop a sleeve, if you did the engine has just become a paper weight.

 

OK. I may be getting in above my pay grade. I'm not sure I should be pulling these without assistance of someone a little knowledgeable than me. By the way. What does a sleeve look like?

 

A blown head gasket usually does not contaminate the oil as severe as you have described. have a block test done, if its ok I would center my attention on the front timing cover gasket!

 

Mike,

Help. Flushed engine and changed oil to synthetic. NOise reduced a little. As I was wrapping up I noticed a new metallic noise. NOT good?

 

I agree with whoever it was that said to try running a compression test, it's by far the cheapest and easiest test to conduct to help in determining where your problem is.

Go to your local auto parts store and grab a tester, it should be no more than $30.
Disconnect the distributor from the coil so you don't have the vehicle trying to start. From here, label all of your plug wires (if you don't know where they go) and pull the plugs.

Thread the appropriate adapter into the spark plug hole in the head, have a helper crank the motor over several times. Write down the reading and move to the next cylinder.
At the end of the test you should be able to indentify at least one cylinder that had far lower compression than the others, that is where your leak is. It is possible to have adjacent cylinders with low compression where either the head or the gasket failed between the combustion chambers (or unlikely but worse--block failure)

I'm not all that familiar with the Disco yet, but typically when replacing a head gasket the heads should go to the machine shop to get worked over. Have the heads magnafluxed to ensure they are not cracked. Especially if the heads are aluminum, you want to ensure you don't have any warpage: They may need milled flat.

Personally, if I was having those sorts of issues, I would seriously contemplate yanking the entire motor and having the entire shooting match rebuilt. I think I'd be a little irrate if I went through the effort of having the top-end of the motor rebuilt along with replacing the gasket only to find that I've got a crack in the block somewhere.
Also have the guides checked and replaced if necessary along with the seats.

 

Mike,

Sorry I haven't been able to call. Long days at work and no time to look at Disco. The biggest problem with this whole thing is, I just want to get rid of this damn vehicle. I'm upside down on it and don't want to have to put much more money into it. I've basically got two options. Get it fixed and pay a good deal and have to keep it. Or blow the damn thing up. Which it appears I may already have done. Argghghghhghhhhhhh!