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It wasn't a Land Rover but I was with a friend of mine in Kenya earlier this year who's a (very good) mechanic, and he had to show me the horror of horrors. Not only was no corrosion inhibitor used, but the cooling system was filled with sea water! What neither of us could understand is that about a mile down the road in one direction is a Total garage, and five miles the other way is a Shell garage, both of which sell coolant!

My wife heard me laughing out loud while watching your video and joined me . She really enjoyed your humor, you now have a new fan (I think she might be bored ) take care.

' just a breakdown for the owner .... and he might have a breakdown when he sees the bill ' ... this is why i subscribed , not the mechanical expertise

I restore old hand and machine tools as a hobby and use hydrochloric acid (muriatic acid) to remove rust. I buy it as brick and patio cleaner from the builder's merchant - it works pretty quickly but you'll need to neutralise the acid with an alkali or it will rust again but more quickly next time . . .

Another informative video Mike. I learnt about the properties of Antifreeze/Coolant some years ago. Putting pure water into an engine is like giving it cancer, it won't die straight away but slowly it will kill an engine. Corrosion is the obvious one but it also protects gaskets and does a few other jobs too. You see some guys, religiously changing their oil but then putting pure water into the coolant? Today's video was a perfect example of what happens. Excellent job.

Great reminder to check longevity date on coolant inhibitor, thanks 👍

You named this LR in the video, and didn't realise it. Where once we had The African Queen, we now have Pandora's Box.

Great video Mike. 👍 Diesel in cylinders is a very simple but very effective test. Engine out boy👍

on a quiet day i can hear that land rover rot

My grandpa was a oil refinery mechanic and he always said to run muriatic acid in the coolant system to get the rust out. It's super cheap too and you can just go to Canadian Tire and go to the pool section to get it!

I know these vehicles frustrate you Mike, why would anyone want to go near one? Well, look at the prices old Defenders are making in the US. There is your answer. Bring them in, give them to you and there is still a tidy profit. Just keep taking the money Mike, it's hard because you know they are wrecks but you are just the hired help. We know you are a decent bloke.

hello mike, yep its going to be very expensive to put right,even hear in england i always tell people to check their cooling system to make sure anti freeze is in.in the 70s at AEC ltd we used green anti freeze for the MOD trucks and bluecol for civi trucks

The best coolant to use if you are from South Africa is to buy OEM Toyota antifreeze. The bottle even says Toyota on it. It is red in color and very expensive. The advantage is it is long life and never needs to be replaced. It is already mixed and can be used as is. The perfect anti freeze for a Land Rover.

Ha ha Mike so many Ghana trucks you should give each one a name so we can keep track which one you are on 😎😳🤓

G'Day Mike And this is why I use Evens Coolant, fill it up once with Evens and never need to replace it for the rest of the life of the engine. It puts less stress on the cooling system as it has a boiling point of 190°C and will not vaporise and therefore will not increase system pressure. As to the corrosion in the block, I'd do a quick flush with a rust converter like Ranex or Rust Guard followed by a flush with HOT water with normal off the shelf coolant flush (something like Penrite's coolant flush). Then I'd run the Evens Prep fluid to get rid of the last trace of water (run the engine till hot as a bare minimum, however I'd recommend at least 1-2 days use before draining the Prep fluid) and then fill with Evens coolant.

Mike, Thermocure makes a product called Evapo-Rust Coolant System Rust Remover. Made to do exactly what you're looking for.

Best vid for a long time. Back on the spanners.👍

I spent many happy years in Africa as my parents lived there, in some ways you have to admire the ingenuity of Africa’s, they don’t have much income so to them anti freeze and parts are expensive and NGO just want the vehicle going! An African has a mend and make do attitude which they excell at as demonstrated in your video! It usually starts with a coolant leak, no need to fix the leak just keep topping it up with water! It’s not just Land Rovers it’s cars too. I have seen this a thousand times, and yes when you pull that engine which you must even more will be revealed!!! But hey your followers will love the journey. GOOD LUCK. And you have another one just like this one to do all over again! 😂

I like the test on the cylinders, good idea. I’m to scared to do it on mine as the truth hurts. My no.3 is down compression and this would just prove it. Ignorance is bliss. Cheers Mike

Went back this video, oil inside 2 and 3 on my 200, will do this test tomorrow to see if the rings are good. If it isn't the head isn't going back on. Cheers Mike!

