High Pressure Header Tank - Oil In coolant

Can anyone help???

I have a 1998 Discovery(1) 300 TDI.

The other day I had steam coming out from under the bonnet and found that the header tank had breached at the seal round the edge. I don't know much about this stuff but am prepared to try anything. I have bought another tank and fitted it, refilled the cooling system (from themostat cap) and ran the engine for 5 mins with the cap off the header tank to clear any air bubbles etc. If I tighten the header cap a big pressure builds up very quickly.

With the header cap off and the engine running the coolant just swells out of the header tank every 10 seconds or so and little bubbles keep coming. I noticed wisps of smoke coming out of the header tank which are quite fumey and I also noticed a slight grey oil in the coolant when I uncrewed the cap on the top of the thermostat again to clear air blocks.

I've spoken to a Landrover dealer who said it might be the head gasket 'or worse' which I'm assuming is a cracked head. Or it might be the oil cooler?

If anyone has any guidance on this it would be much appreciated.

Thanks


Mark

sorry 1996 Disco....

i bet your head gaskets playing up and i bet its on piston 4

looks like you got your answer already

thanks robint. Definately no chance of being the oil cooler? (ever hopeful)

m4rk said:

thanks robint. Definately no chance of being the oil cooler? (ever hopeful)

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If your oil cooler is leaking oil into the coolant, you will get a LOT of black oil in the coolant - it's unlikely to overpressure like yours seems to be, not in the very short term anyway - and your oil level will be dropping over a period of time.

Yours sounds like head gasket to me.

that happened to me last week i thought i could just renew the coolant resivour but had the same symptoms as yours and im amfraid to say its the head gasket, mine went between number 2 and 3 cylinder, i got my head skimmed and pressure tested for £50.
it is a fairly straight foward job to do.
sorry its not the answer you were hoping for

thanks all. I'll change the head gasket and go from there.

Classic head gasket failure symptoms.

m4rk said:

thanks robint. Definately no chance of being the oil cooler? (ever hopeful)

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Oil cooler doesn't have exhaust fumes in it innit.

Definately HG.

Defo the head gasket, you can't just change the gasket tho, you will need head skimming and pressure testing or new/recon head fitted, mine went between 2 and 3 twice. Had head skimmed 1st time then recon head 2nd time

OK - Got head off. The gasket is a 3 hole one. If I don't skim can I just replace with the same?

I don't know what I was expecting but couldn't see any breaches between coolant and piston ducts. The gasket was in one piece. I assume the breach is much smaller?

I know the best thing to do is get the head skimmed and I am trying to find a place to do this. Has anyone done a head gasket and just cleaned it up? If so what's the best method for this.?

could be a cracked head or a cracked liner of a lifted liner.......or a porus block for that matter..... i would get the head pressure checked etc

I assume you did a compression test before you took the head gasket off?

er no.

The head is going off for pressure test on monday.

just had excactly the same was head gasket gone between 2 n 3 ports for the second time, i was told that it went the second time because i never bled the water system ?? make sure you do that!!!!

Thanks Kernow oli and all.

The haynes manual refers to a coolant plug on the left hand side of the engine block. I can't find this anywhere. Does anyone have any pointers?

Found it. Exhaust manifold side between front 2 cylinders.