Looking at the state if those dowels, I'd say your head has definitely "moved". As far as I'm aware, that's enough to cause the coolant loss issues you've experienced.

So what happened? Did you burn it or fix it?

A mate seems to be having his D3 V8 repaired every other month. Wheel bearings, wishbones, bushes, etc., and repeat failures! He has his mate, a professional mechanic, do his work for him. His brother-in-law has one too, and spends an absolute fortune on it; always somethin wrong. Another...

Now that the novelty of continuous maintenance and repair of my Discovery 2 is wearing thin, I am toying with the idea of a Disco 3 (or 4 if I can afford it). My instincts are telling me this might be a very stupid idea, since everyone I know who has a Disco 3, have had to open a vein to pay the...

Hmmm, sorry, just seen this. As I recall from doing mine, I had no issue fitting the replacement dowels. Mine all came from Turners. Specs and tolerances make a world of difference. As for the plastic/steel dowel debate (?), it seems to me that the common head gasket fault resulting in lost...

10P or 15P engine? I changed my gasket (10P) with kit from Turners. Came with replacement dowels and everything fitted niceley. Did you replace the head bolts too or reuse the old ones? Do you have the correct head for the block? Rave is quite clear that heads cannot be skimmed. It has case...

Well, according to my workshop manual, I should have white/purple springs on my 2000 d2 td5. Can't find that chart for winch uprated springs and don't see white/purple in the posted copy. Manual says they are 7.6 turns and 15", so nothing matching up. Anyone know the correct ones I should get...

Ahha, need to work out which ones I should put on. Thanks for pointing that out.

Doesn't look sat down but the extra weight has obviously made a difference. I'll have to have a thorough check of the whole steering system. Maybe new springs, dampers, bushes, etc.

So, having recently fitted a nice heavy winch bumper to the front of my 2000 Td5, maybe predictably, the steering now seems imprecise and wanders. I have General Grabber 255 65 16 AT2s on it too. My question is, what should I look at first in order to improve the steering as it really feels...

Only just seen this. Hope you got it sorted. I cut my own steel from a sheet using angle grinder and cutting disc. Shaped to fit removed section. As for positioning, I used whatever reference points I could find and made up a template before cutting out. The template could be taped in place when...

Well, I took you at your word...or rather, absence of them, and went ahead. Apart from the struggle to undo the hub nut, and persuade the hub to part company with its holder, it went ok. New MOT and a compliment on having "made a good job of it".

Is it a straightforward job to replace a CV boot, or is there anything I need to know before I start? :)

I'm keeping my clothes on thanks very much!

Didn't empty the tank Sierrafery; I sealed it with a bit of polythene before undoing the block and banjos to stop it flowing out. I then topped up the tank before running the engine and again as the level dropped down as it filled up the new pipes. I swerved the f*** out of it on test drive and...

I really wish I hadn't seen that photo!

So, all looking good, no leaks now. Down off the stands and topped up fluid, ready for a swerving test drive. Now would you believe it, bloody brake line has burst! Brake fluid all over the drive now. Seems I must have pulled on the brake line getting the ACE pipe in place. My own fault for not...

Just finished fitting replacement rear ACE pipes as they had corroded through (another common problem). What an absolute bastard of a job! No doubt on a lift in a well equipped garage, this is a fairly straightforward job, but on axle stands on a sloping driveway, I can tell you, it is not! Took...

Heater matrix leaking coolant? The other place that fills with water is the gulley below the screen. Raise your bonnet and take a look (where the bonnet hinges are). I believe water can ingress from there too.

Whenever this question/ issue comes up, it seems that the bleeding obvious is always overlooked; i.e., that the drains are at the front of the frame. It is therefore fairly obvious the the vehicle will need to be parked facing downhill for water to run away. Water doesn't flow uphill! I have...