Pete, if you suspect that the pan is bent, then a generous bead of sealant and torque it to 1/4 of what it should be, let it go off and then torque it down to what they say, that way you make a decent thickness gasket and then put it under compression, rather than just squeezing it all out first go....  Pete

__________________________________________________
2014 L405 Autobiography SDV8 4.4 Loire Blue Ebony interior
2011 L322 Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8 Baltic Blue. Parchment over Navy Interior. Sold
2012 L322 Autobiography 5.0 Supercharged Ipanema Sand, Jet Interior. Sold
2002 L322 Vogue 4.4 V8 Epson Green, Ivory over Aspen Interior (Fatty Offroader) Sold
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Hi Pete
Yep got that thanks. The Pertex ultra grey silicon reads good. It's tensile strength is good and temp range and it is impervious to most things but not petrol.
What was interesting is the new stuff "THE RIGHT STUFF" reads good but of course they are selling it. However it is used by quite a few of the the Jap car makers. " wish they had made the Landy !!!!!"
It would seem that that the Right Stuuf is good to be fully torqued down straight from the tube.
Anyway I have decided to bite the bullet and get back to honing my gyno skills under the bonnet again.
Keep you posted, good or bad.
Cheers for all your support chaps. Eddie the eagle watch out 👀

Here is a M60 valley pan gasket. It has some sealant on it. I assume a form of RTV. I think when it is time to do my VP I will try the M60 gasket with an additional smear of another RTV. None of this will last forever. Hopefully find a way to just make last longer.

Morning all
Thanks for the image.
I was looking for a sealant of a reinforced nature, which coincidentally they do make one "LOL" It's for the building trade. But I didn't think it would be appt for the VP gasket as it was a type of reinforced cement !
Here endeth the misunderstanding .
From your picture it looks as though it would need a little more sealant on that corner. Would I correct in thinking that the M60 VP gasket will fit the M62 without modification? That is apart from some more sealant.
Do you have a part number by any chance. Eddie the eagle watch out 👀

I have ordered all the genuine parts to tackle the valley pan replacement next week from Dan at Duckworths. I will document my entire process as always and make a guide available on here and on my website www.myrangerover.co.uk

Matt Current
2012 Range Rover 5.0L SC Ultimate Edition
2012 Range Rover 4.4L TDV8 Autobiography
2010 Range Rover 3.6L TDV8 Autobiography
2003 Range Rover 4.4L V8 Bespoke Vehicle

Inventor of the retro fit paddle shift and many other modifications.
Creator of the custom 2010+ RR MK4 splash screen.
Creator of the Range Rover CarPC and lots more!

Founder of Range Rover Owner
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11141736175 part number for m60 VP gasket.

Well onward and downwards.
After doing a full compression test on the car I think my worst fears are realised.
O/S "bank one"
1=155 dry 160 oiled
2=148 dry 155 oiled
3=148 dry 155 oiled
4= 150dry 155 oiled

N/S "bank two
5=150 dry 155 oiled
6=120 dry 130 oiled
7=120 dry 130 oiled
8=150 dry 155 oiled
It sounds as though you can hear the blow between the number six and seven when testing almost sounds like a rasping sound.
If it's also blowing into the cooling system that would explain a fair few other things.
I really should have known better but I bought the car for peanuts with a leaking water pump and white rad seal residue all over the place. Also a gearbox overheat problem.
So I set to and changed the following items:
New rad
Waterpump
Thermostat 80deg convention
Oil cooler and thermostat
Coolant hoses
Drive belts.
Tensioner pulleys
Had the gearbox flushed at Maltings and new filters changed the gear selector switch and that sorted the gearbox problems.
It has been running pretty good for twelve months now. Until recently when it developed a pinking sound which a local Indy said was a loose knock sensor.
So to get to that it was a case of stripping off the inlet manifold, rear coolant manifold as I didn't want to start stripping the new waterpump off. Cross flow coolant pipes. After reading the horror stories about the valley pan I thought I would change that gasket while I was there. Also while I was at it, stripping the valve covers off and re sealing them also.
and that about brings us up to date with my tail. Which is now well and truely tucked between my legs.
Help please!!! Need some good advice on best course of action from here. Hopefully it's not the bores but I don't have a bore scope to check. So without taking the head off and I must admit the VANOS and cam chains worry me as I have never worked on that side of this engine before. An
Is there any one out there that's done the heads and would be prepaired to talk me through it. Eddie the eagle watch out 👀

