Coolant contamination

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Originally Posted by damo65

My worst fears have been realised.
Took it to another LR specialist and they suspect head gaskets (and/or dropped liners). However, due to overheating the alloy has softened and they are not willing to go any further as they will not be able to guarantee that the head bolts will get enough tension on the soft block and it will probably fail.
They recommend an exchange engine (not recon) at around $6,500.

Is this really true? that if you overheat the engine then you have to bin it completely!

I don't know how LR can get away with selling such a bad engine! (along with the 1.8)

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yep, toast an alloy and its time to bin it...

used to be (now im showing my age) that if you toasted an alloy you could bore out the bolt holes and fit em with easy outs and nutserts and away you go again. Now in the interest being smaller, lighter faster you dont even have enough meat inthe block to do that... Re hardening the block is achievable but aint cost worthy. It does depend on how hard you cooked it...

however what your describing does not sound like a cracked head to me it smacks of blown oil cooler. If you had a cracked head (or even a slipping liner) I would expect there to be other obvious over pressurising of the cooling system and a cleaned cylinder, pull the spark plugs one at a time and if one is obviously cleaner than the others then you might have a gasket problem. If it not overheating your lucky and a replacement head gasket might just save the engine.

Thanks for the replies.

I forgot to mention, that since my original post when we found the black sludge in the coolant (and flushed it etc), the wife was driving it one day and it overheated to the point where she noticed steam from the bonnet :(

Still no sign of water in the engine oil. So perhaps it was the IRD cooler. But now that it has cooked and softened the alloy, the LR mechanic won't touch it.

Do I have any cheaper options than a $6,500 exchange engine?

remove the thermostat, have a back yard butcher have at it and sell it before it goes west again, dont allow full length test drives.

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Originally Posted by Blknight.aus

remove the thermostat, have a back yard butcher have at it and sell it before it goes west again, dont allow full length test drives.

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That's not a response I would have expected from you :(

I can blue and white stripey apron with the best of them.....

I dont like to but if he cant spring for a new donk then hes got to fix it quick and flog it before it costs him an arm and a leg. Id rather see him get something for it and get another rover than have that one drag him under and sour his views on landrovers. and ITs not just a rover problem fords do it (specially the bloody lazer) so to do hyundias and kia... I think kia didnt even use aluminium for the block someone gave them some silver painted blocks of playdough to work with.

Personally Ive gotten to the point where If someone tells me theyve cooked an ally motor I just quote em the replace engine costs and be done with it...

Ive done enough jobs on jap crap crumple zones for friends and then had to redo them 5-6 times within a year cause they just keep over heating or I strip the bolts out I dont even try any more. (skint mates cant afford new engine/new car but a $150 head an gasket from a wrecker once a month and no car for a week is livable)


you can sometimes get away with it in a diesel as the diesels still have some meat to them and a liner that cops most of the thermal shock.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Blknight.aus

I can blue and white stripey apron with the best of them.....

I dont like to but if he cant spring for a new donk then hes got to fix it quick and flog it before it costs him an arm and a leg. Id rather see him get something for it and get another rover than have that one drag him under and sour his views on landrovers. and ITs not just a rover problem fords do it (specially the bloody lazer) so to do hyundias and kia... I think kia didnt even use aluminium for the block someone gave them some silver painted blocks of playdough to work with.

Personally Ive gotten to the point where If someone tells me theyve cooked an ally motor I just quote em the replace engine costs and be done with it...

Ive done enough jobs on jap crap crumple zones for friends and then had to redo them 5-6 times within a year cause they just keep over heating or I strip the bolts out I dont even try any more. (skint mates cant afford new engine/new car but a $150 head an gasket from a wrecker once a month and no car for a week is livable)


you can sometimes get away with it in a diesel as the diesels still have some meat to them and a liner that cops most of the thermal shock.

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Been in that boat. Hang on I'm in that boat now. Have the ford at a mates in bits parked in front of his which is also in bits. We made a deal do both together.
Damo where are you located?

I'm in Adelaide...anyone know any good butchers ;)

Would it be worth trying a product like Chemweld or Bar's Leak or some other "Stop Leak" product?

If I can get it running ok without overheating then perhaps I can trade it in for a good used Disco :cool:

Trade it for a fender, that way you cut out the middle few years of driving a disco secretly pining for a fender. :p

If it is overheating your problems may be more serious, but also may just be a gasket. You will not know until you pull it apart and have the head crack tested.:(

Even if its just a gasket i would be getting rid of a cooked alloy block post haste:(