My D2 Project
- Thread starter PhD_Polymath
- Start date
Fivespddisco
Supporting Sponsor
The truck has been sitting for a bit. It may be a seized caliper.
PhD_Polymath
Observer
It turned out being the front diff third member. When refreshing fluids throughout the truck, I found a roll pin attached to the drain plug on the front diff and lots of metal paste. Lucky8 hooked me up with a used one as a replacement for very cheap. Thanks again, guys!
On another note, the driver's side head gasket blew again after about 2000 miles by the rear cylinder. After doing a flanged liner rebuild, I am not happy to say the least. It could totally be my fault during the rebuild. I had a shop install the liners and do all the honing, etc. I used ARP studs and look forward to doing another head gasket job on it. I thought the nuts on the head studs may be loose, but a quick torque check on some on the offending head checked out with the recommended torque. Maybe I should just replace the heads? The shop said they checked for flatness, but the deck side of the heads were still not that clean when I picked them up after they did their work...
getlost4x4
Expedition Leader
sounds like you need to have the heads machined flat.
i didn't have mine done when my headgasket blew. but I never overheated the engine. 10K miles after the headgasket replacement, I haven't had any issues. I used new torque to yield headbolts as well. So far my only issue is a ticking coming from the exhaust somewhere around the catalytic converter. The should be solved today at the exhaust shop when those pesky clogged things are removed.
i didn't have mine done when my headgasket blew. but I never overheated the engine. 10K miles after the headgasket replacement, I haven't had any issues. I used new torque to yield headbolts as well. So far my only issue is a ticking coming from the exhaust somewhere around the catalytic converter. The should be solved today at the exhaust shop when those pesky clogged things are removed.
Red flag on shop.
I use 3M Roloc Bristle Disc to clean surfaces. Yellow and White for Al heads.
Clean then measure.
My manifold to y pipe nuts/studs come loose a lot, so I just crawl under and retighten.
PhD_Polymath
Observer
I was not particularly happy to have dirty gasket surfaces on the heads after paying about $2000 for machine work. You could clearly see the combustion chamber charcoal rings on the heads when I picked them up. I plan to use another machine shop when I pull the heads soon and tell them to skim the heads clean regardless of how flat they state they are. I have never overheated the truck under my care, but could still see the heads being warped by a previous owner. Also, it is not possible to clearly establish the flatness of something as precision as a cylinder head gasket surface when the gasket surface is dirty. there must have been at least a few thousandths of an inch of soot remaining.
I just did a top hat on my engine. I ordered the sleeves from turner in England (they hold a Patton on the stock sleeves), they ran about 650 US dollars and then had a local machine shop place them for 1500 in the block. Put all back together and is running fine. It is a 2003 disco.
PhD_Polymath
Observer
Thanks for the tip. I also ordered the Darton sleeves from Turner in England (the ones with both the flange at the top and the o-ring seal near the bottom). A local machine shop installed them and I ended up with an $1800 machining bill. 2000 miles later and I already see coolant leaking from the driver's side head gasket. I had to take a break from messing with the truck as I had become so frustrated. Now I am ready to tear down the block again and pay another shop to mill the heads flat.
PhD_Polymath
Observer
D2 Engine Rebuild Part 2
Once again, it has been quite awhile since I have updated about my project of getting a stock D2 sorted. I rebuilt the engine for a second time, using a different machine shop. I had the heads milled flat and a valve job done. The block deck was milled flat this time (the last shop just used a sanding block and it was not flat). I put in a Crower '229 cam and new lifters from D&D Machining in. I rebuild the rocker arms and rails. All new bearings and gaskets. So on and so forth. This time, the truck is running great with no issues. I have logged a little over 500 miles in the 3 weeks since I finished it. I guess this is where the thread should have actually began. At this point, I have the most money sunk into a stock D2 of anyone I know. What would it hurt to keep throwing money at it for improvements?:sombrero:
Once again, it has been quite awhile since I have updated about my project of getting a stock D2 sorted. I rebuilt the engine for a second time, using a different machine shop. I had the heads milled flat and a valve job done. The block deck was milled flat this time (the last shop just used a sanding block and it was not flat). I put in a Crower '229 cam and new lifters from D&D Machining in. I rebuild the rocker arms and rails. All new bearings and gaskets. So on and so forth. This time, the truck is running great with no issues. I have logged a little over 500 miles in the 3 weeks since I finished it. I guess this is where the thread should have actually began. At this point, I have the most money sunk into a stock D2 of anyone I know. What would it hurt to keep throwing money at it for improvements?:sombrero: