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Post by Mike H on Mar 28, 2012 12:21:52 GMT
Get it flushed out, get it refilled, replace the expansion cap, and get it bled. There's a saga on the aftermath of the HGF repair on mine a couple of years ago from page four in this thread. It took weeks and weeks for it to eventually settle down, without any specific cause ever really being identified. Even then, the radiator fan would run for what I felt was excessive periods, even in cold weather. It's only occurred to me that I'm not aware of it having been running in the last few weeks (including Silverstone on Monday), and the car hasn't missed a beat in all that time (although it's starting to suffer from clutch judder in first (only) - but that's another story ).
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Post by jonty1951 on Mar 29, 2012 4:02:14 GMT
Thanks for that Mike, your thread made nightmare reading ! Whats the correct way to flush the system out, and should I use anything like Radflush ? Where is the oil cooler and how would I check / clean it out ? When refilling with new OAT, wouldn't I loose some of it when bleeding the system ? My pressure cap looks OK, and there's no signs of it hissing or leaking ( it's about 2-3 years old I think), but should I replace it regardless ( they seem a very poorly designed item). Sorry for all the questions !
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Post by Jerry & Di on Mar 29, 2012 7:15:17 GMT
Thanks for that Mike, your thread made nightmare reading ! Whats the correct way to flush the system out, and should I use anything like Radflush ? Where is the oil cooler and how would I check / clean it out ? When refilling with new OAT, wouldn't I loose some of it when bleeding the system ? My pressure cap looks OK, and there's no signs of it hissing or leaking ( it's about 2-3 years old I think), but should I replace it regardless ( they seem a very poorly designed item). Sorry for all the questions ! Flushing with Radflush is fine if it's flushed away afterwards DIY stuff means you can catch and save any OAT yourself, garages won't. Pressure caps need to be tested on a rig, difficult if you don't have the means. There're not poorly designed, just poorly made. The oil/coolant intercooler is at the rear of the engine block, very difficult to access. If you're not happy/ conversant with any of this, you really need to find someone who is TF conversant. have you tried Austin Garages, near Burton? www.austingarages.co.uk/PS, just re-read Mike's thread. Still no answer to the problem, and I'm convinced that my mods have eliminated the problem on my TF 135 with added 160 intercooler and subsequent plumbing. You really need to get back to basics, understand the flow of the coolant using some old fashioned techniques - but then I'm just old and nerdy
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Post by petevick on Mar 29, 2012 8:10:11 GMT
.......but then I'm just old and nerdy not just rumours then
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Post by Jerry & Di on Mar 29, 2012 10:40:51 GMT
.......but then I'm just old and nerdy not just rumours then Oi, I thought you had moved away and retired
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Post by Mike H on Mar 29, 2012 11:46:38 GMT
Personally I'd just drain it, refill with water, bleed, and then run for a week or two, repeating if the colour of the water warrants it. Add the OAT when you're happy it's been flushed. In my experience, the amount of OAT lost when bleeding is negligible in the grand scheme of things.
As for the pressure cap - I change mine every year or so (and carry a spare with me).
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Post by jonty1951 on Mar 30, 2012 16:58:13 GMT
Finally managed to speak to Austin Garages (well the wife did actually, as I aren't allowed to use mobile phones at work !). She told him basically the TF was showing signs of overheating ( the gauge is anyway). He asked if the head had ever being skimmed ( which it had 6 years ago), which he said was a very bad thing to do, due to it removing the hardening. Now I've just seen an article on the Interweb, by someone who I think was involved in actually making MGR cylinder heads, and this surface hardening myth was a load of cobblers ! He stated that the WHOLE head was hardened, and there were 3 marks cast onto the head to to indicate and allow it to be skimmed a maximum of 3 times. Would anyone care to add to this ? Many's the time I've read skim the head / dont skim the head ! Anyway, I'm taking the car over to them tomorrow as they are easier to reach and closer than the MGF Centre ( thats if I dont boil up on the way !!).
John
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Post by petevick on Mar 31, 2012 8:33:01 GMT
Nick at Austin Garages is incredibly knowledgeable about all things MGR. If the whole head is hardened then the mating surface is hardened so both Nick and the other guy you mentioned are right as I read it. So you can only skim a head a max of 3 times, what is wrong is people skimming a head when its not necessary, if its flat, don't skim, but some 'engineers' skim 'just in case', probably unaware of the hardening marks. I've been to Nicks place a few times, he knows his stuff, hopefully he'll be able to sort you out.
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Post by jonty1951 on Mar 31, 2012 13:02:28 GMT
Nick's place is packed out with work, and as I've asked for extra job's to be carried out ( cam belt change, water pump, etc) they tell me I MIGHT get it back some time in May ! That's no problem as I want it sorting properly, and walking to work will do me good !
John
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g4wam
Junior Member
Posts: 45
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Post by g4wam on Mar 31, 2012 19:21:39 GMT
High Jonty, give Endon Garage a ring -they are ex MGROVER people from the old Newcastle Dealership. I go there if i get stuck with my F , they have a Testbook4 as well as the technicians regrds Mike
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Post by jonty1951 on Mar 31, 2012 22:31:51 GMT
Thanks Mike, but I took the car over to Austin Garages at Burton this morning. I've used Endon in the past for spares though. I wonder if the new Pinkstone MG dealership on the A34 will be of any use to us ?
John
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Post by shakermaker on Apr 27, 2012 8:30:18 GMT
John, Have you had the car back yet, if so what was the problem?
Cols
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Post by jonty1951 on Apr 28, 2012 6:12:08 GMT
Hi Cols, left the car with them on 31st of March. They had 2 weeks of work in then, plus they were going on holiday for 2 weeks , so I know they hav'nt even looked at it yet! That's not a problem though, as I want it sorting regardless how long it takes! Also, with the garage being empty, I've now got room to get on with building a model radio control ship kit I bought 2 years ago!
Cheers John
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Post by helsbyman on Apr 28, 2012 11:22:30 GMT
Mike H said in this last post just fill with water then run it for a week then use anti freeze. To my knowledge this is a no no as just water will very quickly cause rust
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Post by Mike H on Apr 28, 2012 22:29:50 GMT
Water is an excellent solvent, and for a week or two, as I suggested above, will probably take more rust, corrosion and other crud out of the system that any rust it might cause. I also suggested repeating the process depending on the colour of the coolant, noting that this was specifically for flushing purposes. Note also that it's the presence of oxygen in water that actually causes corrosion. A properly bled system, operating under pressure should only have minimal dissolved oxygen present and the potential for corrosion is therefore minimised - certainly only over a week or two. Anti Freeze does what it says on the tin- reduces the freezing point of the coolant. Additional properties cause some deposition on the waterways to help minimise corrosion, but this can never be fully prevented. If anti freeze was such an excellent corrosion inhibitor, I'm sure all our power stations would be using it to prevent the corrosion they suffer through continually heating water
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