Losing Coolant

Hi my 4.0 V8 Thor in my 2000 Discovery is losing a small amount of coolant, I thought I had fixed it when I spotted a few drips from the hose connecting to the LPG vaporisor, however today there is the tel tale sign on the floor that there is still a small leak. :doh:

I crawled underneath with a torch and can see that the highest point of damp is (from the bottom of the engine looking up) the front left corner of the engine around the head gasket.

1/ If the head gasket has gone surely I would get lots of steam in the exhaust and indeed a high temperature gauge, yet everything seems normal.

2/ Could it be as simple as tightening the corner of the head down a touch?

3/ Do any of you recommend additives like Barrs Leaks? bearing in mind that the Thor Engine has a different coolant than the others..

Thanks in advance

Edgie

Hi, I have the same motor.... I also had/have the same issue, not with the vaporiser but when I checked the header tank cap was letting a small amount of water out so I replaced it. ( Have you tried this?) Its a common fault apparently!
Its still losing a touch of water probably a cupfull every week or so... I still can't get to the bottom of it though ?!!

T.

I had exactly the same problem from the same place (2000 d2 V8 on LPG) I was using around 1/2 litre a week. I used a leak sealer from euro car parts (can't remember the name , sorry) and this seems to have cured it. I was worried that the sealer would block the rad or just move the problem elsewhere but 2 months on it seems fine. Mine ran all thru the summer with the slight leak and never overheated or missed a beat. I was going to leave it as I figured 10l of antifreeze a year is cheaper than a new headgasket. The OAT coolant is fairly standard these days so I thought what the hell.

Andy

From what I understand it is not always the headgaskets on these although its common !!!
I believe the valley between the "V" can be a place where they can lose some water.... The condenser if its running LPG can chuck the water out and so on....
I can only think with mine now that due to a little squeek that I have got when the car is warm on idle which is coming from the auxilary belt area that there is a possibility of the water pump going????? Anyone know if these are common to go and start squeeking when they do ?!!!!

Thanks,

T.

A little water usage is OK (especially if it's running LPG) but keep an eye on it, if it starts to use more and more, then you've got a problem.

Edgie said:

Hi my 4.0 V8 Thor in my 2000 Discovery is losing a small amount of coolant, I thought I had fixed it when I spotted a few drips from the hose connecting to the LPG vaporisor, however today there is the tel tale sign on the floor that there is still a small leak. :doh:

I crawled underneath with a torch and can see that the highest point of damp is (from the bottom of the engine looking up) the front left corner of the engine around the head gasket.

1/ If the head gasket has gone surely I would get lots of steam in the exhaust and indeed a high temperature gauge, yet everything seems normal.

2/ Could it be as simple as tightening the corner of the head down a touch?

3/ Do any of you recommend additives like Barrs Leaks? bearing in mind that the Thor Engine has a different coolant than the others..

Thanks in advance

Edgie

Click to expand...

k seal or cargo seal up-at your own risk, slight pressurisation and hose leaks early hgf signs and a miss first thing next to arrive

fanatic said:

k seal or cargo seal up-at your own risk, slight pressurisation and hose leaks early hgf signs and a miss first thing next to arrive

Click to expand...

Is that a misfire your saying at the end .

any form of sealer is crap and you are just putting of what is at fault and trust me as i have a 4.0 i have just had top hat linners to and that had K seal added and has a partialy blocked rad!
only sealer i will use at a push is the irontite sealer from ebay but is is a ceramic sealer for the block not a leaking head gasket which if it is leaking should be replaced!!!!

as for the leak from the head gasket the main coolant ports are at the front and rear of the heads!and as it has blown on the external side that is why you have no extra steam from the exhaust!
the head bolts are stretch type and one tightened down do not require retightening.
you ned to change the gaskets!

I crawled underneath with a torch and can see that the highest point of damp is (from the bottom of the engine looking up) the front left corner of the engine around the head gasket

Had the same thing & it was the head gasket.....

Upon stripping down & examining the old gasket's it would have only been a few thou miles before one went completly anyway.
Was also keen to check for the dreaded liner slippage which would have meant a new block.

Other area's where I have had water leaks have been...

Throttle body, picked a complete brand new unit up off ebay for £30 although you can get the water inlet piece & a new gasket quite cheaply.
Pipes going to throttle body, had to make up pipes as LR & Rimmers said they were not avalible??

Water pump, dripping from tell tale hole whilst cooling down, replaced pump.

LPG vapouriser pipework, replaced rubber hoses with silicon...

oh and another one was to replace all those horrible cheap & nasty sprung hose clips with good quality stainless steel jubilee clips......

I've posted a very similar problem and can come to the conclusion its a top end off job and might as well do both banks at the same time.
I've still not got an answer on the type of bolts that hold the exhaust manifold on. Does anyone know ?
Sorry to highjack your thread but its all relavant

Just to let you know guys it was the water pump that was leaking, it had been noisey for ages, as soon as I took the belt off, it ****ed out!!!!!

Thanks,

T.