I'm looking at a 2000 Discovery 2 with 132k miles and would like to know what to check. Hopefully I will check it over tomorrow.

The front drive shaft came off and punched a hole in the transmission so both have recently been replaced.

It sounds like head gasket failure is a common problem on these. Is it just a matter of time? How should I look this over? I don't know if I would have time to do a compression test on it, how hard is it to pull the spark plugs? Turn the fuel delivery off? Would a combustion leak detector be sufficient? How about a coolant pressurization gauge?

Also curious at what point timing chains generally need to be replaced on these?

Thanks for your advice!

ETA: it has a dent in the lower rear corner and some bumper damage. Hopefully a steel replacement bumper will cover it all. Is $2000 a decent price?

 

Welcome to the forum LaneOK!

Sounds as if you have the Rover bug and are interested in learning more about the specifics of these beautiful beasts. I'd recommend posting up a question in the DII forum (accessed by clicking on Forums in the upper left hand corner) - someone will chime in quickly and you'll be on your way! Not all Discoveries are in need of head gasket replacement but it's more common than you'd like to think and 130+ miles is definitely in the range. If you don't have the tools or time to poke under the hood, perhaps taking it for a test drive and swinging over to an Independent mechanic may be an option. Thanks for joining and good luck!