Alberta Land Rover Enthusiasts Club Forum
General => Technical Discussions => Topic started by: JohnnyO on September 09, 2026, 01:28 PM
I have an exhaust leak on my 1994 NAS Defender. The stock 3.9L engine has been replaced with a 4.6L V8 that would normally be seen in a 2004 Disco2. There is the typical puffing sound and visible smoke on the right-hand side of the engine. I have already replaced the exhaust manifold (Thanks Bill!) and the gaskets, as well as the down pipe gasket.
Reaching under the manifold you can feel the exhaust escaping. The source is hard to tell since it's so hot you can only put your hand there momentarily and its lower down and hidden by the manifold. I'm not 100% sure, but I'm wondering if it might be coming from between the engine block and the cylinder head.
There's no white smoke/steam from the tail pipe. There's no frothy antifreeze on the oil dipstick. The coolant level is down a bit in the reservoir but that might just be a result of my neglect.
Any words of wisdom of what to look for next? I am also looking for a shop in Calgary that's willing to take it in. (See my other post.)
How about a compression test on each cylinder? If you have a bad head gasket the compression will be down, would't it? Check what condition the plugs are in...and different colours or dirty?
Those are my only shots in the dark.... LOL
Get a boroscope so you can see. There are cheap one that connect to your phone. Get paper on a stick and see where it is coming from.