1997 MG "HFH" F - Get your shiny head tanned this summer

[Pillock]

OK, feeling much more confident after reading all that! It seems what kills anything with a K series is ignorance and I'm happy that both the previous owners didn't show this trait.

 

Been out looking it over today just to familiarise myself with it. Put the new door handle on and tried to make the window have a slightly less comical wobble when it goes down. This was a fail. Also found it needs a couple of clips to hold the door card on as they're made from the most brittle plastic known to man.

 

Cleaned the hood, still needs a bit more where the moss has taken hold. Might look for a new rear screen, I freed the zip off and went for a drive with it down and it shows how cloudy it has become.

 

Gave it a jolly good wash, no crazy detailing action - just pound shop wash and wax. It's got a few rust spots that need looking at - front wing may have had a repair in the past or just really thick paint but it's looking like it just needs a prod to make bits of Tahiti Blue fall off. Passenger door trailing edge needs rust sorting and around both side air intakes. There's also quite a bit of lacquer crazing on the bootlid and rear quarter.

 

I'm weighing up whether to get a load of paint mixed and just flat and primer one panel at a time, paint and clear coat. I can do this in my lockup but it would be rattle cans not a compressor. I think once I've treated rust, and blended in to neighbouring panels I'll have done the whole car anyway.

 

Engine is tappy for 30 secs after staring, but only when throttle prodded. Checked oil, min level so sloshed some 10W40 semi-synth in (and on Halfords car park too). It remains one of the quietest engines this side of a luxo barge though.

 

Shopping list: Set of door card trim clips. Oil temp gauge that reads more than 60 even after a long drive. Leather treatment.

 

Thanks for the comments and pics BarryTiff, good to know it's been looked after. I did wonder how the Payen gasket got fitted with zero labour charge

[Pillock]

Oh and also trace rattle on overrun. Are there any heat shields or am I looking at a baffle in the box?

[New POD]

Also check which way the fan is wired. "apparently" early one's take hot air from the engine bay and try to pump it through the radiator into the oncoming cold air entering the side scoup.

[purplebargeken]

Mr. Cade. I love you. Seriously, I do. Thank you for your MGF loving comments. Totally spot on.

 

Rattle could be a heat shield. Take off the engine cover (under the parcel shelf carpet) and have a look. Then get down on your knees and rattle the one above the exhaust. No big deal.  

Oil gauge... go to a local breaker and get one. Pay no more than a couple of quid. Or hang on and I'll see if I can get one for you. They are piss cheap anyway.

 

Just take off the centre console carefully and unscrew it from the console, take off a couple of wires and the bulb. Fit yours. End of.

 

Window adjustment is a bit of an art. Ask on the forum.

 

Take off hood, jetwash the bastard. They are heavy but unbolt easy enough.  Let dry and use Fabsil or Renovo kit to re-colour and seal it. Job done. Rear screen can be done in about 30 mins or so. See forum for details, make sure you get some long pop rivets though. I did it and no kittens died. Some nuns were a little flustered though.

 

Leather treatment... go to www.leather-forever.net or email them on [email protected]

 

Great product. 

 

Next.............

[purplebargeken]

http://www.mgfcar.de/adjust/index_e.htm

[Pillock]

OK, had a bit of a cruise around (since I might sorn it on Tuesday, depends how the bank is looking) and also had a tinker.

 

Fitted the Lo-Larm that BTB bought for it but hadn't fitted. On paper it's quite a clever solution to a very K-Series problem.... There's a float in the expansion tank with a magnet in, there's a reed switch sticks to the bottom of the tank, and a buzzer that sounds if the two get close. Water level drops, float sinks, buzzer goes off, driver dumps it in a hedge.

 

This naturally won't stop HGF but it might stop expensiveness happening in the time it takes the coolant temp gauge to react.

 

Some bits....

 

Handy switched live provided in fuse box

 

Drop float in tank

 

Strap sensor to bottom of tank

 

Test by turning ignition on and poking the float down, the aerial is a good size.