After watching this, something clicked and I though I best check what I have in my recently bought 300tdi defender. Well I checked and it's straight water....

excellent video - time for the customer to hand over the keys and settle up the score and put this one out to pasture - better luck next time picking your used Landy - Welcome to French Guiana !

We use citric acid for descaling boilers. Might be worth a shot.

Hey Mike! Very interesting and informative video... and your humour is a great bonus!

In fairness you did warn that the engine had problems right at the beginning. Would it be more economical to replace the engine from a known good source? I guess it’s easier to source a replacement here in blighty. Some interesting content thought Mike.

I've had some success with central heating cleaner. Ask for the stongest one for pressure flushing. They are acid based and descale and dissolve muck but you need to flush it all out and inhibit (anti-freeze should do this) after.

Why do Canadians import these? Is it for prestige of owning a Land Rover? Seen as there is 6L equivalents over there, these seem pretty pointless.

Hi Mike, ( cheeky bugger ) A central heating water pump is handy to use as a circulator on a flushing system. Its low pressure but high delivery. ( thoughts, would it work if put onto the bottom hose while the engine is still in the vehicle, back to sleep, boy ) Great video Mike, watching them makes me so happy that I am retired and don't have to do this sort of thing for a living. Best wishes from Yorkshire Rob.

New water pump housing I reckon mike, replace all of those corroded aluminium parts 👍🏻

Hi Mike very well done as always very great help many thanks Eliot ps keep up the good work

Love the title!! 'Contains corrosion!' 😂😂😂😂

Excellent as always mate 👍👍

Nice bit of electrolytic corrosion in that engine, as for flushing you can use a central heating cleaning chemical there are loads on the market, not sure what you have in Canada. Can you get hold of a flushing pump and tank? Heat the water up to below boiling this speeds up the cleaning process. Indeed correct coolant a must, if there was a leak on that system putting fresh oxygenated water is the worst thing you can do, O2 accelerates corrosion of iron and conductive salts accelerate galvanic corrosion of soft materials especially aluminium.

Well there's always jamesons as a tea alternative:)

It beats me Mike, why people neglect to maintain an engines cooling system, it might have been ok in the "all iron engine" age but the electrolysis effects on these alloy components can kill them in no time.

Jb weld will fix the corrosion no problem even on the head if the head I took off is an example

Brilliant, thanks Mike.

Hey mike engine out for rear plug aswell and rings. Mights assell do bottom end

Engine rebuild yes please 🙏

If the owners got the money and the sense, hed be getting you to pull that engine, full rebuild, acid bath the block. We all know That engines been hammered.

Motor out and full rebuild

top notch video as ever

Caustic soda might work if available, great vid btw.

Mike have you done a video on rust proofing underside a defender90

Hello Mike could you tell me what the condition of the valve seals were... Am dead sure the oil in the intercooler is from the cyclone due to failure of those seals... And also... Am from Africa and it kinda offensive to generalize like that...cheers 🍻

Mike; would the result of the leak-down test vary depending on if the piston was travelling up or down when you lined them up, therefore cocking the oil control rings in their ring lands?

After adding the diesel you should rock the crank back & forth to make sure all rings are free as 1 - 2 - & 4 could just be gummed up.

We always made custom bits to fit whatever we needed but i got dumped with a fabrication apprentice a few year ago who broke a bracket,i said go and make one;He replied you can't make it you have to buy one..If his thoughts are common then god help us all..

my D1200 tdi i had to cut the pulley it in four places then cut it off the crank, that bit was nail biting, 😮

Is anti-freeze/coolant particularly expensive in Africa? I don't remember a time I didn't know how it protects the water ways in all weathers.

Evan's waterless coolant prep fluid would eat that corrosion up

Nice simple test with the diesel in the cylinders. About two hours to drain down to the crown in healthy cases, by the look of 1 and 2, would you say?

Don't know if you can get it, dilutet phosphoric acid to flush the block, it also "converts" the rost inside the block. But..... its acid !!!!! Check on the net!

