Smokydiesel Posted March 5, 2012 Share Posted March 5, 2012 Hi, Bought a Defender that is fitted with a 1980's ex SD1 V8 engine. It's low on power, uses oil and it pressurises the coolant-system..... So what's the verdict you think ?? Thanks ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phillis Posted March 5, 2012 Share Posted March 5, 2012 replace with a squirted 4.6 v8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuck Posted March 5, 2012 Share Posted March 5, 2012 Sorry to say this but it sounds shagged. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vulcan bomber Posted March 5, 2012 Share Posted March 5, 2012 something simple like a head gasket?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quagmire Posted March 5, 2012 Share Posted March 5, 2012 Could be down on power due to a worn cam (change, with new followers too), or simply being well out of tune. And the pressurised coolant will be as vulcan bomber says possible head gasket- also not helping things in the power department. Really, the only way to check is to take it apart and have a look. Before you go to all that trouble though a few things first: Does it actually burn oil? (blue exhaust smoke) Or just leak it? What is oil pressure like (hot and cold) Try pulling plug leads one by one with it running until you find the one that makes no difference to the running of the engine. That will locate the problem (or at least one of the problems) Have you pulled plugs and checked what they look like? My Dad's 110 had head gasket failure between the coolant gallery and pot 1 near dizzy- the spark plug was consequently wet after being turned over and this pot did not fire well at all. The plug itself had very light surface rust too. What are compression test readings like on all pots? (should all be fairly similar to each other) If it is head gasket failure, once you have located which bank has the problem you can whip the head off and check things properly, and take a peek at the condition of the cam while your at it too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smokydiesel Posted March 6, 2012 Author Share Posted March 6, 2012 Could be down on power due to a worn cam (change, with new followers too), or simply being well out of tune. And the pressurised coolant will be as vulcan bomber says possible head gasket- also not helping things in the power department. Really, the only way to check is to take it apart and have a look. If it is head gasket failure, once you have located which bank has the problem you can whip the head off and check things properly, and take a peek at the condition of the cam while your at it too. Thanks for all your replies ! It isn't leaking oil but I also can't see any blue smoke....just a bit of white when it's cold... Haven't checked oil pressure, sparks or compression because I bought it 2 days ago, but will do so !! Thanks ! Edwin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FridgeFreezer Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 Given that a decent running 3.5 V8 is peanuts it's not the end of the world and probably not worth spending money on fixing if it's got issues. Even a nice 3.9 shouldn't set you back more than £250. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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