V8 dies then takes ages to restart - head gasket?

Running a 3.9l v8 (could be a 3.5 i don't know how to check) ran it very hot last week after losing the alternator pulley (whoops). Fitted a replacement alternator and topped thye coolant up and took it for a spin. Took a while to start then ran ok until i got to a junction when it died. took an absolute age to start then again ran ok.

I wondered whether water from a head gasket breach was getting in the bores making it difficult to start, but when it was running it was ok to keep running?

no oil in the water, no water in the oil

There were no clouds of steam out of the exhaust either which sort of messes up my theory, any hints and tips or other things to check before before i set about taking it apart?

have a look down yer filler neck fer bubbles when it running

thanks slob, i checked and it seems fine.

I have had all the plugs out and they were black and sooty but not wet / oily or washed clean by super heated water.

i have the rocker covers off as well and no emulsified oil in there.

you haeve checked the fuel delivery?

done a compression check?

fuel delivery is fine, i had heard that these 3.9s suffer from vaporisation but i don't have a compression tester so cant test that....

how do yer know if its fine?

have yer got a gauge? just because yer got fuel coming up dint mean its flowing fast enough nor with enough pressure.


it could even be crap in the tank getting picked up onto the mesh filter on the pick up, this will become blocked and yer injun dies. without vacuum of the pump to hold the crap in place it drops off and allows fuel to flow again then it blocks ones more etc.

but as am not sure what fuel system yer have this could all be bollocks

weirdly after various bits of cleaning it started ok today and managed 4 hours of off roading, stayed cool as well. If it wasn't for the snapped halfshafts it would have gone on longer.....was a great day though