Just a thought on the corrosion issues what about brick acid?

I have seen mechanics put mineral spirits in the cylinders, because it's extremely thin. Likely better than diesel

If you're doing the core plugs ( in Oz we call them welsh plugs. Go figure ), isn't there one in the back? Might as well pull the engine out, new rings etc. I mean, you're doing so much already. Pull it out.

15:24 Black impact are no good indeed, the walls are too thick.

Mike I haven't huge amount of experience with regard to diesel engine design so forgive me if this is a obvious question, but why does the 300 TDI have such large pockets in the tops of the pistons? Cheers.

What about main bearings, and rod bearings.

Great videos bloke, keep up the good work. Love the accent. Do you drink Yorkshire tea? We were brought up repairing Morris Minors ans always called them welsh plugs, is core plugs the correct term?

28:10 These words will come back to haunt you. Mystic Si predicts... Customer will request new rings, Mike will remove engine, clutch will need replacing, gearbox oil seals will need replacing and there'll be cause to inspect gearbox further. By the start of August, the gearbox and transfer-box will be on the bench for refurbishment. Message me for next week's lottery numbers.

Hi Mike Im interested tin you thoughts on coolant. I’m at the stage of fitting my recon V8 with its coolant system. In you humble opinion which coolant would you use. Blue, green or one of these other types available. Would you use tap water to add to the coolant or de ionised water. Many thanks. Mark in Bristol UK.

Rough on the outside rougher on the inside

Is the trade of in buying a UK,European Defender which will have chassis corrosion etc better than buying African? With as you say pandoras box of problems

A cricket bat made of steel and not willow?

Mike, please measure that disco engine's dipstick lenght!

Expensive job just in teabags!

Stroooth mate.. send it bick ..bick to ifrica .. 😂🤣😂

I am an African. There are more than 50 countries in Africa. You can't blame Africans for some the stupidity of importers of ramshackles. I am a member of a land rover owners club with more that 5 000 members in 12 African Countries who take care of their vehicles. We also know where and how you get this junk into Canada. You can't blame us for that

Bloody hell thats got to be one of the worst I’ve engine’s I’ve seen for a long time 🤬🤬🤬🤬. Use bloody Anifreeze 👍👍👍👍👍

Hi Mike Can I ask that you not be so hard on us down in "Darkest Africa". You seem to be of the opinion that a;; "African" Landies have been mechanically bodged which may be true to a certain extent but you have to realise that it is probably only in Africa that the Landrover is still used for that which they were designed and that is to travel to wild areas where there are no mechanics, spares shops etc so if you break down and don't have the correct part in your emergency kit, then you have to do what is called "A Boer maak 'n plan" which roughly means "A Farmer always makes a plan". I think you must admit that some of the bush repairs are ingenious to say the least. I am in South Africa and still struggle to find the correct parts sometimes - Ghana must be ten times worse. Also most of the landrovers here use anti-freeze for the corrosion problem but you will still get owners who are not so flush use water. I should mention as well that the exchange rate for the Canadian Dolla to the Rand is 12.29 to 1 as against 0,59 to the Pound Sterling which makes parts extremely expensive. Have a look at this Link if you haven't already www.4x4community.co.za/forum/forumdisplay.php/136-Land-Rover Stay Well and all the above is said with good intentions.

Bloody depressing really! What you really need is an outfit up the road that will deliver an overhauled shrink wrapped engine on a pallet, with limited warranty. That's got to be cheaper in the long run unfortunately that is not going to happen. Would save the customer some money if such a service was available though, also stop the grey hair from getting worse.

.. up to your neck in it Mike? Like a pig in shit? Tell the owner you can't take your cash with you when you pass so it's better to give it to a good cause 😉

Remember people, if it's not green, you're being mean!

Long and thin goes too far in, and doesn't please the ladies. Short and thick dors the trick, and produces bonny babies. Robbie Burns take on yer custom tool.

Be cheaper to do your GM V6 conversion!

A spoonfull of sugar won't cure this chitty!:)

Kaputt is kaputt!!

Juice motors

One life just fix it.

Hate speech.

Been a follower of your channel for a very long time...but once the condensending and stereotypical "Africa" insolence starts....its a wrap for me.....