Watchdog article

[JamesRoy]

Hi

Im new to this site, also relatively new to Freelanders having bought my first one in May of this year. 34k 1999 Black 3 door XEi purchased from main dealer. Love the car and fairly happy with it but have had some problems (fuel pump) which has led me to look on the net and see other reported reliability problems.

Did anyone see the Watchdog article on BBC the other week? (http://www.bbc.co.uk/watchdog/reports/report_20031021.shtml) - was reporting that there is a 'fault' in the head gasket of the Rover K-series engines. I have heard of other Freelanders having head gasket failure.

How many others have experienced this problem?

[timbott]

Hello all, this is my first post in the Freelander section, I am usually found in the more basic parts of these forums:yay:

Anyway, on the subject of headgaskets, yep the k-series engine is reknown for blowing them, the wife's Rover 200 did it a couple of months ago:Cross: (I didn't even know the Freelander had a k-series until I bought the new gasket and it was printed on the label!).

You hear of all these silly telephone number prices from dealerships to fit a new gasket, forget it. The gasket costs £30 (use a genuine one) get your tools out and spend a steady day doing the job. Well that's what I did on the Rover 200, unless Freelanders have some complications a simple chap like me is incapable of comprehending:goofylook

It would be wise to check the cylinder head for warping too, but I must admit I didn't bother but the 200 is only a cheapo run about not a "pride and joy":yay:

cheers, Tim

[bucko]

Interesting thoughts timbott, am just about to buy a 1.8 k engined 1999 5dr freelander and have heard about an improved head gasket?? wondering if i might take on the task to stop the gasket blowing before it does and takes out the engine!
Thoughts????
Sounds a big job just in case though:behead:

[Lighting90]

Tim, how did you manage not to disturb the timing of the engine?
I was looking at the hanyes manual, and it seems to suggest you had to lock the engine in position, before undoing the engine bolts, or it would loose the timing, causing possible major problems?

I know it says use a special Rover tool, but I assume that means a large screw driver or a broken spanner... :p

[timbott]

There is a special tool I believe to lock the 2 camshafts in sync with one another but I didn't bother as there are idiot proof timing marks on the camshaft drive pully wheels, just note it down before dismantling:icecube:

As for the bottom half of the engine, I just made damn sure it didn't move whilst the head was off. Everything seemed to go back together OK, I spun the engine on the starter minus the ignition leads before "going for it"

I'm driving it from Derby to Worcester and back tomorrow night so if you never hear from me again you will know not to take any notice of this post:p

cheers, Tim

PS. The above is from experience on a Rover 200SLi J-reg so things may be different on newer stuff so don't blame me when your engine lunches itself:dunno1:

[timbott]

bucko

I don't know anything about a new improved gasket - tell me more:yay:

I have only ever done 3 head gaskets in my life, and only one of them was a k series, and that was on a j reg Rover 200 so I ain't no authority on the subject:goofylook

I keep seeing older Rovers (200s, 400s etc) which look pretty good, my local scrappers is full of 'em, "stopped". I reckon that bloody head gasket on the k-series has committed many a good motor to the grave.

cheers, Tim

[Lighting90]

I have been told that the best way to stop the head gasket from failing is to regular check the tightness of the bolts using a torque wrench set as per the setting listed in the haunes manual, as with them running all the way through the engine, they stretch over time. Only snag is, the bolts require to be replaced once they have stretched over a certain length.
The regualr part I am not sure about, one sorce said every 20,000 miles or so, and another said every 40,000 miles or so.

[timbott]

I measured the bolts when I did the gasket and they were so far within limit I find it difficult to believe it is possible to stretch a bolt that much without snapping it to get it out of the acceptible limit.

I did a gasket on a diesel engine once after a so called "skilled bloke????" had already tried twice and failed. I had a word with an ace engine man I know locally and the first thing he asked was - "did he use new bolts" - errrrrrrm - no (I won't tell you what he described him as at that point:Countdown )

Apparently peogeot (spelt wrong? crap anyway!) have single use stretch bolts and this tw*t had re-used the old bolts and the gaskets kept on blowing:Cross:

Lighting90 I have never heard of the re-torqueing business at regular intervals but it does seem to make sense:yay:

cheers, Tim

[JamesRoy]

Anyone see watchdog again tonight? Sounds like LR doing th ehonerable thing. Personally Im fed up with the doom and gloom spread around about the Freelander - love mine!

[bucko]

Didn't see the watchdog program but looked at their site, and it is good news.
Fed up with the bad stories too JamesRoy, but i suppose when there running fine were out driving the bloomin' things not sat at home writing about them!!

Just starting to love em!

Anyone want to buy a Daihatsu Fourtrak 2.8 TDX 1994 Independant - In Surrey London ish??