Thread: V8 Head Gasket Tips and Tricks?

Originally Posted by 4X4V8

This is all great info guys, thank-you. I found out today my 99 DII V8 with only 111,000km has a leaking cyl head , among other engine leaks, so I'll be taking the heads off soon, too...pretty disappointed such a young engine needs heads off.

What's a ballpark figure for a good gasket set to do the above - and what brands would you avoid (already taken note of composite v tin head gaskets)? Has anyone found a worthwhile price advantage buying o/seas, eg Famous Four in the UK?

how long have you had it 4X4V8?

I've had it a week. Yeah, welcome to the LR ownership experience . I am not too worried about it. Lesson is never assume, and always get a LR expert to check over the car. I haven't seen inside a 'ol Rover engine since I replaced the lifters in a P76 in 1983, so it'll be fun... well, that's what I keep telling myself, anyway...

so if its a D2, its a THOR?
and it could be 10 or 14 bolt heads?

i would be sending the heads off to have the valves lapped in.......
unless things have improved on the later models......


a little trick to cleaning the heads and the block.......
scrape off any old gasket with a razor blade or scraper.......then instaed of using sand
paper which will wear where you rub......and you can actually have an uneven surface.....
use a honing stone........just a cheapo from a $2 shop will do.....
it does a larger area and it does it a lot flatter than sand paper.........
especially between the bores....which is where you always manage to to have the most
pressure when sanding.....and is usually the spot where the head gasket blows first.....
and use oil with the stone to stop it from getting all clogged up........

Thanks PLR, it's always good to have some knowledgable input. Mine is an early D2, definitely a THOR engine and it's weeping coolant out of the left cylinder head to block join at the rear. It also has a throttle body warmer leak and a constant ticking, which has been diagnosed by a specialist as worn rockers. I will inspect the valve train for wear before I go and replace anything, as it could be cam and lifters as you mentioned.
I am a little disappointed with LR quality, esp with an engine they should have been familliar with after 30 years building 'em, despite the fact it was an upgraded version. I owned a 16-year old German V8 sedan before the Disco with 160,000 km and the engine was perfect, had never been apart, ... I sold it for its mostly age-related problems (heater core etc) and rarity, which meant I spent too much time fixing it rather than driving it. I had the misguided belief that a much younger car would not be perfect, but would be an improvement. I can't believe I'm in the same situation again with a car 1/2 its age and with much lower kilometres...

Unless you go to the snow a lot, just loop the throttle body warmer lines. Apparently this is a common failure .When I fitted the Thor to my 3.9, I asked Graeme Cooper who gave me that advice. Mine has always run perfectly, but it depends. If you go to a very cold wet area you may have problems.

My 3.9 had the same head gasket failure. Your car has probably been overheated at some stage, as you will find that the head has warped, and needs a skim. So don't be too hard on the quality. Its probably the operator or mechanic.
Maybe the throttle body leak ran it out of water from someone never checking.
Regards Philip A

Hi All,

Well the project has started. It has been much slower going than I originally expected, thanks to my lack of knowledge, my computer crashing before I could get the manual printed off, and my lack of motivation when the temperature is about 0 degrees.

Last night however I came up against my first real problem. The trumpet manifold has been put on previously with a LOT of sealant. I can't budge the thing. I've tried levering it up, knocking it sideways with a block of wood and hammer and nothing seems to shift it.

My next plan is to put a chisel in the join and try and prise it off but is this a stupid idea? Has anyone done this before and does it damage the alloy. Any other ideas on how to get it off would be greatly appreciated.

PLR
As always thanks for the tips. I'll pull out the lifters out and check them. This job is much bigger than I originally thought so I'm keen on checking everything whilst it's all off.

4x4v8
In regards to head gasket price I got my complete gasket set for $260 which included a $30 dollar tube of sealant. I didn't get the factory ones though with the bead of sealant. Whether or not this is a bad thing is yet to be determined.

My tips so far for anyone else thinking of doing this job.
1. Make sure you have a lot more time than you think it will take.
2. Make sure you depressurise the fuel line before you pull everything off. The manual actually states this but I, as always, rushed ahead
3. Get some tips on how to remove that stupid bottom radiator hose. I ended up removing the arm that goes up to the expansion tank, bending it down and draining the majority that way. I'll be stuffed if I can get the entire bottom hose off. I tried hot water to soften the hose but still no luck.
4. Make sure you have some tiny spanners. A lot of my hose clamps are in places that can not be undone by screwdrivers, so a spanner is the only solution.
5. As others have said, and as I now say, read the manual. The step by step guide really is quite handy.

Hi it's me again,

I've now got the heads off and I was wondering if anyone could tell me what type of bolts I have got. The heads are 10 bolt heads but the bolts don't seem to have any sealant on them (as suggested) and the tensile rating seems to be quite large. I'm starting to think they may be reusable. Any ideas?

Thanks in advance,

Harvs.

p.s This is the first time I've inserted files so it may take me a few attempts.

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