Last edited by Pepi on 7th Aug 2016 4:26pm. Edited 1 time in total

Because you have 2 adjacent cylinders low I'd suspect head gasket. Compression should go up with oil test if its rings and won't with bad valves or head gasket. Its possible to have 2 cylnders with bad valves but not that often. Here in the U.S there is Thermagasket head gasket sealer. Seen it work very well. I'd spend the $50 and do that first. Then i'd use Restore engine treatment and see if overall compression improves. It also has great reviews and doesn't cost much. Now if you are planning to do timing chains or vanos might as well pull the head and see.

It does look more like a head gasket blow between cylinders. Are you getting any coolant contamination? Maybe white engine oil? I think you can buy a tool to pressurise the bore, at its top of stroke, through the spark plug, and see it compression-leaking to next bore....I think I was told about this, but might be worth looking for, as it only going to be a special spark plug, with a shraeder valve. But, to get the next bore to be sealed, you would need to have the camshaft off. Or observe the pressure out of inlet/exhaust throat with say fag paper in fingers. (Old school)
To get the head off, you really need the 'm62 vanos timing locking kit' I bought a set when I did my chain tensioner so, as they all are let loose, Ie, they are not in chain-mesh...
I still have my set, it cost me £400, but I have seen sets in a red box, (mine is blue) going on eBay, for £150, and you can always sell it after.
If you are sure you are going to keep the car, it would be worth considering doing both gaskets, and maybe if you fancy it, the tensioner/chain/guides x3, too. (Around £200 in original parts) .
I did the whole guides job, and vanos seals.
There is a very good write up showing the chain guides job search for e39 vanos repair procedure

That makes sense Pete, that'l be why it's pinking, one cylinder upping the pressure in the other cylinder at the wrong time... result... pinking, will confuse the hell out of the engine ECU as it tries to retard the ignition....

Cylinder head gaskets will just be time, nothing difficult if you get the kit Johnboy is talking about, as he says, do the lot and it's done for another 150,000...

I imagine it's as a result of the clogged rad that you bought it with, some folk just ignore symptoms and keep driving...

Other option is a second hand engine..... Pete

__________________________________________________
2014 L405 Autobiography SDV8 4.4 Loire Blue Ebony interior
2011 L322 Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8 Baltic Blue. Parchment over Navy Interior. Sold
2012 L322 Autobiography 5.0 Supercharged Ipanema Sand, Jet Interior. Sold
2002 L322 Vogue 4.4 V8 Epson Green, Ivory over Aspen Interior (Fatty Offroader) Sold
-Click for Project Fatty off roader-

Hi all nocturnal Neddy hear. I am feeling a real donky. I bought it knowing what could be on the cards. Took the gamble and came unstuck. Thought I had got it sorted though. The darn car just gave me long enough to get hooked on it.
I am a little nervous about pulling the head.although I have done dozens of older cars heads in the past. I have a bit trepidation about the VANOS system as I have never worked on one before. I understand that Maltings will hire the cam locker if you buy the gear from them. Now my eyes have dryed a little I will have another look at RAVE.
Morally I could not stick a sealer in it and sell her.
I have seen the pressure test attachment but I think it will only tell me the same bad news. It's going to be one of three thing which all involve taking the heads off as a minimum. There is no sign of water in the oil but looking at the new coolant it looks, well a little suspicious. Think I can detect what looks a little like some sort of Ingres of a fine coppery dust has contaminated the system. Now when I bought it some one had put some type rad seal in the system but since then the system has been drain several times flushes have chemically properly claned out and new Rad, new gearbox oil cooler, new hoses and waterpump and thermostat.
The only thing I can think of is that it is off the gasket sealant from the failed valley pan repair I did.
I think my best course of action would be to VOR it and settle in to doing the job properly. and at my own slow pace. As and when I feel up to it. As I cant get in the garage for old bangers and my absent sons boats the job will have to be done outside, but summer is on the doorstep. So if the job takes a little longer than expected I should have a tan at the end of it.
Hope you will stay with me on this. I get the feeling I may need your input along the line.
Once again many thanks all.
Pete
PS: the Rave is normally pretty accurate on instructions. But what do I a actually need to take off?!
Not for the tan. The cars already got my shirt. Eddie the eagle watch out 👀