 

Control box and buzzer hidden behind window switches.

 

Forgot a picture of the light/switch but it's the only disappointing bit. Generic illuminated round toggle. Going to get a fog light switch, rub the logo off and see if it can be rewired to work the same way..... That will sit nicely in the blank where the toggle is hanging of.

[Pillock]

Also fixed a rattle on overrun.... Thought it could be all sorts of expensive things but pbKen had already suggested heat shield. Crawled under the back, the shields seem fine but noticed the strap for the back box was loose.

 

Went to tighten it but the bolt is rusted. Hence, the socket just twisted the strap. Sounds bad, but did the trick - slightly twisted strap is now snug to the back box so no rattle. Free fix!

[Pillock]

Then I reversed it into the garage wall and scraped the bumper (because its such a massive fucking car, obviously)

 

Two steps forward, one step back.

[Bobthebeard]

^^ Gut feeling about the MGF is that it will never suffer HGF. The engine was/is the quietest K series of ever, inspires confidence. The car has done a couple of long distance trips with absolutely nothing even remotely bad happening. A good 'un I reckon. Plus Tiff sorted it, so it will be fine! Stop fretting and enjoy!

(Garage related bumper scraping clumsiness apart.....)😀

[purplebargeken]

The arse of these is a bit fatter than the rest of it. Good that you iz doing things to it.

[Bobthebeard]

The arse of these is a bit fatter than the rest of it. Good that you iz doing things to it.

Errr.....

[Pillock]

Yeah but it seemed silly to have the kit and not fit it..... If HGF did happen and it did big damage, and the lo-larm was still sat in the envelope, I would be incredibly grumpy.

 

I did take it out and enjoy it today. I found some spurious reasons to go for a drive, and I carefully but positively gave it a jolly good hooning. Big smiles.

[Bobthebeard]

Yeah but it seemed silly to have the kit and not fit it..... If HGF did happen and it did big damage, and the lo-larm was still sat in the envelope, I would be incredibly grumpy.

I did take it out and enjoy it today. I found some spurious reasons to go for a drive, and I carefully but positively gave it a jolly good hooning. Big smiles.

Speaking of smiles, I have just today bought two rattle cans of Halfords Tahiti Blue from a car boot sale! 50 pence! Yours for price of postage plus 50 pence if wanted.

[STUNO]

I don't know the history of this car, but when Barry Cade came on and described the work he did it is obvious he has done all the work required to make this a very good car. He knows the K series thoroughly and would not even thought of other bodges.

It is now a car to enjoy and maintain, not repair.

[Bobthebeard]

I don't know the history of this car, but when Barry Cade came on and described the work he did it is obvious he has done all the work required to make this a very good car. He knows the K series thoroughly and would not even thought of other bodges.

It is now a car to enjoy and maintain, not repair.

A car to enjoy, maintain AND repair. This car deserves to live forever. I hope it does!

[Pillock]

Equally, I'm not going to make it any less great by ignoring rust spots. I've already fixed the door handle and loose gear lever gaiter, did I do bad? I'll also take a look at the hood, it needs re-riveting onto the back frame on the nearside and whilst I'm at it, a new (but plastic) rear window. I don't think I can afford glass.

 

Lo-Larm is purely a precaution, not doubting the level of prior maintenance.

[New POD]

I keep trying to get my bird to ditch her Citroen C1 for a MGF, only problem is she won't do it (knowing the K problems from me foolishly talking about them)  as she will be liable for all the repair bills (including the OMGHGFPANTBLOWWINGPAIN)

 

She keeps telling me to Fuck Off.......I have spent the last 8 months trying to kill that bastard Citroen without luck, and without her knowing the pain I have subjected that C1 too.........

 

Good buy though, I do approve.

My "Bird" (or rather beloved wife of 24 years) has a Modern car (a 51 reg Mini) and an MX5, and an RAC card. The MX5 costs £1.25 a day to own, and so she can decide when to take the risk and when to have fun.

