Had the radiator, fan/fan clutch replaced along with the expansion tank 6 mo ago. Don't know why my mechanic didn't suggest a t.housing replacement while they were at it. And, of course it has developed a VERY small leak. My "new" mechanic quoted me ~$700 to replace it. This is a 06 LR3 with the 4.4. It has 173,000 (no rust) miles on it. Just debating with myself. I have the tools, time (and a bit of skill) and 700 is not chicken feed to a old pensioner. I suppose I should tackle it. Or...K-Seal and pretend I don't know about the little leak...?? Your thoughts are appreciated!!

 

Is the leak located such that you can change only the part of the sub-assembly that houses the thermostat? Or is it the whole enchilada? If it's the former, it's an easy job.

 

That is a great question. Will find out with the shop....

 

First if you do this, OEM part only unless you want to replace it again. Aftermarket seems to be hit or miss when it comes to longevity for some reason. I dunno, maybe they are better now. But what we do know is the OEM part lasts a long time. Second, the OEM part is not expensive anyway. Pretty sure $150 shipped was the last price I saw. That was from LR Direct in the UK to US.

There are some things to know when doing this job. There are four bolts holding it down in the lower/back end of the assembly. they can be stuck a little. So it may be best to apply penetrating oil before removal a couple days in advance. They may even have corrosion making fitting a bit in them a pain. They are torx if I recall. You can easily replace them with new ones or match thread and go stainless or titanium hex bolt. With that said, I did not soak mine and had no issue removing them. Another thing is there is a coolant hose that is hidden by the housing assembly that attached behind the water pump in the intake valley. This is not easy to replace but I have done a couple and have a trick. I suggest you inspect it at minimum for expansion of the rubber indicating it could rupture at some point. Anyway, replacing the entire assembly I do not find difficult at all. Certainly in the DIY territory. So for less then $200 you should be able to do it and that would include replacement coolant.

I am adding this point so it does not get missed. When installing, you want to tighten the four lower/back bolts LAST. This is because when you tighten the two on the left and the two on the right the entire assembly will shift back into the engine just a little bit, which is fine. But if you tighten the back ones first, those front ones will cause stress on the assembly. This might be why some fail early in life? I attached a pic of the assembly as seem from above when mounted in the engine. Green bolts are lower and in back.

And lastly, there are not a ton of Rovers in Rapid City! I am looking to move there within the next year or so. I was there with a buddy on a cross country trip (we both had LR3s) a couple years ago and really liked the place. Getting sick of driving out that way all the way from Wisconsin. Easier just to move there and be able to go on trips with Rapid City being much more central for what I do.

 

Excellent. Thank you!!

 

Having done two of these, my 2007 with aftermarket and my 2006 with OEM, Dakota is spot on with all points in his post above. The 1-2 tightening sequence he mentions is important for proper fitment. This is also a good time to replace your water pump if not already done.

 

Second the water pump. It is not hard to do with the housing in place, but having it out does make it a little easier. Especially since you are already half way there. If you get a pump with a rubber o-ring, be sure to lubricate the dang thing. I used silicon (plumber grease) the second time after simply wetting it with coolant still resulted in a pinched gasket.

 

Thanks. The water pump is 7 months old. Wish I (they) thought of replacing the entire thermostat housing when the cooling system was rebuilt. The thermostat got swapped too. Unfortunately just its front housing got replaced. Safe to say the leak is towards the rear. Figures.

 

Just ordered the (OEM) housing from AutohauseAZ. I've had real good luck with them in the past and hope it continues. I'll stay in touch here. Wish me luck

 

Perfect. I used to order from them often when I had my BMW and Mercedes. If you feel you need help doing it, message me on here and I will give you my phone number if you need guidance when you are elbows deep into it.