3.9 on its way to heaven

[bmsa]

G'day All

Well up to this morning I though I had the best 96 disco in WA, seriously like new inside and out except the heap of extras I've put on it and the 100000 on the clock of which 70K I've had it for. This morning after no more then a 5 km run to the corner store she over heated faster then I've seen happen before. A heap of coolant came out of her but no sign of any problems with hoses so it seems it blow past the cap on the expansion tank. Well that was it tow truck time , at the workshop we gave it a go again and every one was about to dismiss me as a loony toon when she blow again with very little warning and the top hose wasn't even hot yet.

She's yet to be opened up but it seems best case cracked head and all down hill from there gut feeling is liner problems. So its time to start thinking about the options, she’s been fairly stock having extractors and sports exhaust and foam air filter but have been thinking about supercharging for years. So my questions are how much work on a 3.9 is too much before a should just scrape it? My guy thinks if things come up to bad the best thing would be to forget the 3.9 go straight past the 4.0 as it dosen't offer much and drop a new 4.6 in. Then besides being way in front already I could look at other things while we are at it like a new engine management system. The GEN!!! Was mentioned but I think that might be going a little out of my league.

Any one with estimates of cost, similar experiences, other options and pit falls to look out for would be greatly appreciated.

[bmsa]

These motors have steel liners in the alloy block. The liners can move in the block, allowing exhaust gas into the coolant galleries, which pressurizes the cooling system & drives coolant out. When the motor cools down after use, coolant is drawn back into the affected cylinder- which cleans it up nicely, but can make for bad starts. Eventually, the motor overheats within a few minutes & is unusable, or sustains damage. The cure? A new short motor. Liners can be refitted, but it's a heat process that usually loosens adjacent liners.
How common is this problem?
Check out how many 100k plus 4.6 rangies are advertised as having a new motor fitted...

The other problem is porous blocks. I've no idea how common it is, but it does seem to be more common the larger the bore, i.e. 3.5 motors fairly rare, 3.9 & 4.0's a little more so, 4.6's the most affected. Dittto the liner problem.

BE CAREFUL buying a 100k+ 4.6 motor. The liner fault can be difficult to diagnose, & is sometimes thought to be cured by a new head gasket, but it's only a temporary fix.

Finally (just in case you were wondering), yes it's happened to me. 4.0 motor though. LR were VERY good about it.

Seems to sum up my problems and makes me think the poor starting for the last 6 mths was the start.

Thanks to every one for all the info I found back through the back posts any one had a Gen3 conversion done in WA (where, how much and hows it going).

[Philip A]

Isnt anyone an optomist any more?
It could be just a blown head gasket on any of the end cylinders .
As a matter of fact that is the most likely explanation by far.
Cracked heads are very unusual.
Slipped sleeves less so , but blown head gaskets are common as dirt.
I would wonder at a mechanic who takes a great leap like that. maybe conditioning for a big bill.
regards Philip a

["CANADA"]

& is sometimes thought to be cured by a new head gasket, but it's only a temporary fix.

[PeterO]

I agree with Philip A its most likly just a head gasket. My 3.9 did the same thing except the tanks on the radiator expanded so much they broke the strapping on the ends new head gaskets saw another 100k from the motor before she got tired. But hey if you want an excuse to put a 4.6 in any will do

[up2nogood]

Do what I've had to do for the last six months.

Leave the radiator cap loose. No more pressurising problem from blown head gasket!

Gonna have to rebuild the bitch soon though. 20,000 kms with a blown head gasket is pushing my luck.......

[RUFF]

If the top hose wasnt hot when it pumped out its water then the Thermostate has a problem. Very Common and about $15 to fix. Doesnt sound like a Headgaskit problem to me.

[Tony78rr]

After 5 minutes running and a cold top hose! I'd put my money on a thermostat as well.

[roverlux]

Sorry to hijack your thread but reading this got me wondering.....
I have heard of this problem on newer Rovers and that is why i was hesitant in putting one under the hood of my hilux, but i got an older 3.5 carb motor and i have had it for a while and i like it heaps, but do they suffer from this problem of the steel bore seperating from the alloy block at all??? My mechanic said that he had never seen an older one do this at all so i thought i would ask the 'community' here. Is this a bugger up rover has had with its V8 for 20+ years or have the manufacturing processes been changed and in the last few years and in effect that cause all of these problems???

Joe.

[HSV Rangie]

My 3.5 did nearly 300K before I flicked it as did the engine frommy old SD1.

Michaerl.

[Philip A]

What happened ???? Was it a head gasket ofr a slipped liner??/or what??? Regards philip A

[bmsa]

Just letting you know how it all turned out.

It was the liners 2 had moved

I did a heap of research and shopping around and decided to stay true to rover and get JRT to build up a 4.6, so like some one said earlier I had the excuse I needed to drop a 4.6 in. I choose a 4.6 short with cam and head work to milk a little more out of it and will see how that goes, if that doesn't give it the punch it needs I could always slap a haltech engine management system in at a latter date . Only got back from working out bush yesterday so I can’t wait to pick her up today and I'll give you a follow up after I've broken her in. All went pretty well except they didn't do the heater core which I thought was clearly going to be done , it wasn't till they kicked it over and one of the guys was sitting in it and felt spray on his legs. On the up side I don't get turn into a crispy critter now and the delay didn't affect me because I was away any way but I can imagine for most not having there baby away for over 3 weeks would be a long time.

[landy_man]

3 weeks to fit an engine
you have got to be joking...
or were they only doing 1 hour on it a day or something

[Philip A]

Well Bummer in one way but good tool man result. wife has no option in circumstances but to approve expenditure.

I dunno why I baby my 3.9. A 4.9 beckons but no hope.
Regard s Philip A

[bmsa]

G'day Guy's

Was checking over things the other day and looked in the expansion tank, to my dismay it had quite a thick brownish greasy film over it. I ran an old tooth brush around and collected most of it out. Checked again today and there was more. In summary it’s had a new heater core hoses and radiator service along with the new engine so I wouldn't have thought there too be that much crap left in the system. Its supposedly had redline coolant put in, I'm not shore what colour it is but all I've got is dirty looking bath water with grease in it. Any one have any ideas what maybe going on????

[ptschram]

If it was a new engine,it might be crud left over when manufactured. If it was a boneyard engine, it might be dirt that collected in any open passages. I've seen wasp nests in expansion tanks after it was flushed from a water pump hiding hole

[peter r]

G`day Ben , put a new 4.0 in our 85 RR easter before last and the first time i checked the coolant found the same greasy looking muck .
Reason it looks like grease is cos it is , i cleaned it all off the outside before fitting but no point doing the inside so it shows up in the coolant .
I pressume they either spray or dip them to stop corrosion before there crated and transported to where ever from Pommy .
Not seeing yours can`t say for certain but a good chance thats all it is , specially if you payed many $$ and the engine number starts with an S .

All the best , peter .

[PeterO]

Peter R is right about the dipping. They dunk the whole thing and when my 4.6 arrived it had about 12mm of grease in each bore. I used prepsol to clean up my block and even washed it through the water jacket but still got the grease scum in the header tank. Its a bit of a bugger so I over filled my tank a few times and ran the car until the grease was forced out with expansion then withdrew some fluid back to the correct level, hey presto no more greasy scum.