Possible New Disco...

[01001010]

So I think I may have found a new Discovery that fits the bill. It has a 3.9 that has overheated. Owner says it turns on and runs, still. What's the worst case scenario here? Slightly Warped heads?

[Joey4420]

Worst case on an overheated 3.9.... needs new heads and re-sleeved, new radiator. or just buy a new engine... about the same cost.

[Paul Grant]

The problem with an engine that was "overheated" by the previous owner is that you really have no idea what the events were leading up to and through the overheating problem. I can't tell you how many Rover motors I have thrown away because the engine 'overheated." A previous owner can tell you anything ranging from "it just got a little into the red" to "I drove it to the next exit before I stopped" to "I drove it only on short trips."

I bought a '94 RRC from a guy who only worked a few miles from home. So, every day he drove the truck to work armed with a gallon of antifreeze. By the time his shift was done the engine had cooled down and he drove home. Needless to say, that block was terminally damaged. The number 7 and 8 sleeves had both slipped from the repeated overheating and cooling cycle.

The other problem with buying an engine that has "overheated" is there is no way (especially with an aluminum engine) that you can diagnose the extent of the problem without rolling the dice. You can pull the heads and see a compromises gasket but there is no way of knowing if there is damage to one of the water jackets in the block internally. Maybe you can see a cylinder sleeve that appears to have dropped. That is not always the case. You could conceivably tear down the engine, strip the block and have it pressure tested. All may be good until the aluminum expands under normal operating temps and then the problem reoccurs.

This is why so may Rovers that have "overheated" get sold for such short money. A '95 isn't worth more than $500 in that condition because there are too many unknowns.