Tips & Tricks


Cooling System 
bulletOverview
bulletRob Bell has this excellent page which graphically explains the cooling system and possible routes for improvement.
 
bulletHead gasket failure (commonly known as HGF)
bulletTell tale signs of head gasket failure
bulleta sudden eruption of steam out of the engine vents
bulleta sudden increase in engine temperature
bulletloss of power and/or engine misfire
bullet'mayo' on the dipstick
bulletan oil film in the expansion tank (assuming there is still coolant in the tank !)
bullettemperature gauge is in the red
 
bullet1955deisel from the MG-Rover forum, put together this excellent thread covering the diagnosis of possible head gasket failure.
bulletRob Bell has the subject well and truly covered here, here, and here.
bulletTony Thompson's site covers the subject well here, lots of useful links at the bottom of the page.
bulletAndy 'Scarlet Fever' Phillips made a fantastic post on MG-Rover.org covering they subject really well.
bulletAndy gave another mammoth post here again on  MG-Rover.org concerning HGF.
bulletand yet another of Andy's terrific posts here, again imparting some of his vast knowledge concerning HGF.
bulletDieter adds more information for you here on bolt stretch.
bulletsome wise words from Chris Reeves here, about 1/3 of the way down the page.
bulletErik on The English Fantasy site relays his thoughts on the subject.
bulletDieter covers the improved Landrover head gasket on this page.
bulletAn article here talking about HGF and the remote thermostat.
bulletVisit the MGF Hall of Shame to register your HGF or see the failure statistics.
bulletMGFmad on the MG-Rover.org forum posted this thread giving his thoughts via words and pictures after he replaced the head gasket on his VVC powered F.
 
bulletCoolant refilling
bulletTony Thompson gives detailed instructions on this page.
bulletDieters web site has this page on bleeding the coolant.
bulletRichard Wigley (Rich_W on MG-Rover.org) has produced this page on how he did a low pressure coolant flush and fill.
 
bulletUnder floor coolant pipes
bulletThis article on Tony Thompson's site gives fitting instructions.
 
bulletRadiator
bulletTony explains what to do if your radiator fan stops working here.
bulletReplacing a radiator is covered by Tony Thompson on this page.
bulletIain 'Broon' Brown also has this page covering radiator replacement.
bulletThe OE bleed screw was plastic and the threads can be easily stripped or the head can be sheared off easily, replace with a new bleed screw.
bulletOn the F, replace the 15amp radiator fan fuse for a 20amp one.
 
bulletRegular maintenance
bulletReplace the expansion bottle cap at yearly intervals. Andy Phillips explains why here, and Dieter also has this page on the header tank cap.
bulletVisually check the coolant in the expansion tank, both the level and for oil contamination, at least once a week.
bulletCheck the dipstick for coolant contamination at least once a week.
bulletVisually inspect the under floor pipes for corrosion, and all joints on the cooling system for leaks.
bulletKeep the engine below 3000rpm until the coolant and oil are up to temperature.
 
bulletPrevention
bulletfitting a coolant level sensor can certainly give prior warning of coolant loss before the engine suffers any heat damage. Have a look at the options in the links here.

 

 

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