Thread: D3 Breakdown - Major Loss of Coolant

Had any news yet Oztourer?

My worst fears have been realised and the damage is terminal. I'm getting exhaust gas in the cooling system which suggests cracked head/engine block or blown gaskets. Cooling system holds pressure when tested however the engine is slow to crank (won't start) which is also indicating damage to cylinders/rings/bore. The next decision is hard. Do I cut my losses and abandoned my LR adventure or invest in a replacement motor? Speaking to my mechanic, if I replace the motor, I have 3 options - high km second hand (many $1000), low km second hand (for approx. $1000 more), or brand (many, many $1000's). I have an extended used car warranty which I'm hoping will come through for some of the costs if I do decide to take the plunge but I hope they don't try to find some loop hole and not pay up. There are many threads here and on the UK sites about the pros and cons of both. Anyone have any recent experience they would like to offer?

Sorry to hear that.

I have no experience to share with you to help guide the road ahead of you. However, have you considered a Ford engine as a replacement?

Will on the forum is currently doing an engine swap from a Ford Territory tdv6, which is basically the same. Others have had this done. He paid $4000 for a very very low km motor.

I've seen several write ups on the Territory conversion. It's my understanding that this can only be done on the MY07-09 update to the D3. Mine is MY05. I'll keep looking. As much as it's a complete PITA, there are people in this world in must worse off situations than me.

I know 'EU*' refers to the emissions standards. Does that mean that an EU4 engine is not backwards compatible with an EU3 vehicle due to electronics etc. rather than the actual engine itself?

Originally Posted by Oztourer

My worst fears have been realised and the damage is terminal. I'm getting exhaust gas in the cooling system which suggests cracked head/engine block or blown gaskets. Cooling system holds pressure when tested however the engine is slow to crank (won't start) which is also indicating damage to cylinders/rings/bore. The next decision is hard. Do I cut my losses and abandoned my LR adventure or invest in a replacement motor? Speaking to my mechanic, if I replace the motor, I have 3 options - high km second hand (many $1000), low km second hand (for approx. $1000 more), or brand (many, many $1000's). I have an extended used car warranty which I'm hoping will come through for some of the costs if I do decide to take the plunge but I hope they don't try to find some loop hole and not pay up. There are many threads here and on the UK sites about the pros and cons of both. Anyone have any recent experience they would like to offer?

Landy Andy had a post on here today someone in wa selling a D 4 on gumtree suitable to wreck with motor gearboxes etc only 50000k on it. Only wanted 8 grand, there are pictures heaps of stuff on it. Good option?

Cheers

Originally Posted by Narangga

I know 'EU*' refers to the emissions standards. Does that mean that an EU4 engine is not backwards compatible with an EU3 vehicle due to electronics etc. rather than the actual engine itself?

That's how I read it Dale. Exhaust manifold, wiring, air intake connections etc. all different. I imagine it would be possible to replace all the ancillary components too but then we would be talking serious $$$$!! Plus would then need to get engineering certification too probably.

I'm hoping to make my final decision on Monday once I get costings. There's a couple of great time lapse videos here on a D3 body and engine removal.

Cheers
Matt

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0h-eRNzLPRc[/ame]
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzBCk-zbxtI[/ame]