Advice Please - Disco 2 2003 Head Gasket

[Dingo]

On my third Land Rover a Disco 2 petrol I’ve had 3 years, running great at 180,000KM. Immaculate motor, had a radiator leak 2yrs back, mechanic put a new one in, no other problems. Sent it into mechanic for a small coolant leak from the junction on top of the engine. He resolved that, but it’s started making an exhaust tapping sound. I read it could be manifold gasket, mechanic tightened all manifold bolts, but said exhaust is leaking out the head gasket. Says I need new head gasket at eye watering cost. Never overheated on the gauge, no smoke from exhaust. I can see what looks like a little oil sealing out of the head by a bolt, but can feel no exhaust. No water observed in oil and no bubbles in coolant header tank.

It is driving fine, makes the noise when you put your foot on the gas. Very slight noise when idle.

I have also read this is very common and even if you have the gaskets done and any other issues found like slipped liner, they often fail again.

Anyone experienced this or have any advice?

Cheers

D

[V8Ian]

Can you do, or have done, a compression test?

[PhilipA]

It is most likely to be the gaskets between the manifold and head, or the gasket where the manifold meets the exhaust .
Do these have fabricated headers like a P38? if so there also may be a crack in a junction that needs to be welded.
I would exhaust all of those possibilities before starting to change head gaskets.

First step is a compression test as If you can hear it it would be pretty bad.

Usually the head gaskets go between 2 inner cylinders and if the block is cracked one of the spark plugs will be cleaner than the others as water will well up behind the sleeve. If you are not mysteriously losing water and have not recently overheated the engine then it is unlikely to be a slipped sleeve..
Regards PhilipA

[loanrangie]

I have had an rv8 head gasket leak externally which did sound like a tapping noise, it was a 3.5 with tin gasket and the tapping was gases hitting the tin under the valley.

[Dingo]

The local mechanic did a coolant leak test, but not aware of compression test. I’m already leaning to a second mechanic opinion from somebody that knows Land Rovers. I’ll insist on a compression test.

Thanks loads.

Somebody has recommend someone for me so I shall drop them a line.







Can you do, or have done, a compression test?

[Dingo]

Thanks loads Philip. Thinking I need a second mechanical opinion to check over other possibilities and to do a compression test for me.

Sounds worth it before I fear the worse and make bad decisions with her.

Thanks again,

D


Can you do, or have done, a compression test?


It is most likely to be the gaskets between the manifold and head, or the gasket where the manifold meets the exhaust .
Do these have fabricated headers like a P38? if so there also may be a crack in a junction that needs to be welded.
I would exhaust all of those possibilities before starting to change head gaskets.

First step is a compression test as If you can hear it it would be pretty bad.

Usually the head gaskets go between 2 inner cylinders and if the block is cracked one of the spark plugs will be cleaner than the others as water will well up behind the sleeve. If you are not mysteriously losing water and have not recently overheated the engine then it is unlikely to be a slipped sleeve..
Regards PhilipA

[Dingo]

Yep sounds like that would. What did you do? Is she running ok now?

Thanks loads

D



I have had an rv8 head gasket leak externally which did sound like a tapping noise, it was a 3.5 with tin gasket and the tapping was gases hitting the tin under the valley.

[PhilipA]

Yep sounds like that would. What did you do? Is she running ok now?
There are a couple of important differences between a 3.5 and a 4.0.

1 The valley gasket on a 4.0 is composite so has a thick rubber stuff under it, so unlikely to have tinny sound.

2 The 3.5 had a fifth short head bolt on the outside which tended to pull the outer edge of the head down and raise the inner edge. This caused many to leak into the valley. These were deleted in the mid nineties.

3 A 4.0 has composite head gaskets .
Regards PhilipA

[Dingo]

I thought mine was 3.8 (I’ll check as may be mixing it up with my last one). It does look like black rubber under the head?

Cheers




There are a couple of important differences between a 3.5 and a 4.0.

1 The valley gasket on a 4.0 is composite so has a thick rubber stuff under it, so unlikely to have tinny sound.

2 The 3.5 had a fifth short head bolt on the outside which tended to pull the outer edge of the head down and raise the inner edge. This caused many to leak into the valley. These were deleted in the mid nineties.

