Head Gasket Issues RR, RRC, D1 & D2

Head Gasket Problems (RR, RRC, Disco 1 & 2)

A very common problem with our trucks is head gasket leaks and failure. The original head gaskets (HG) normally begin to leak between 75k and 110k. You will begin to throw error codes such as misfires and timing issues. You will see coolant start to dissapear from the resovoir. You must fix the HG before they fail and cause the engine to overheat.

If you decide to take the project on yourself give yourself a weekend to do the work and order a composite HG kit from Atlantic British and while you are doing this major overhaul you should install a new hose, water pump gasket,
thermostat and head bolts. You should also consider the intake gasket kit, as you fix one leak it will presure the next weakest gasket to fail. If you reuse your old head bolts they will not torque properly and they will let coolant leak out of your new gasket. The total cost of parts is less than $475.

If you decide to bring your truck to a mechanic you can expect a bill of $1,200-$1,600 for just the head gasket replacement. If you head to a LR dealer (not recommedned) expect it to cost $2,000+

No matter if you tackle this job yourself or let someone else deal with it make sure you have the heads checked, and if need be, smoothed out at a machine shop. After all this work you wouldn't want the heads to go messing things up.

Why does this happen? Some people blame coolant variations, where the real problem lies is in the engine design. Land Rover cut corners when adopting the engine from GM. They used press-in steel sleeves rather than cast in place. The liners were also changed from a coarse to a polished finish. Easier to build, but prone to failure, as the steel liners and our aluminum blocks thermally expand at different rates. In the end it could have not been prevented and you are not alone. The best instructions can be found in the RAVE workshop manual which is very easy to follow. Allow a full weekend of wrenching and and an extra set of hands can't hurt.