Clatter Clatter Bang

[mb450]

:-(

That's the noise my 2001 4.6 Vogue made yesterday evening before the engine stopped.

70,000 miles on the clock. Just had it taken to the stealer for a diagnois - but I suspect.

a) slipped liner
b) dropped value
c) other horror

:-(

[agent006]

I'd go for B or C. A doesn't tend to be that quick.

[Barreti]

Sounded like that when my 90 broke its crank and completely self destructed the bottom end of the engine. Fingers crossed and touching wood that its not that on yours. Good luck.

[mb450]

:-(
Well it's been diagnosed as a porous block gutted at 70,000 miles

The dealer says new engine

What are my options?
I've got a price for a remanu at 3500.00 I'm happy to install it myself having had the TVR engine out a couple of times.

[eliot]

You need a top-hat linered block. Search and choose carefully vendors of said blocks as quality seems to vary.

[agent006]

Yep. You need a top hatted block or it'll just happen again. JE are the pick of the remanufacturers as far as i remember. I had the same problem but not so suddenly so had a chance to punt it to auction before it got terminal.

[Bartell]

eliot said:

You need a top-hat linered block. Search and choose carefully vendors of said blocks as quality seems to vary.

Top liners are an excellent fix for a bad block. However, the world has moved on.

The LR block has been newly redesigned. Old sad issues (present since the move from 88.9mm to 94 mm. bore) have been resolved. The blocks are cast by Coscast, (as in Cosworth) and are a vast improvement over anything previously made. I would take one over a top hot linered block in an instant.

They were expensive when they first became available but with steady supply the price has tumbled. A short block (4.6 or 4.0) should cost no more than 1900£ http://simmonites.com/engine.htm

James

[agent006]

I was under the impression that the coscast blocks had tophat liners.

[Bartell]

agent006 said:

I was under the impression that the coscast blocks had tophat liners.

Yes..but much more than that. These liners are only one component in a redesigned much improved casting. There is a considerably difference in using top hot liners as a welcome patch for a badly cast and sloppily finished block made from an aging poorly designed mold and their use as yet only one of many upgrade features within a wholly new, better designed and finished casting.

The use of top hat liners as a fix only made sense when there was decidedly nothing better available new. However, with Coscast blocks the LR world has moved far beyond.

James

[mb450]

Holy thread resurection batman!

The reason for digging it back up is:

I decided to have the engine inspected by a third party and not rely on the Land Rover dealer (no names due to naming an shaming policy) who "diagnosed" the a pourous block and the news is far better.

Turns out it wasn't serviced correctly that the last service (same dealer as above), the spark plugs are totally knackered mostly erroded away 5 of the 8 cylinders wouldn't have produced a spark at all. Fortunately there was no serious damage to but a rocker shaft has broken - cause unknown could be component failure - on the plus side there isn't damange to any pistons, con-rods or anything else - so it's a top end rebuild and a "friendly chat" with the dealer about their crap servicing and even crapper diagnostic skills!

[2 5HAN]

I'd be having more than a friendly chat with the Dealer.

I would be having a chat with trading standards and the local newspaper.

That is half the reason people get fed up with Main Dealers.

Hope it all gets resolved quickly for you

[agent006]

mb450 said:

not rely on the Land Rover dealer

Lesson mumber one of owning a Range Rover.

[eliot]

that is bad.

[Meeja]

eliot said:

that is bad.

Bad?

It's appalling.

You deserve, and should expect better service from a main stealer.

I seriously would kick up a stink utilising your local media outlets about it. - PM me if you want some contacts for your local media

Some people would have taken the dealer's word on trust, and landed themselves with a huge repair bill that would have been completely unjustified.

ETA: Thanks for the mail MB.... have replied

Edited by Meeja on Friday 29th August 09:51

[Ramthorne]

I do just wonder if the problems you have with the engine could still be caused by a porous block? Sounds very similar to a friends experience, he was advised on a top end rebuild, which was done but lasted no time at all, it was water ingress causing the problems. A short engine was the cure.

We've all done it, but don't assume the person with the cheapest diagnosis is defintely right!

[mb450]

I was worried until I saw the block and head pressure test results and the oil and coolant analysis. Engine has been removed and stripped, the sum of the parts needed to fix come to just over 300 - Glad it was that and not the ridiculous figure quoted by the dealer for a new engine diagnosed as a porous block without putting a tool to the engine or looking at the oil or water.