How much is the standard cost for head gasket replacement including heads macining?

[GSxTC]

Crap parts are relative. Nothing Yugo about it, but they are very old fashioned motors with newfangled electronics tacked on to make them road worthy. The same basic design has been in production since around 1959. Give it a break, already, it's old. That same basic design has had the same basic flaws the entire time, too.

Get it a few degrees out of it's comfort zone, and pop. Let the coolant get too old, pop. Don't rev it like you should, pop. The problem can be attributed to many things, but overall, the motor is very tolerant. It will keep it's temperature very nicely, but if it does climb, you are going to be shelling out some cash. They will also leak eventually with age. Most all aluminum motors suffer similar headaches on various scales. Head gaskets are simply part of the experience.

.

Cheers,

Kennith

We had similar issues with Toyota 1Jz engines, as well as a few other all aluminum engines. We were able to cure most of this with the purchase of better quality head gaskets, and a good set of ARB studs to replace the stock head bolts. we also used a slightly higher bolt torque(partly for the studs, partly for the preservation of the gasket during heat cycling). Could this be a possilbe fix on the Rover as well? Or do we not have anything like that. I haven't really looked into the performance companies for parts for these trucks yet.

 

[eliaschristeas]

Re: How much is the standard cost for head gasket replacement including heads macining?

I don't get why all these Rover V8s are blowing head gaskets like crazy...they never had that reputation in the UK when I lived there and I've had 3 Disco's and a RR County here in the US and never had a gasket issue yet. What are we doing wrong???....Is it the shit gas here and all the emissions crap? Or are these cars that do lots of short runs around town?...lots of hot cool cycles....my cars rarely do a short run. Just interested....is this somehow inevitable?

My Theory:

Step 1) People skipping basic maintenance b/c your average rover owner doesnt want to pay dealer prices - as they are convinced this is the only place they can have the work done.

Step 2) The rest is history. These things are stack-of cards. When one thing goes, everything else starts to lose it but by that time, the second owner has it, doesn't know why a 'land rover' is falling apart, doesn't fix it b/c of the prices at the dealer where they have been convinced is the only place that can do the work. . .

I'm the original owner of a 97 SE - and the front cover just started to have a leak at 147k along with the rear cross cap seals. You can go pretty damn far if you know what you're doing and do it yourself!

 

[liboton_rover]

My Theory:

Step 1) People skipping basic maintenance b/c your average rover owner doesnt want to pay dealer prices - as they are convinced this is the only place they can have the work done.

Step 2) The rest is history. These things are stack-of cards. When one thing goes, everything else starts to lose it but by that time, the second owner has it, doesn't know why a 'land rover' is falling apart, doesn't fix it b/c of the prices at the dealer where they have been convinced is the only place that can do the work. . .

I'm the original owner of a 97 SE - and the front cover just started to have a leak at 147k along with the rear cross cap seals. You can go pretty damn far if you know what you're doing and do it yourself!

Your theory pretty much sum it all. I have two disco, 1 rangie and I was the second owner for all 3. It's really painful when all of them breaks down at the same time, just the old saying, "when it rains, it pours". I can do the minor repair but for head gasket leak or valve cover leak. It seems the average owner just surrender in doing it themselves. Probably one of these days if time allowed I would try it.

 

[PolarG]

liboton_rover
In the opening question you said there is a coolant leak near the water pump. Then after a compression test it was decided that you need a new gasket. I am new to the rover and I will probably get chewed up for asking this but doesn't that seem like a big blowout in the gasket to not only have the gasket fail between the cylinder, the coolant jacket, and the edge of the gasket? If the coolant is visibly leaking and the cylinder is loosing compression I would think (and possibly wrongly thinking) that there are two failed points (one between the cooling jacket, hence the visible leak, and one by the cylinder, hence the compression leak), there is one big failed point in the gasket (big enough to connect the cylinder, the coolant, and blow out the outside of the gasket), or two unrelated problems. I expect somebody to set me straight here.
I am going to tear mine down on Monday and am hoping it is the vally gasket or a valve cover gasket.