Thread: Replace the radiator, fix a nasty oil leak

Originally Posted by PhilipA

I hope not one of the centre cylinders in either bank.

If so you should consider whether the block has cracked.
You noted compression of 60 and 90 on two centre cylinders. Was the head gasket blown between them and were they the ones where water is now present?
if no evidence then this is further suspicion of cracked block.
Regards Philip A

Thanks, thats all I wanted to hear. Cracked block? Is that the next thing that can go wrong with this motor? And here I was pleased that I had taken the 1mm buckle out of the head. It couldn't go from bad to worse could it?

PhilipA. I get what you are saying water can only get into the centre cylinders from a cracked block or cracked head into the inlet manifold. The piston with the water and the inlet valve look like they have been steam cleaned where water may have entered via the inlet manifold. I'll make a couple of plates to pressurize the head and if that doesn't leak then pressure check the block. At least these heads have only two water access holes so easy to pressure test. The other possibility is a cracked lower inlet manifold but seems unlikely. At least whitworth threads make getting suitable bolts to hold the pressure test plates in place easy I have a chinese food container of them.

Pressure tested the left hand head. No cracks at 160 PSI (although cold not hot) The inlet & exhaust ports no cracks nor the combustion chambers. I have started to remove the buckle but the exhaust valves are fairly well worn and the seats need a grind as they leak. The inlets also need grinding and are thick enough to handle it, but that means paying for it to be done. Perhaps I should just buy full reconditioned heads with all the trimings. Not all that expensive considering what has been done to them. I couldn't buy the bits and do it myself for the price. Some of the bigend bearings are worn through to the copper coating so they will need to be replaced. Bores seem ok as do the pistons but still have the right bank to pull down. The sludge is removed easily enough in diesel wash tank but the baked on carbon is another matter. I've tried all sorts of potions with little effect. How much to spend on a third car just bought for occasional 7 seats and tow car. When I don't have many years left before someone will tell me time to hand in my liscence. Still a possible trip to WA from Brisbane towing one of my cars over the Nullabor means I really need it to be good. Personally I prefer to drive my old car over but SWMBO wouldn't go and that means I couldn't go either.

The grit has done a job on the camshaft. The followers, and cam bearings, seem to be ok. The pistons and bores are also ok. The crank has some very small grooves but too few to cause a problem. So rebuilt heads, with new valves, springs, guides. Rings, cam, bearings, oil pump, front cover, all new. I have managed to find a degreaser that works fairly well on the burnt on carbon and the sludge. So it will be all cleaned up and like a new motor. In hindsight I should have done a compression test first and when I discovered the problems should have bought a Hong Kong motor from Murray. Hindsight is great.

Slowly rebuilding the motor. The most difficult part is cleaning all the parts and the block itself. Even the push rods are coated in a 1 mm or more of gritty sludge and carbon, requiring degreaser, then an old rag, followed by a wire brush on a grinder. It took 4 hours just to clean the 16 push rods. One whole day for the engine block just to name a couple of the bits. Still it is looking pretty good now. Nearly ready to drop back in the car.

If you are fitting a new cam, then you have to replace the followers too.

Regards Philip A

Well after three months of the Disco sitting gathering dust and wasting $300 plus dollars of registration time I have the Disco motor rebuilt all painted and sitting in place. Hope to get it all going again before SWMBO comes up with another project that is far more important than the Rover. Luckily at the moment her project is, "going away with her sister and brother in law". Us in our van and them in theirs. So getting the Rover running and equipped with electric brake controller has become important. I hope I can remember where all the pipes and fittings go. I did take a lot of photos but I bet the one problem I have identifying something won't be in any photo. I also have to fix the three amigos and the suspension compressor. At least this time I have access to my hoist and that will help with the broken gearbox mount and the exhaust pipe that has broken out of the muffler. I think I will replace the 2007 old tyres even though they have fair tread and the spare unused, they are over size and hard looking.

What is this pipe for. I don't think it was connected to any thing when I took the motor out, or nothing I could see. there doesn't appear to be anything to connect it to now everything is back in the car.