Headgasket and other bits on P38 - Advice on what to choose please!

Hello Everyone!

I'm in for some serious repairs in a VERY near future and would like some advice on what to choose in the following repairs:

Upcoming repairs:
Headgaskets - pressurizing upper coolant hose and expansion tank - smells badly of exhaust gasses when filler cap is released
Which headgasket should I buy - original Land Rover or composite material (RPI) or??? Guess that heads have to be skimmed - should I fear cracked block?? (temp gauge is never moving from normal level)

I'm thinking about switching from head bolts to ARP-stud kit - Pro's/ Con's?? - If needed / adviced I'm thinking about buying from RPI.

New throttle body complete with TPS-unit. (P38spares.co.uk)
New Coil Pack - have a few flat spots when accelerating - I know a blown HG does not help, but been like this for a loooooong time. (hopefully buying it from a bloke on rangerovers.net)
Timing gear - have bought it already from P38spares.co.uk
Blend motors - "Book-symbol" in climate control from times to times - but engine is more important right now!! (P38spares.co.uk)

Had some loud banging noises last winter - when cold it sounded like someone hit the engineblock with a hammer rapidly and it changed with RPM's - after 30 - 45 seconds it disappeared - changed engineoil (from Castrol 10W60 which I've always used without any problems to Castrol 5W40and filter and it's been gone since then) - this spring I had the car at a local LR garage but they could not find anything - my guess was the Flexplate - but garage said NO... I've also had some serious vibrations in the drivetrain - but they are gone - Divine intervention perhaps???!!!
(all wheels have been rebalanced - and they are just fine)
The past weeks I can hear sort of light scraping in reverse gear - also have some engine vibrations from 4000 RPM's + - can be felt in the throttle inside the car????
(I'm still suspecting flexplate and Torque Converter) - what's your ideas??!! (propshafts are ok - have checked!)

Rear silencers - right rear one has blown all the glass fiber stuffing out so now it has more of a "American musscle car V8 sound" wrum wrum

Thinking about going for a stainless Steel - but don't want more noise than the original one at normal driving speeds (80km/h+) and also want to keep a "stock look".

If I've forgotten someting - please say so!!!

Best wishes for a Merry Christmas (little late perhaps) and a Happy New Year from
Ferdinand

Can't help with every question, but in my experience of a cracked block, the temp gauge would intermittently go from normal to red in a few seconds, your description suggests this is not the case. Book symbol - I used to get this coming on quite a lot, but since fitting new radiator last winter, have not seen it since!

RH95754 said:

Had some loud banging noises last winter - when cold it sounded like someone hit the engineblock with a hammer rapidly and it changed with RPM's - after 30 - 45 seconds it disappeared - changed engineoil (from Castrol 10W60 which I've always used without any problems to Castrol 5W40and filter and it's been gone since then)

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I had this for the last couple of days - checked oil, no problem- then the big end went yesterday - waiting for the engine to be stripped to actually find out what went

As for the vibration, check the prop shafts for play, could be just a new bearing needed

Hi Magictiny,

Propshafts are ok - I began with checking them - they are greased regularly - the garage said that there was some kind of bush in the torque converter that gets worn out - and possible this was causing the vibrations - as for the banging noises - I was worried the flexplate was cracked.... life is never boring with a Range Rover....

Is it losing water? Is it overheating? Is water being forced out of overflow by excess system pressure? Hoses and header tank are supposed to be pressurised to a certain degree. If it's not overheating and not losing water leave it alone.

It is loosing water slowly - upper coolant hose to the radiator expand to almost double size. BUT it's not overheating - done that twice for months ago for 2 minutes MAX in total (while getting rid of an airlock). Have to refil 1-2 liters every 2 weeks - so I know something has gone bad

If I remove the expansion tank filler cap quickly when it's hot - it looses 1-2 liter of water - it sprays it out the expansions tank - if I release it slowly there is no water spray, but I can smell exhaust fumes and I can hear water "running back" into the radiator. I can also smell coolant in the exhaust gasses - have not tried a sniffer test in the expansion tank yet - will do in the next couple of days.

I've burped it several times - suspecting an airlock - but I'm afraid I'm in for getting greasy fingers early 2011.

Now I need some advice for which parts to go for - as I mentioned in the first post - help / advice much needed!! and should anyone be interested in doing the repair - Well don't hesitate to bring on the message :welcome2:

Happy New Year!!

RH95754 said:

It is loosing water - upper coolant hose to the radiator expand to almost double size. BUT it's not overheating - done that twice for months ago for 2 minutes MAX in total (while getting rid of an airlock).

If I remove the expansion tank filler cap quickly when it's hot - it looses 1-2 liter of water - it sprays it out the expansions tank - and it smells badly of exhaust fumes. - I I release it slowly there is no water spray, but I can hear water "running back" into the radiator. I can also smell coolant in the exhaust gasses - have not tried a sniffer test in the expansion tank yet - will do in the next couple of days.

I've burped it several times - suspecting an airlock - but I'm afraid I'm in for getting greasy fingers early 2011.

Now I need some advice for which parts to go for - as I mentioned in the first post - help / advice much needed!! and should anyone be interested in doing the repair - Well don't hesitate to bring on the message :welcome2:

Happy New Year!!

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Your not supposed to remove the expansion tank cap when engine is hot. Is there not a notice on it "Remove only when cold" every car on the planet will do that if the cap is removed when engine is hot. The coolant is under pressure to stop it boiling that's why it has a 15psi pressure cap on it. Have you taken the plugs out and looked for a clean one?
Composite gaskets would be favorite for me. But you lose a little compression with them.

Oh yeah :welcome:

Hi Wammers,

"Composite gaskets would be favorite for me. But you lose a little compression with them".

Loss of compression??? Why? Because they are thicker than the original LR headgaskets? Are they more reliable or why would you go for this type?
I ask because I'm not sure whether type to go for....

Composite as steel unless 100% perfect block will leak

I don't know the condition of the block since I haven't taken it apart yet - what would you do yourself?

RH95754 said:

I don't know the condition of the block since I haven't taken it apart yet - what would you do yourself?

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see if liners have slipped before ordering anything