After 3 months and 8 days, and a lot of investigative work, I finally got the Freelander back from the garage on 13th January 2022. It was a relief on many levels, primarily because I now have a vehicle and do not have to keep borrowing other peoples!
The best news was that is was actually not the Head Gasket. It was, in fact, the Oil Cooler which was allowing water into the engine. The 4 years of not being driven also meant many other things needed replacing, including the Turbo and Alternator. A lot of other bolts, seals, bearings, mountings, sensors, filters and glow plugs were also renewed. The cost of the repairs (around the £2000 mark) far outweighed the value of the vehicle however, to me it is priceless. It has now passed it MOT and is taxed, insured and back on the road!
The arm rest before fitting
The Cubby Box lid, before the arm rest is attached
The next step is to tidy up some other bits – the headlining needs replacing, and it needs another deep clean inside and out. I have already installed the padded arm rest that sits on top of the cubby box, and I have also replaced the 5 seals across the top of the rear door (although this needs to be done again as the metal plate that sits between the car and outer plastic trim is severely rusted). Also, the front door will now not unlock when using the fob. These are minor inconveniences compared to the lack of a working engine, so in all, I am looking forward to cracking on with the work over the coming weeks/months/years!
First 2 seals in place
Lots of rust behind the plastic trim