3 A 4.0 has composite head gaskets .
Regards PhilipA

[AK83]

.....

I have also read this is very common and even if you have the gaskets done and any other issues found like slipped liner, they often fail again.

Anyone experienced this or have any advice?

Cheers

D

I've got two V8s.

First one came to me with overheating issues, which I'm 99.9% sure is a slipped or cracked liner/block.
This one is my project D2 .. very nice condition other than the engine(which I then totally killed).

The other V8 I have is a parts wreck now. I bought it with a blown headgasket which is leaking exhaust type, not coolant.
Same deal as yours. On the drive home(and a small bit around) sounds like exhaust leak, but none to be found, but then poking about more, I can feel it leaking out the rear corner passengers side.

[V8Ian]

D2s are 4.0 litre, D1s are 3.9 litre, however they are basically the same motor despite numerous differences.

[Dingo]

Thanks Arthur,

When the bonnet is lifted and it’s at idle you can hardly here much - just a slight puff puff maybe from what sound like the back of engine towards car dash, but once on the road, when you touch the gas even slightly you can here an exhaust type tap tap tap from behind steering wheel deep down in engine.

Taking advice from others I think I’ll get a compression test done and a second opinion before I decide if any work is worth it or not

Cheers

D



I've got two V8s.

First one came to me with overheating issues, which I'm 99.9% sure is a slipped or cracked liner/block.
This one is my project D2 .. very nice condition other than the engine(which I then totally killed).

The other V8 I have is a parts wreck now. I bought it with a blown headgasket which is leaking exhaust type, not coolant.
Same deal as yours. On the drive home(and a small bit around) sounds like exhaust leak, but none to be found, but then poking about more, I can feel it leaking out the rear corner passengers side.

[AK83]

If you have a helper:

get them to press the pedal. If you feel confident enough you can use the accelerator linkage to give it some revs yourself.
At the same time if you can spray a fine mist or smoke around the heads/block area, the leaking exhaust will show up as turbulent areas of the mist.

Note: fan must be removed for this to work, and better if the engine is cold too.

So on my exhaust leaking V8(ie., not the overheating project car) .. I brought it home to find out what the exhaust leak was. The part car was bought purely for it's parts and was only ever going to be stripped out.

Took fan off engine running and (I smoke) so puffed around the passengers side of the V bank. Just sounds like a leaking exhaust say manifold. But as the smoke was building near the corner of the block near firewall, I could clearly see where the escaping exhaust was.
I thought could have been the #7 cyl manifold but hand back there I could feel the puff puff on my palm from near the corner too .. not the manifold.
My part V8 has LPG fitted too, so lots of confabulations around that area that made hand access a bit more tricky so I wanted a cold engine. Only took a few mins, well before any warmth built up in the motor so no chance to burn my pinkies [biggrin]

Another note: If you have a friend that vapes(e cigarette type thing) is even better. Those things can make a very thick cloud of 'smoke' and hence easier to see.

I could have used the compression tester, but as already noted, the LPG bits make hard access in the area to fit it.

If you have a spray bottle of some type that can make a mist of spray(water) .. I reckon it'd work too.

[PhilipA]

Just have a compression check done.
That is the definitive check.
I would be surprised if the smoke disturbance test was not accompanied by water loss, as the only water jackets in the head are at the extreme back or front.
Regards PhilipA

[Dingo]

Time to take a closer look today and I can see a little oil weeping from what looks like the gasket onto manifold.

Emailed Auto Farm Kilmore and they were very helpful. Advised not to drive it and to get it to them. They think it is the head gasket, but not a slipped liner as not overheating.

Decent quote and they will give it a good look over for me.

Just hoping it’s nothing else too.

Are these gaskets prone to just going or is there always a cause from something else? Anyone know?

Do they normally last a while if done? I read something online from a Land Rover tech who says many go again soon after done. Hope that’s not accurate.

D







Just have a compression check done.
That is the definitive check.
I would be surprised if the smoke disturbance test was not accompanied by water loss, as the only water jackets in the head are at the extreme back or front.
Regards PhilipA