Last edited by Pepi on 7th Aug 2016 4:32pm. Edited 3 times in total

I'm not a fan of additives but Thermaseal is an excellent product. Check out Youtube. Look at their web site. No I don't work for them. Seen it work great for a friends Astrovan. But if you are up for the challange of the teardown and the satisfaction of getting through it then go for it.
Also compression seems to be between 170 and 203. I'm finding slightly different ranges depending the source and i can't find it in the RAVE.

Hi looks good. How bad was the gasket on you mates Astro? Is it still holding OK and what sort of service has it done since the fix? To
I suppose it may just prove that it is the gasket. But I would still be knacked if it's the valves or the Bore linings or rings.
Must admit I would have to be very unlucky for two adjacent cylinders to be down whithout it being a gasket.
I will have to strip the valley pan off and reseat that so I am presuming that will be about a third of the way to the head removal.
Or am I dreaming?!!
One thing that is really worrying me is the I think they call it Alusil or Nikosil not sure of the spelling but I understand that it is a friction reducing coating on the bores that can disintegrate for very little reason at around 120,000 + miles.
Anyone know much about it?
If the info you have on compressions is right the I have a big problem.
All my compressions are 160 or below! That means that ether the Comprsion test is reading lower than it should be. Or that the engine is knacked. Eddie the eagle watch out 👀

Getting down to the VP is one thing. Removing everything to pull a head is twice that plus. Again if your timing chains and guides are good for now i'd hate to have to pull all that to do a head gasket if there is an alternative. Alusil for the M62. No worries unless the Rover was fed lots of high sulfer fuel. From what i have read - was going to buy a 98 XK8- the rings go on Nikasil or Alusil engines well before the bore gives out ASSUMING it was well cared for.
As far as i know the Astrovan is still going with its new owner. Had added 75k before its new owner. It was blowing a bit of white smoke out the tail and overheating before treatment. Nothing after treatment. There is a youtube video where they show in real time how fast it seals. I have half a treatment (2 parts) left and would send them to you but it has a shelf life of 6 months IIRC and that passed 2 yrs ago. I called the company to ask questions like "what about later when i do want to change the head gasket?" They said no problem. If it was my RR i'd seal the gasket and retest compression and run it for a while. See how it runs. Watch the miles per gallon. 150 can be good enough. Then try the Restore or whatever they market it as over there. I believe the Thermaseal is guaranteed. Could save you lots of time, money and headache. If it doesn't work you get most of your money back.

How did you do the compression check, you should remove all the leads to the plugs, take out one plug at a time, insert the tester and crank it over with a wide open throttle, if you don't have a WOT when testing it could be a long way out, maybe even 30psi....

Those two low ones indicate a blown gasket between cylinders, it doesn't have to be blown between a cylinder and the water jacket as well, so coolant maybe fine, AFAIK the quick fix additives go in the coolant... not much use in your case... Pete

__________________________________________________
2014 L405 Autobiography SDV8 4.4 Loire Blue Ebony interior
2011 L322 Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8 Baltic Blue. Parchment over Navy Interior. Sold
2012 L322 Autobiography 5.0 Supercharged Ipanema Sand, Jet Interior. Sold
2002 L322 Vogue 4.4 V8 Epson Green, Ivory over Aspen Interior (Fatty Offroader) Sold
-Click for Project Fatty off roader-