VERY ACCURATE on the coolant leaking situation, as I am down to the head gasket part, all the sympton are just like mine, start up will loose a little coolant few weeks, then start to loose more.
Then heard the water running thing when start the car, and this can be explain, as the cooling system start from the radiator, to the water pump, then up the block to the cylinder head and pass through the valley gasket UP to the intake and out and back to the radiator. As water leaks out of the head gasket or the valley gasket, the there is no more water in the intake's, as the water is being leak out and can only be fill up to the valley gasket. So each time when we start the car, the water pump will start pumping the water up into the emptied space, we hear the water rushing like a river.
And up to a point, the air in the intake where the water suppose to be will become a huge air lock and no water can cycle through the system. And with the intake being dry, that ruin the themostat as well.
To be honest, this is a old design engine, the cooling system had to passs through so many gastket. Plus because of emission control, those engine are runing at a higher temperature then it is design for, as higher temperature fuel burns better, and todays ECU makes the engine run with the lease amount of fuel, that is not good for cooling neither. With the above 2 factors, those engine are really running on its edge, and must pay real good attention to it.
Plus, so badly design of putting parts under the hood I think the coolant resever tank is at a bad position, it should be mount at a higher position, at least higher that the intake, so the extra coolant can be flow down to fill the air pocket in the engine, intake, radiator.
As LR just assemble the parts into the engine bay, most of those things are in a strange place,(1) you want to take out the themostat, that is a pain in the ass job when comparing the same task with other cars.
(2) they should design the bracket for steering pump, A/C pump, Alternator, to be mount on the block rather than the engine head.
When you want to take out the steering pump hold by 3 bolts, 2 can be taken out easily, but one is block by the distubutor, so more things need to be taken out.
And yes, I still love my disco, it is a great truck.
Then heard the water running thing when start the car, and this can be explain, as the cooling system start from the radiator, to the water pump, then up the block to the cylinder head and pass through the valley gasket UP to the intake and out and back to the radiator. As water leaks out of the head gasket or the valley gasket, the there is no more water in the intake's, as the water is being leak out and can only be fill up to the valley gasket. So each time when we start the car, the water pump will start pumping the water up into the emptied space, we hear the water rushing like a river.
And up to a point, the air in the intake where the water suppose to be will become a huge air lock and no water can cycle through the system. And with the intake being dry, that ruin the themostat as well.
To be honest, this is a old design engine, the cooling system had to passs through so many gastket. Plus because of emission control, those engine are runing at a higher temperature then it is design for, as higher temperature fuel burns better, and todays ECU makes the engine run with the lease amount of fuel, that is not good for cooling neither. With the above 2 factors, those engine are really running on its edge, and must pay real good attention to it.
Plus, so badly design of putting parts under the hood I think the coolant resever tank is at a bad position, it should be mount at a higher position, at least higher that the intake, so the extra coolant can be flow down to fill the air pocket in the engine, intake, radiator.
As LR just assemble the parts into the engine bay, most of those things are in a strange place,(1) you want to take out the themostat, that is a pain in the ass job when comparing the same task with other cars.
(2) they should design the bracket for steering pump, A/C pump, Alternator, to be mount on the block rather than the engine head.
When you want to take out the steering pump hold by 3 bolts, 2 can be taken out easily, but one is block by the distubutor, so more things need to be taken out.
And yes, I still love my disco, it is a great truck.
atriot:
