The inevitable has happened...

[bigbadbikercats]

...and my MGF ended up sitting in a big cloud of steam just outside Cambridge yesterday morning. I'm not going to whine about it, we all know that it does sometimes happen, I've had 25K very enjoyable miles out of the car (for a total mileage of 65K) in ~18 months and for what it cost me compared to (say) an MX-5 of similiar age/mileage/condition I think I'm still ahead of the game in VFM terms.

So, what's a fair ballpark figure for a K-Series head gasket these days? So far I've got one quote which was for around £600 with the latest and greatest Landrover MLS gasket (and associated lower engine rail) Is that about right or should I be shopping around?

If anyone can point me at a trusted K-fettler not too far away (I'm in Braintree, Essex) I'd appreciate that.

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JG

[bigbadbikercats]

bigbadbikercats said:

...my MGF ended up sitting in a big cloud of steam just outside Cambridge yesterday morning.

Suplementary question: Given that it appears to be a "clean" failure which is pressurising the cooling system but not letting the oil and coolant mix will I do any harm driving it a couple of miles to a garage as long as I top the coolant up first, keep a close eye on the temperature gauge, carry a big container of water with me to replace lost coolant on the way, and am prepared to stop for a while and let things cool down if necessary?

--
JG

[wildoliver]

If it is just a couple of miles and you drive normally (briskly but not thrashing it) and you top the water up every 2 miles or so (or more if it is pouring out) then your chances of causing damage are slim.

However I'd probably towrope it given the choice.

Re the cost, doesn't sound too bad, assume he's doing the cambelt and tensioners etc at same time? Makes sense to.

Having priced the kit up for the girlfriends car from memory the LR upgrade kit and bolts comes to about £100.

[bigbadbikercats]

wildoliver said:

If it is just a couple of miles and you drive normally (briskly but not thrashing it) and you top the water up every 2 miles or so (or more if it is pouring out) then your chances of causing damage are slim.

However I'd probably towrope it given the choice.

OK, I'll have a fish around for a sensible accomplice who's aware of the issues around the absence of servo assistance in modern braking systems and can be trusted to drive accordingly :-)

wildoliver said:

Re the cost, doesn't sound too bad, assume he's doing the cambelt and tensioners etc at same time? Makes sense to.

Having priced the kit up for the girlfriends car from memory the LR upgrade kit and bolts comes to about £100.

I checked - that includes timing belts but the tensioner, and water pump (all of which I was planning to have done at the next service anyway, and hence had a few quid mentally set aside for which kind of takes the a bit of the edge out of having to pay for the HGF fix!) will be extra - parts only of course!

Annoyingly it seems he's busy for the next couple of weeks and his partners baby is due shortly after that so I may have to go elsewhere anyway unless I'm willing to accept not having my car for about a month. Some people just have no consideration for other people... :-)

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JG

[wildoliver]

If you trust the guy to do a good job then I'd let him do it, just ask him if he has an old knacker you can borrow while he's doing it.

Or just look on ebay for a £100 car and weigh it in when your finished with it.

[bigbadbikercats]

It seems I am a lucky boy.

In a clutching at straws sort of way I've just replaced the pressure cap on the expansion bottle, topped up the coolant, and after a few minutes idling outside the house (enough to bring the fans on) and a 20 minute run everything seems back to normal! No steam, no coolant loss, both water & oil temperatures sane and stable.

Wish me luck...

--
JG

[Luca1973]

Good luck

[envymgf]

I wouldn't drive it if it's had a HGF, have you had a look at the oil? If it's clean then you may have got away with it being a dodgy coolant cap, if it has a sludgy white residue, then it's likely to be the head gasket.

I can recommend Steve Tyler of British Legends (MG specialist). He's based in Southend, and is an MG enthusiast (has a ZS 180 and an F) and knows his stuff.

http://www.britishlegends.co.uk/

Hope this helps!

[bigbadbikercats]

envymgf said:

I wouldn't drive it if it's had a HGF, have you had a look at the oil? If it's clean then you may have got away with it being a dodgy coolant cap, if it has a sludgy white residue, then it's likely to be the head gasket.

I can recommend Steve Tyler of British Legends (MG specialist). He's based in Southend, and is an MG enthusiast (has a ZS 180 and an F) and knows his stuff.

http://www.britishlegends.co.uk/

Hope this helps!

It was the condition of the oil and (remaining) coolant (i.e. completely clean) along with the fact that it boiled without any sign of overheating which led me to consider the possibility of the coolant cap rather than HGF.

British Legends will certainly be in the frame if any significant work needs undertaking which extends beyond my tame mechanic's competence as you're far from the first to recommend them.

Touch wood, all's still fine. I've put 400 miles of increasingly hard use on the car with no sign of the coolant level (marked with a bit of tape on the outside of the header tank and for the moment I'm still checking it every time I get into the car) moving since replacing the cap, both oil and coolant have remained clean, and as a result I've moved from cautious optimism to increasing confidence :-)

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JG