Wise minds of dweb I summon thee

Agreed $2k isn’t bad. If it’s not your DD save the $ and do it yourself. Did mine when I was down in Atlanta so can’t recommend a good machine shop in the upstate

did they take off the upper intake or the lower intake? by intake gasket, i mean valley gasket. the fact that you have this at a non-rover shop, is a big problem. although on the plus side, replacing the headgaskets will fix it either way as the intake gasket has to be done as part of it. so they cant be wrong. classic shop diagnosis.

learn how to work on it yourself or get used to this.

kade said:

I just hate to take the gamble and get it back to have something else go wrong.

Click to expand...

That's not a gamble. It's a certainty. You can also look at the situation differently. Head gasket failure is an opportunity to learn a lot about how your engine works, improve your mechanical skills, and boost your confidence for long-term Rover ownership. It's a generalization to say, but there is some truth in the notion that if you can do a head gasket job you can do most anything else on your truck.

I made the decision to tackle the head gasket job myself when I was in a similar situation as you are now. Looking back, I'm glad I made the choice I did. The experience I gained has improved my relationship with my Rover and I've learned a lot more since.

The job isn't particularly hard. It is time consuming for a rookie and requires attention to detail. The good news is that the resources are available to you to help you succeed in the project. This site, the technical manual (RAVE), YouTube videos, all the information you need is at your fingertips.

If you don't have the tolerance and disposable income for continuing and unpredictable maintenance needs and repairs, owning a Rover may not be for you. It's a bumpy journey but many of us find the frustrations are worth the rewards.

I would also add that doing the complete head gasket job may not solve all your woes. Head gaskets can fail as a result of problems elsewhere in the cooling system. These can include, for starters:

radiator
water pump
thermostat
fan clutch

It will compound your misery if you go through the head gasket replacement only to realize your engine still gets too hot because your radiator is clogged, your fan clutch doesn't force enough air over your radiator, or your thermostat isn't opening at the correct temperature.

Replacing all four of these components would add a lot to the budget, so if you're going to commit to keeping this Disco then it would be a good idea to make sure the rest of your cooling system is working properly. If all the parts listed above are factory original then they are probably living on borrowed time if they haven't already exceeded their useful life.

kade said:

Problem is I don?t know that I have the capacity to do it myself (at least in a timely manner) and where I currently live it would be fairly difficult. I?d have to do it under a shed of sorts that leaks like a Rover.

It?s a tough call. If I had had this beast longer than 3 days before this incident, it would be an easier decision. It was running pretty good. I just hate to take the gamble and get it back to have something else go wrong.

Thanks for all the input guys.

Click to expand...

If you get a set of heads from Will you could do this over a weekend. It's really not that bad of a job if you are prepared. I will loan you my In Search of the Experience DVD with the head gasket tutorial if you send it back.

I would definitely double check the valley gasket more thoroughly though. What you described sounds like when my valley gasket went out.

Since they're off, did they/he check the flatness of the heads? Check the coolant for hydrocarbons? Did they pressure test the block so you know if the liners are O.K. or not? Simple tests for a decent mechanic. Then again, he may not be familiar with Rover engines and liners. Let's hope.

Levi said:

I will loan you my In Search of the Experience DVD with the head gasket tutorial if you send it back.

Click to expand...

That is a generous offer made in the true fraternal Rover spirit.

kade said:

Thanks for the offer! If I decide to take on the Project myself I will check back with you.
I think about it and know it would feel good to accomplish it myself but I know I could not do it in a weekend. May just have to get them to do it and save my energy for when the next part breaks.

Click to expand...

I think you can do it yourself. I would get the heads off it and send them out to be ground. I've put straight edges on every head I pull off these engines. I haven't seen a straight one in a long time. Don't sweat the block surface.

I do kind of agree with the guys who say it's more than likely the intake gasket. But that being said, your so close to replacing the head gaskets once the intake is off. It's really not that much more work.

Post up when your doing the job. take up PT on his offer to walk you thru it. Now that he's back from where the climate suites his clothes or what ever.

You can do it!
The first time I did it was in dirt drive way.... took a long time but I did it. The extent of my mechanic skills before than was changing oil & tires. Plus it's a great excuse to buy more tools.

kk88rrc said:

You can do it!... Plus it's a great excuse to buy more tools.

Click to expand...

:applause:

proper4wd said:

IT PROBABLY BLEW OUT THE INTAKE GASKET

Click to expand...

It probably DID NOT blow out the intake gasket!!!

PhD_Polymath said:

Indeed, this is most likely. Best of luck.

Click to expand...

No, it is NOT the most likely cause for loss of coolant!

pt you are losing it. catastrophic coolant waterfall down the bellhousing is classic intake gasket failure and you know it.

ptschram said:

It probably DID NOT blow out the intake gasket!!!

Click to expand...

Good to see your still wacky. Who cares what's leaking. Do them both. By the time you get the intake off, the heads are easy.

proper4wd said:

pt you are losing it. catastrophic coolant waterfall down the bellhousing is classic intake gasket failure and you know it.

Click to expand...

No. You and I know it. From experience. I agree 100%. Huge leaks back there are normally a intake gasket. Could it be a head? Sure.