1997 MFG

sophiemalofie, Jun 16, 9:27pm
I have a '97 MFG 1800 with a possible warped and/or blown head after the radiator hose blew.I'm wondering if I would be better off getting another head or if the water damage would be too severe to bother; or can I put an 1800 VTEC engine in it without any difficulties!
mgmad, Jun 16, 9:50pm
I presume you mean MGF, and it all depends on how hot it has got. Have you had the head off to have a look! If it has lost all it's coolant and drove for any distance, it's probably not in good shape, but there's only one way to know for sure.

Engine swaps aren't that hard, but are a bit time consuming as you need to drop the subframe. Second hand engines in NZ are a bit hard to find, although there are a few places that have them, and you can get them off here from time to time. For a VVC engine (Note, quite different to VTEC), you may get one cheaply but could be looking at $1500 for a second hand engine. Non-VVC usually a bit cheaper. Then you'll be wanting to at the very least open it up and inspect it before fitting. Could be quite expensive if you have to get someone to do the work for you.
franc123, Jun 16, 10:05pm
Only a stripdown and check is going to tell you whats the best course of action, I'd call the scrap dealers, put it down to experience, and then go out and do what you should have done in the first place and get yourself a MX5 or MR2, anything else is probably going to be expensive grief. What probably happened is the head blew first and the plumbing couldn't hack the pressure, its practically standard on those things, the engine could have been designed and built better by a suitably qualified chimp than how Rover did it, far too many design and material flaws. Good luck.
sophiemalofie, Jun 16, 11:14pm
Thanks for the posts, the car was my mothers, she bought it from a friend. I'll take all into consideration with regards to how to deal with the car from here.
mgmad, Jun 17, 2:12am
Jeez you have a chip on your shoulder. It's fairly unlikely the gasket or the head went first, as I've said before a gasket failure is nearly always the result of an overheat, caused by something else - most common are thermostats and airlocks if the coolant is bled properly. Hose failures are becoming a little more common on the older cars, but rubber does age and all cars suffer from that. MGFs are great fun cars, and with a little care and attention there is no reason you should have any more problems than any other car.

However, in this case if the car has lost all it's coolant and really overheated, it could be an expensive fix. Where is the car located! Depending on where it is, I can probably recommend someone who knows the cars to have a look if you like, and get a better assessment of it.
mugenb20b, Jun 17, 6:55am
So, how come MGFs blow head gaskets more frequently than its bigger and older competition like MR2s and MX5s!
jerichord, Jun 17, 7:17am
call up the crusher, these things were a disaster from go, even if you fix it , it is still worth peanuts, typical pommy crap, cut your loses and walk away from it.
msigg, Jun 17, 7:43am
Yea get what you can for it from wrecking is my bet, they are not worth alot anyway so be careful what you spend if repairing.
thejazzpianoma, Jun 17, 8:12am
Its worth pointing out that mgmad actually has been there and done that and knows what he is talking about.
Its funny that many on here will make a big song and dance about the head gasket situation being a weak point on the K Series engine, yet jump to defend the common Toyota Diesels which are at least as bad and in my opinion actually worse. (because the heads stuff out every time, not just the gasket).

Its also worth pointing out that there are better head gaskets available now for the K Series so your chances of a repeat performance are much reduced.

I do like the MX5 etc but the MGF has its very good points as well.

Best of luck.
mugenb20b, Jun 17, 8:16am
So have the rest of us.
mugenb20b, Jun 17, 8:23am
You are missing the point. The L series Toyota diesel doesn't have a design fault, they crack heads when over heated. The K Series has a design fault.

Secondly, most Toyotas with L series diesels that crack heads are used in commercial vehicles and are worth repairing as they retain their value. Whereas the poxy Rover is ready for scrap by that stage due to the costs involved.

Also, cylinder heads for Toyota diesels are around $500 + the gasket set, so if you can do the work yourself, you'll save lots of money and will end up with a very good vehicle in the end.
socram, Jun 17, 8:27am
I'd go with Mgmad's opinion rather than anyone elses on this as;

a) He isn't blind to the K series faults

b) Has extensive experience of running them in competition as well as on the road.

Sorry Jerichord, you either like MX5s or you don't.Too bland for me.But I suppose that in comparison to an old Sunbeam Rapier, an MX5 is indeed a nice car to own!

When my project car is finished, (only 8 years so far.) I'll probably pick up a cheap MGF and compete in the MG Race series with it, but at the current rate of progress, I'll be too old, so it is more likely to be mobility scooter racing.
jerichord, Jun 17, 10:55am
i may of driven an old pommy nail, which tookonly3months to build, not 8 years, and i was out there doing it regually, on the circut, not doing skids and handbrake turns on the grass like someone else who comes on here, even shipped cars to uk, to show the poms how to do it, funny, i have yet to see a morris garage F, on the track here, but i have missed a few events.
socram, Jun 17, 11:56am
You certainly have missed a few meetings!MG Series has one running so far and as we have now changed the cut off date for AES/Arrows, he has been running there too at Taupo & HD - and I believe there are one or two more being prepared.

Considering the vast numbers of MX5s built and imported, we haven't seen many of them on the track either!Not sure if there any at all running in the Japanese Classics series.

Oh, just checked their website.As I thought.Number of MX5's racing in the Japanese classic series - Zero.