Thread: Advice? Thoughts?

Originally Posted by whitey56

There is a tutorial of a Defender strip down on this forum, cannot remember who posted it.
It would be relatively easy except the drivers side is a PIA [ wheel off to get to bottom fuel cooler bolts] the passenger side is nothing to worry about, i took my bonnet off for better access and if you have a protruding bullbar i would pull that off too unless your 6'5" with 4 foot legs, my pretend bullbar is a LR rubber job and it hugs the grille so i wasn't to bad.
I lifted my head off with a excavator with the manifolds and FPR still on, can be done with 2 guys or engine crane or pull off everything for a 1 man lift.
This is the first alloy OHC head i have done while i have lifted plenty push rod and 1 OHC cast iron heads i still got to a point where i said "Geez what are you doing here!"

Yours is a 1999 so there is a good chance the head won't be able to be rebuilt, which means a new AMC head from the UK at roughly $2 to 3k [ not sure of current prices], or be lucky to find a Amc head on a wreck here the someone has already changed over.
I would assess your Disco before you start and see what will need doing in the near future, Trans, diffs, steering joints, front tailshaft, radiator and harmonic balancer can be costly and something you don't need after a expensive head job.
I paid $3500 for my 2003 and will spend about $4k on it which includes a Nanocom, the wife is bitching about it but if i paid 10k for a car i would still spend 2k on it to guarantee a reasonable run from it.

Good luck with it.

My thoughts exactly! As I've driven it pretty hard, many of the things you mention will eventually need doing, although I've already done most of the the steering bits, including the ball joints, rear diff twice and double cardan twice! I am very conscious that I will still have other work to do if I do the engine!. I am leaning towards another car, just gotta wait till one comes up at the right price.
Not only that, there are bits I'll be able to recycle or sell to recoup some of the cost.

Cheers
Ralph