Thread: 3.9 starting to use water...

I suggest diagnosis starts with pulling out the plugs and checking for ones that aren't a usual colour (spot the odd one out). You can also start the engine cold and stop it after a few seconds. One plug may have coolant drops on it. If a plug at each end of the motor shows signs of coolant then there is a good possibility of head gaskets having failed. If a plug from the middle 4 cylinders shows coolant you have either a cracked head or block.

But don't forget to check the engine externally first, that includes the ends of both heads, the water pump, timing cover etc, using a strong torch and a small mirror as needed.

Cost? What price gaskets? What price labour? Do your diagnosis first. Then price up the options.

As for camshafts, "wisdom" has it that you replace cams at around 200,000 km, "Experience" shows your cam wear is dependent on the type of oil you have used over the years. High zinc oils can double the life of a cam.

Had the same problem with our 94 SD with the 3.9....twice, eventually cooked the motor
BeeUty covers it well but also look at the core plugs.
Cost wise ring Kevin at Rovertech he will give good advice and cost the parts/turnkey job.

We opted to put a 4.6 in built bi Rovertech, good decision but costly

Thanks for that detail... good excuse to tear the apprentice Oil Changer away from constantly washing his chariot and get his hands dirty...(and skinned...)
Yes, I've got a good idea of what a re-built Rover engine is priced at. Putting "any" other engine in would be cheaper.

This may offend, but there is no way at all I'd 'endorse' LR's silly decision by continuing the same mistake. IMHO, the 3.5 was ok for it's time but marginal, the 3.9 / 4.0 are less efficient and fragile descendants. Not many folk here say nice things about them when they eventually play up.
If only Spencer-King had made the bonnet a fraction longer...to house a straight 6.

If it's just gaskets, then I gather a DIY is viable? - Farming the heads out would be the only external expense- I don't see myself as a Master Mechanic, though in my mis-spent youth (?) an Audi engine got totally re-done in my shed...even polished & painted. Ran like a Swiss watch and....


....never leaked a drop of oil.

If it is just gaskets it is not a difficult job, would be a good idea to checkout the camshaft and have the radiator rodded as well. Kevin will have exchange heads and his pricing is reasonable.
I just remembered that the reason we cooked the 3.9 was a small spacer tube got dislodged from the expansion tank and lodged into the waterpump intake thus severly reducing the flow, a rather costly experience.

Some time after buying The lady Sarah, I replaced all hoses. Very glad I did, as the bottom hose was past it's Use-By date. Maybe the same thing, a little brass or copper pipe/ferrule, around an inch long, was floating at the water pump's inlet.

Traced it back to the bottom hose, where the skinny hose from the tank joins the main section. Meant to be inserted into the skinny hose, to re-inforce the shape, maybe as a manufacturing aid, or???

Would explain why mine randomly went hot a few times back then...

Kevin's mate re-did the radiator, last year. Stripped, cleaned and rodded.

That's the one, I think it's used to hold the form of the hose

Chev............. you'll be so glad you did.

DL