Symptoms
Coolant loss, overheating at idle, coolant weeping at the head-to-block joint, mayonnaise under the filler cap.
The fix, step by step
- Strip the intake, rocker gear and heads; check the heads for warp and have them skimmed (one owner's warped heads needed 0.003–0.004 in taken off after 130,000 miles).
- Check the bores for a liner standing proud or cracks behind it before you spend money on gaskets.
- Refit with new composite gaskets and new head bolts.
- While it's apart, renew the thermostat, radiator, hoses and viscous fan; some owners fit the cooler Td5 thermostat and an OBD gauge, because they don't trust the dash gauge.
Tools & part numbers
- Full socket set, torque wrench with angle gauge, straightedge and feeler gauges
- head gasket set, head bolts, cooling parts
Where to buy the parts
STC4082 head gasket set, 4.0 and 4.6 V8LR Direct ↗Amazon ↗
LVB500030 composite cylinder head gasket, 3.9/4.0/4.6 V8LR Direct ↗Amazon ↗
ERR4996 viscous fan coupling, 4.0/4.6 V8, Discovery 2LR Direct ↗Amazon ↗
PCC000650 radiator, 4.0 V8, Discovery 2LR Direct ↗Amazon ↗
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Rated for a competent home mechanic with a decent tool kit. Confirm torque figures, fluids and procedures against the factory service manual for your VIN, support the truck on stands rather than a jack, and work at your own risk (disclaimer). Some parts links are affiliate links, which pay us a small commission at no cost to you.