MGF

[BeachBall]

I've just been for a test drive in an MGF, and I absolutely LOVED it!

Before I commit myself to spending vast sums of money on it, however, does anybody with practical experience of them want to tell me anything which the salesman is unlikely to wish to tell me?

[eltel]

Early ones had problems with head gasket.

[BeachBall]

How early is early? This one's got a 51 number plate

[eltel]

Just had a look on mgf owners website and the 51 plates should have a uprated headgasket so should be ok.
More info here http://forums.mg-rover.org/archive/index.php/t-40436.html

[minigirl]

don't know if i'm coming into this a bit late to be of any use, but as you haven't posted anything to say that you've bought the car or changed your mind, here goes:

i haven't had any experience with these cars, so i don't know much about them other than that they look nice, but i had a look and found some buyers guides that could be useful. follow the links to them below and see what you think. the first site i've listed (austin-rover.co.uk) also has a pretty active forum where you could post queries if you want (you'll have to register first though).

http://austin-rover.co.uk/index.htm?pr3buyingf.htm

http://www.mgcars.org.uk/mgf.html

http://www.mgf.ultimatemg.com/group1/info/MGF_buying.htm

http://www.xpower-mg.com/MGF.htm

[Laura-Lily]

If you like the MGF but are unsure about purchasing one, you may like the Mazda MX5. It could be a suitable alternative?
I think they are pretty cool looking.

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http://the-world-in-focus.com/blog3
http://richards-world.the-world-in-focus.com
http://zeitgeist.the-world-in-focus.com

[minigirl]

If you like the MGF but are unsure about purchasing one, you may like the Mazda MX5. It could be a suitable alternative?
I think they are pretty cool looking.

not could be a suitable alternative - it would be a suitable alternative. me, i'd prefer the mg, but that's just my personal preference. the two cars are a very similar package aimed at the same market segment. mazdas are pretty good cars too. nothing much to choose between them as far as i can see.

[a mechanic]

if it it had a head gasket last november it will be due another this november , they are crap and just keep going . ive done them you wont even get the same warrenty on a recon engine for this engine as you would any other . the mgf is two metro subframes , ie 1 at the front 1 at the rear . just a cheap cobbled together rover !!!!!! thats why the went bust !! if you like driving get the mx 5

[minigirl]

it seems strange that "a mechanic" has found in his experience that the headgaskets in these cars fail on average once every 12 months. i wonder if he checks to see if the faces are mating properly and skims them if necessary. yes, these cars do have a reputation for head gasket problems, but i didn't think it was bad enough to describe them as "crap" or that it wasn't curable, so i made a few enquiries.

the thermostat is on the coolant inlet side of the engine, which has the advantage of allowing the engine to warm up very quickly - good if most of your trips are short. this type of design can, however, cause problems when cold coolant enters a hot engine, causing thermal shock to the block and head, which may in turn cause headgasket problems. land rover had a problem when they used this engine in the freelander and introduced a service kit with a more robust multi-layer steel gasket and a stiffer main bearing oil rail. i am told that, if fitted correctly, this seems to cure the problem.

another improvement you can make is to fit a pressure release thermostat, which should considerably reduce the likelihood of thermal shock occurring, as these thermostats release coolant into the engine using pressure build up as a trigger rather than waiting for the coolant to reach around 90 degrees at the thermostat before they open, letting in much colder coolant from the radiator.

because of the reputation these cars have, quite often any problem resulting in loss of coolant tends to be diagnosed as gasket failure, even if it isn't. it should be noted that cooling system maintenance is critical in an mgf, as overheating can result in major problems with the cylinder head.

[minigirl]

in a word, yes!

well, what i did was i posted a query about the mgf on another forum and just waited for replies to come in - some of it went over my head too........ the general consensus though seems to be that if the repair last november was properly done and the uprated gasket was used, the problem should be cured.

given the direction this thread has taken, perhaps a few words about head gaskets wouldn't go astray:

the head gasket is inserted between the cylinder head and block in order to ensure adequate sealing between the two surfaces to prevent leakage of oil, coolant and combustion gases - and it is exposed to very high temperature and pressure. if the gasket fails, oil, coolant or combustion gases may to escape, leading to:
- loss of compression in turn leading to loss of power.
- loss of coolant, causing overheating of the engine.
- loss of oil, causing damage to the internal components of the engine.
- mixing of oil and coolant, causing the oil to emulsify.

needless to say, if you think your car has suffered a head gasket failure, you should switch off the engine and seek expert advice. you shouldn't continue to drive any car with a failed head gasket, as the resultant overheating can lead to warping of the head (which means more work and hence money is needed to fix it) and, in the case of the mgf, it can also result in softening of the metal, which may mean you have to replace the head rather than repair it...

i hadn't come across the term "thermal shock" before, but i suspect that it is probably most commonly encountered in cold climates during the winter months. engines need to reach a certain temperature before they operate efficiently, and the thermostat stops coolant circulating through the engine until that temperature is reached, allowing the engine to reach its optimum operating temperature as quickly as possible. when that temperature is reached, the thermostat opens and cold water (that has been sitting in the radiator) enters the cylinder head. this makes the head colder than the cylinder block. metal expands when heated and contracts when cooled. when the colder water enters the cylinder head, the head contracts slightly, while the block does not, leading to stresses on the head gasket. if the engine overheats for long enough, the stresses become so great that the gasket fails.

i hadn't heard of a pressure sensitive thermostat until a few days ago, so i can't really tell you much about them - i was just passing on some information i was given.....

as to the symptoms of head gasket failure:
- a sudden eruption of steam from the engine compartment may not indicate a failed head gasket. it could just be a leak in the cooling system. if this happens, stop the car and have a mechanic look at it. you may damage the engine if you continue to drive it after this happens;
- the same can be said of an increase of coolant temperature (indicated by the temperature gauge rising too far);
- loss of power and misfiring can be caused by a lot of things other than gasket failure. usual causes are either electrical faults or fuel blockages. you would have to ask a mechanic;
- hopefully you'll never see this on your car because it is a sure indication of head gasket failure but, if oil and water mix, you'll find that the oil filler cap will have a substance that looks like brown mayonnaise on the inside, rather than oil. not very nice.....

[minigirl]

how about this quote then:

“the power output of an engine equals the size of the bangs, times the number of bangs per minute that you can manage to get.”

(keith duckworth of cosworth engineering)

[maytermostats]

The thermostats release coolant into the engine using pressure build up as a trigger...




_________________
Programmable Thermostats

[franfran]

Here's one in Crown Street, Surry Hills:

[BeckyB]

Well, I've got an MGF, and I LOVE it

[franfran]

Here's one in Crown Street, Surry Hills:

I will keep moving my photos around....