Requiem for a V8

[PeterN]

We may have scared Peter off with all of the $15k quote bashing....

Not scared off at all and I appreciate all the perspectives and suggestions.

Regarding the vague "engine is toast" diagnosis, I'll have a horse's mouth description of why this route is suggested but I honestly can't remember all the mechanic speak he threw at me and have asked him to document this via email.

He originally began thinking it would need to be a total reseal but after spending more time in there and taking over to a smog place and getting a dire reading he switched course.

I've checked the coolant every morning before I've started it, had one eye on the temp gauge at all times and kept it topped off with oil. I only had the pleasure of putting about 4k miles on it myself, many of those were long distance highway miles. No smoke that I witnessed but I for sure smelled coolant. Engine sounded fine to me but I'm not an expert and it's my first Rover. After it threw the codes it sounded like hell.

A diesel swap is probably not an option I'm going to have the time to pursue although I'd buy a new solid axle defender 110 that was street legal in CA

 

[Daryl]

Heck, there is an '04 with 80k miles on it for sale near me but it's got the same time bomb under the hood.

Maybe I'm paranoid....

No, you aren't paranoid at all. If you like the truck fixing it properly (including something with top hat liners) is a reasonably good way of making sure you have a reliable one. DII motors have absolutely proven to be time bombs, especially 03/04. Their weaknesses are well documented, and top hat liners seems to eliminate the symptoms of 3-4-5-6 cylinder cracking behind the liner at the bottom of the head bolts and the losing coolant/pressuring the cooling system that follows once the liner gets loose (often just at temperature). Of course you aren't definitely going to have problems with any DII motor, but the failure rate is pretty obviously higher.

Here's a good rundown on the liner/cracked block issue.

 

[PeterN]

Quote from my mechanic:

"Hello Peter, Good morning the reason me recommending engine is it has major leaks externally, also we have leaks internally exhaust gases are getting into cooling system,either by a blown head gasket or a cylinder liner leaking (Most likely cause)The only repair for a slipped liner is engine replacement. given the mileage and condition of leaks I would feel like replacement of engine would be the best recommendation for you. "

After stripping items out of the quote not related to the engine and cooling system it's at around $13k

I've told him to order the engine. Here we go.

 

[REDROVER]

save your money find a nice diesel 87 or similar year 110 and bring to Cali, and that's it

 

[dcwhybrew]

Quote from my mechanic:

"Hello Peter, Good morning the reason me recommending engine is it has major leaks externally, also we have leaks internally exhaust gases are getting into cooling system,either by a blown head gasket or a cylinder liner leaking (Most likely cause)The only repair for a slipped liner is engine replacement. given the mileage and condition of leaks I would feel like replacement of engine would be the best recommendation for you. "

After stripping items out of the quote not related to the engine and cooling system it's at around $13k

I've told him to order the engine. Here we go.

Hold up...I believe there is a big difference between a head gasket failure and a slipped liner. It should be easy to diagnose a headgasket failure, and they're common on the D2 engines. Does your mechanic have much experience with LRs? If it is a HG, granted that is a major repair but the cost is certainly cheaper to repair than replacing the engine. Also, even if the engine is bad...$13k is still too much. That is waaaay more than the value of your car once your done. For 13k you can sell your D2 for $2k plus the $13k and go buy a much more reliable LR3.

Stop the order and do some more research....Youre getting screwed here...

 

[Howski]

Stop the order and do some more research....Youre getting screwed here...

x2. For $13k just buy another D2

 

[toylandcruiser]

Buick (GM) maybe, since the LR V8 design was purchased from them??

GM hasn't used it since the 60's.


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[I Leak Oil]

GM hasn't used it since the 60's.

Not a bad design for it's time considering the casting techniques that were available. The 3.5 and 3.9 motors are far less troublesome, still not great, and it's not until Rover tried to turn it's V8 into something it isn't that they really became an issue.

Bottom line is Rover would have done it's reputation a world of good by replacing it with a different motor 3 decades ago. Rover has always been slow to acknowledge their short comings and even slower to resolve them.

 

[dcwhybrew]

GM hasn't used it since the 60's.


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my point was, it is a Buick/GM design, so any engine rebuilder familiar with the 216 cu in V8 should be able to rebuild it (assuming a mechanic couldnt do it). My 4.6 that I purchased rebuilt in Scottsdale was rebuilt by a 216 v8 specialist there in Scottsdale.

 

[REDROVER]

Not a bad design for it's time considering the casting techniques that were available. The 3.5 and 3.9 motors are far less troublesome, still not great, and it's not until Rover tried to turn it's V8 into something it isn't that they really became an issue.

Bottom line is Rover would have done it's reputation a world of good by replacing it with a different motor 3 decades ago. Rover has always been slow to acknowledge their short comings and even slower to resolve them.

my 3.9 rover was awesome . i never had problem with it, i drove over 40.000 miles before i changed it to diesel. i dont know why 4.2 or 4.6 makes problems , but whatever it is its the top that is not good, the pistons and the block is good.. and like to say it would of cost rover much cheaper to fix that, than to bring its reputation down to junk status .

 

[toylandcruiser]

my point was, it is a Buick/GM design, so any engine rebuilder familiar with the 216 cu in V8 should be able to rebuild it (assuming a mechanic couldnt do it). My 4.6 that I purchased rebuilt in Scottsdale was rebuilt by a 216 v8 specialist there in Scottsdale.

My point is, just because GM made it 40 years ago doesn't automatically mean that a GM mechanic will know how to rebuild it.


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[Daryl]

my point was, it is a Buick/GM design, so any engine rebuilder familiar with the 216 cu in V8 should be able to rebuild it (assuming a mechanic couldnt do it). My 4.6 that I purchased rebuilt in Scottsdale was rebuilt by a 216 v8 specialist there in Scottsdale.

215. It started out life as a Buick 215.

 

[djbrown01]

I'll fly out and it in your driveway, or street or wherever, and I'll do it for 12k lol, you seriously are going to spend that kind of money on a 11 year old truck? You can pick up a running one on the east coast for 3k, even a 03 04 with a really toast motor for under 2k, you are seriously getting boned, just my opinion

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[dcwhybrew]

215. It started out life as a Buick 215.

That is correct, it was a typeo.

 

[rover4x4]

5.3 vortec would be really nice, the rover v8 has to be one of the most worthless engines ever built.