Coolant Leak = P-Gasket ??

Over the Christmas holidays the heaters in my wife’s Disco stopped blowing out heat, so checked it over and it appeared to be low on coolant

Filled it back up, and upon looking over it, it looks to have developed a leak behind the alternator that runs down the block

I don’t think its the water pump itself, but searching the forum I think it may be the P-Gasket

We let it stand for the rest of the holidays, and think we caught it in time, that no other/major damaged was caused

Now things are returning to normal, I phoned my local independent LR garage, and they are quoting me £300 to replace the gasket, which seems expensive to spend that kind of money on a car itself that’s only worth £1k

Now I'm fairly confident with a spanner, and was wondering whether its worth tackling myself? (after viewing the guide that’s sticky on the forum)

Also, is it worth changing anoything else whilst your there as well? i.e. water pump, any bolts, belt, etc...

Thanks

Ade

it can be an easy job or a right bastid depending on whether bolts undo ok, be prepeared to have at least 1 seized in bolt. Water pump can be examined once removed for any roughness or play in the bearing (don't forget new gasket). No need to undo pipes to power steering pump as there is enough "give" in them to allow it to be moved out of the way, same with the alternator that can be undone and moved out of the way with wiring attached (watch for it shorting out on anything metal). Patience is required in several bucketfulls

as above, i would advise you to get the gasket from a main dealer i done mine twice due to it starting to leak again after a few weeks of fitting a pattern part one

here y'are!

http://www.landyzone.co.uk/lz/f49/p-gasket-renewal-how-91258.html

Paddocks sell a proper metalised gasket with a crush panel designed in - I still smeared a bit of silicunt on it though!

Shopping list is:
1 x water pump gasket
1 x P gasket

Cost ~£3 + 1hr labour... at £300 your spanner monkey must think he's doing the head!

I have replaced the P gasket recently from the advice on this site.
Im a novice at mechanics and managed it without a hitch
go on give it a go gasket is under £5 from Landrover dont buy cheap imitations

yes they do

I have had exactly the same happen in my discovery but now I have white smoke from the exhaust is this the same or has my head gasket gone.

Today was the day that I decided to have a go at replacing the gasket

Everything went fairly well, until I got to the end, when I can re-fit the belt

It was dark by this time, so will have a better look in the morning, but wanted to post up this thread incase I'm doing something obvious wrong

When I try to operate the tensioner, I cant semm to move it at all! Is it meant to move quiet easily?

I then started to think did I do something wrong when removing the tensioner? When stripping the parts down, I didn't adjust the tensioner to remove the belt, I just undid the nut to remove the tensioner compltly, thus freeing the belt. So I dont know if the tensioner worked correctly prior to me removing it

Any ideas

Thanks
Ade

long breaker bar required to lever the tensioner up...

OR

you've not got the belt seated fully onto all the pulleys - if one is riding on the edge of a pulley you won't get it under the tensioner for any money!

Thanks Lerk,

I just needed a breaker bar, the haynes manual said to use a ring spanner, but it wasn't moving with a spanner!

Thanks again

Ade

you can do it with a pair of spanners locked together, but when your're faffing about with one hand they can slip quite easily!