97 Disco new head gaskets and still leaking oil?

[archaeology_student]

Hi,

I just had my 1997 Disco blow its head gaskets and had it repaired along with a new rear main seal as it was leaking, plugs, and a new clutch. Coolant was flushed and replaced because as a temporary fix i used barsleak to get me by for a week before going into the shop. Coolant level has remained the same since returning from the shop, so no more leaks there.

With the oil consumption previously I would have to add about a jug (5 litres) of oil every two weeks, and there was no oil on the ground, but lots on the exhaust manifold and clutch.

The engine basically had the whole top end rebuilt. It was sent to shop to be machined and had new seals and gaskets everywhere. My engine bay was even cleaned up to look new so we can look for leaks after the repair.

I have had my Disco back for two weeks and it is using Motul 5w40 synthetic oil. The engine has only had 300 km on it, and I had to top up a litre and a half...

What's going on here? I occasionally see white smoke puffing out of my exhaust but no much.

Any ideas?

[pavel]

There could be a number of explanations for your oil consumption.

Assuming that no oil is leaking out, it is possible that the oil is being burned. When the engine is running and you put a cleanex over the exhaust pipe, does the paper show oil after 30 seconds?

How oily are the spark plugs?

Many people think replacing the head gaskets on an aluminum engine is simple.... they are wrong. Did you use new head bolts? Were the head bolts good quality and torqued correctly? Were the heads checked for straightness? Was there evidence of warping of the cylinder block decks? What kind of head gaskets were used?

Did you get a warranty from the shop that did the work? If so, take it back.
If you didn't get a warranty, take it back anyway.

[archaeology_student]

Originally Posted by pavel

There could be a number of explanations for your oil consumption.

Assuming that no oil is leaking out, it is possible that the oil is being burned. When the engine is running and you put a cleanex over the exhaust pipe, does the paper show oil after 30 seconds?

How oily are the spark plugs?

Many people think replacing the head gaskets on an aluminum engine is simple.... they are wrong. Did you use new head bolts? Were the head bolts good quality and torqued correctly? Were the heads checked for straightness? Was there evidence of warping of the cylinder block decks? What kind of head gaskets were used?

Did you get a warranty from the shop that did the work? If so, take it back.
If you didn't get a warranty, take it back anyway.

New head gasket bolts were used and properly torqued as I left the LR Shop manual I got from a friend who worked at a LR dealership, plugs were replaced as they were saturated, heads were re-done, head gasket was a european kit. The mechanic does not like the Chinese made aftermarket parts as they are nothing but headaches in the long run, and I was happy to hear that he prefers european made parts.

I am keeping an eye on the oil level as I had to top it up... Mechanic said to keep an eye on it, and if it is still consuming to bring it back and they will get to the bottom of it.

Very pro-active mechanic, and an acquaintance... he works on high end Audis, VWs, Mercedez, and other vehicles. He is also into off roading with his Suzuki Samurai swb.

[archaeology_student]

Well, after 600 km I was almost empty with the engine oil! I topped it to the fill line as it barely registered on the dipstick.

Top end of the engine was machined and the mechanic is calling the shop to figure out what is missing as he said my cylinder guides were non existent in the engine.

I stopped in and the mechanic noticed the PCV valve hose was not connected to the intake. I then topped the oil to the fill line on the dipstick, and drove 110 km...

Well, the exhaust stopped smoking white smoke (coolant level has not moved one millimetre), but when I got home I could smell oil around the hood and the exhaust. I checked the dipstick and it had dropped down between the 'fill line' and the 'add more oil' line. I crawled around on top of the engine and underneath but see no leaks...

Any ideas? I will be taking it to him on Wednesday and he will look over everything done and check for leaks and re-test compression again.

Cheers

P.s.,

Just trying to be a proactive owner and customer