Freelander 1 V6 Engine Replacement

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QUOTE="Nodge68, post: 3692682, member: 79035"]Powerful and economical with reliability that wasn't any worse than the Vauxhall engines of the time. At least the K series didn't suffer the timing belt issues that the Vauxhall engine did. I'm a great fan of the K series.[/QUOTE]

Very true, vauxhall isn't that economical either i only managed 28mpg in my astra I had, ford 1800 zetec was very reliable if you use the correct oil to stop the sticky vale syndrome and on a par with the K 16 for economy only hampered by the larger mondeo's body weight, far better in the focus but it was a boring engine unless you dropped the 2.0 cams in it to wake it up( there semi-fast road as standard) , K series far more fun from the off, sounds great with a cheap cone filter too :D
 
Hi Everyone,

After two days of rain I've managed to get out to have a look at the Freelander today. I removed the cover and looked in through the gap like some of you said. There water sitting in the 'V' already so I turned the engine over to see where it's coming from. Seems to be from a black domed type housing. As the engine gets hotter more and more water gushes out from it.

Is this the thermo housing you guys were talking about?



As you can hear, the engine is knocking every now and again.

When I was looking over the inlet manifold, there seems to be more connections than I was expecting!:( Gonna be a pain to take it off me thinks!

There were also a few dodgy looking connections (see the following pics). Looks like the plastic insert nib has broken leaving this pipe literally pressing together.. Not sure if it makes a huge difference. There is nothing leaking from it. Just a bit of crud around the end.

IMG_7791.JPG IMG_7797.JPG
 
Never, repeat never, run a V6 with low coolant or poor circulation. They can boil to death far quicker than a lobster!
 
Cool! Thanks David. I just came across this video... Looks very thorough! Watching it now. The guy says every 105K miles the vehicle will need a coolant hose and thermostat service.. Mine just hit 111K miles!

Wondering should I do the job and see how long it lasts before the head gasket finally stop things? Could be as long as piece of string but the way it's knocking, maybe the internal pressure that is building up will find somewhere else to blow from!

I've tracked down a replacement engine. 88K miles. From a 2002. £325 including the inlet manifold and ECU. I have to get it pallet freighted to me which will cost £55. So a good price I think. I don't know what I should try first? Change the thermo and piping and see how long it lasts and keep the replacement engine in storage ready to go or just put it straight in? Hmmm.
 
And don't worry, I've been keeping a hawk eye on the coolant level. Even before this happened I was checking it before and after every short trip. I ran the engine for around 10 mins whilst making the video and have topped it up again before I left it.
 
Are you 100% on the HG?
Do the stat, then you will get some experience on the V6 strip and build and what's the worst that can happen when you have a new engine on the way?
 
Yeah you're right. If I make a complete pigs ear out of it at least I'll have a replacement on the way. My existing inlet manifold needs replacing too. It's making (and has made it since I've had the car) that annoying ticking noise which gets faster and louder the more you rev the engine. So I'm pleased the replacement engine will come with one. And also the ECU. I've read somewhere that when you replace engines, it's best to have the matching ECU so as not to encounter further issues?
 
The guy on the video (from British Atlantic) says the coolant hose and thermo service is a 3-4 hour job. Will prob take me 20 hours by the time I stop / start watching the instructions! haha.
 
There is a lot to remove...
Personally I would follow Rave. Keep all the bits you take off together and I strongly recommend taking photos of each part before you remove it so you have a reference for what goes where!
 
My main concern is because I'm a novice, if it were just a case of removal and re-fit then that is fine but if anything related is broken or cracked, etc and I don't see it because I don't know what I'm looking for, once it's re-built I could run into problems. Wondering if I should just get a professional to do it this time? Gonna ring Foundry 4x4 for a price on that kit..
 
The thermostat change is about a 2 hour job, if you know what you are doing. 4 hours is playing really safe for someone who has done it a few times. There's nothing complex about it and it looks more daunting than it actually is. The front fuel rail needs disconnecting from the rear rail. There's 3 injector plugs to remove and 3 coil plugs to remove too. The harness can then be moved aside. Depending on the year, there may be the air pipes for the air assisted injectors to disconnect and the breather pipes. The thermostat it's self is secured by one bolt and sealed into the block with O rings. I've got many pictures of thermostat changes which I'll post when I get to my laptop ;)
 
Thanks Nodge.You make it sound really easy when you say it like that! I'll look forward to seeing your thermo change pics.

David, what is that 'Rave' thing you mentioned?

I'm waiting for a call back from the parts supplier. I also called two local garages - one quoted £170 plus vat and that was open ended and the other quoted me £230 inc vat and that was a fixed price. Thats labour only! Seems too steep to me for a 2-3 hour job. I think I'll have to have a go myself and take my time. I would hate to spend all that money if I do end up having to change the engine soon after.

Why is it garages seem to be scared of these vehicles? I can think of scarier / more complicated ones to work on!

Right.. better carry on watching that step-by-step video courtesy of British Atlantic...
 
I have a feeling that garages don't like working on K series engines. I suspect it's a concern about it going bang not long after it's been looked at. Obviously the garage wouldn't want the tab if this were to happen. There's nothing scary about the K series 4 or 6 cylinder. It's an engine, and a good one at that.
It's such a shame you are miles from me. I could show you the best and easiest way to complete a stat change. ;)
 
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