 

(Problem is that both are fun, so the MX5 gets very little use except when I insist)

[Station]

I used to drive the MGF on the old engine, and it never overheated, it lasted about 10,000 miles (until an unrelated liner crack) and never once checked the temp gauge.

I'm constantly paranoid about overheating in every car now.

[purplebargeken]

I was tired when I wrote that, okay! :)

 

Hood rivets are longer that ordinary one's. I have some spare (if I can find the beggars). 

 

I love just finding an excuse to drive the MGF. With the 52mm throttle body and the cone filter it is a bit more fun. Now I just need a new right leg 'cos it hurts like a bastard but I will force myself to drive the MG on Sunday. Stuff the pain.

[Pillock]

MOAR QUESTIONS.

 

The MG F has disgraced itself, but it's tucked up in the garage so it's not doom and gloom. I'd just like to use it.

 

I drove it to the last Cannock Auctions thing, and it was fine. It seemed to be kicking up a bit of spray onto a belt, the more puddles I went through it was starting to squeal when slowing down for roundabouts and junctions - accelerating again made the squeal go after a couple of seconds. Naturally, this was fixed by not driving through puddles.

 

I put it in the garage, all was well.

 

I went to use it last week, and it wouldn't start - not a whiff. Turns over, compression seems OK in that it's not spinning like fury, but no hint of starting. And then after a few minutes, the battery gave up.

 

Charged the battery today, now it sort of tries to start - you can feel the odd spark helping the starter, and it ran really lumpily (one, maybe two cylinders) for a second or two but died. The battery lasted longer but eventually I flattened it trying to start. Feels like fuel getting through - it whiffs after a few tries, and it does catch now and again.

 

The worrying bit is now the starter motor turns the engine for a couple of seconds, and then goes to whirring. Not sure what's happening there, dodgy starter or is it likely to be just symptoms of a flattening battery? It only started doing it after the starter began to slow down, didn't do it on a full battery. A little worried I've cooked the starter somehow.

 

I know this is perhaps the most limited to symptoms I've thrown at you - but it's now dark and I have a garage with very little watertightness, let alone lighting and power. I tried as much as I could by torchlight - checked plug leads were on tight, battery was dishing out 12.4v before it went flat again, can't see any massive neon lights saying "This bit's fucked" so I'll go back to it in the daylight. 

[Barry Cade]

If it's been very wet, sounds like the dizzy cap will have dampness.. normally a straight forward blast of WD40 and a cloth will cure this, but on an MGF that means folding the rear of the hood up and undoing 127 10mm bolts to get near it. Hot engine, damp and cold weather usually means condensation in the cap, hence the non start then kinda non start, but trying. Give the starter a grimacing stare, then thump it with an 'ammer.

 

I did always mean to make a shield for the alternator-

[Pillock]

The starter eventually went to clicking - which I guess is too flat to operate the solenoid.

It was the whirring without actually turning the engine over that was the worrying bit.

 

I did manage to open up the engine cover before it went too dark, yeah it's a bit faffy but it does give good access. Every time I lift the hood though I get reminded that I need to re-rivet the hood on the nearside, there's a couple pulled through and it makes it a pain to drop the hood back down. So I've left the hood unclipped, the cover off, carpet and deadening are in the car and I'll go back to it tomorrow.

 

Is there anywhere other than Rimmers that does the long rivets for the hood?

[Barry Cade]

I have a load of those rivets left- yours if you want them, but may be worth putting small washers under the heads?

[Pillock]

If you could lob me a couple in an envelope that'd be grand, I shall provide compensation for posting materials and time. Stainless washers might be an idea, good plan.

[Barry Cade]

No probs, PM me your details and I'll get them off to ya. No compo required, just keep looking after ma wee pal.

[Pillock]

PMed

I'm pretty sure it's just two I need!

 

Muchos grassy-arse 

[Pillock]

Took distributor cap off using the few minutes of daylight available to me, emptied the crud out of it, wiped the contacts and remarked how utterly shagged they looked. Ordered new cap and arm, collect from ECP tomorrow (early morning so I can take them back and swap for the right ones later in the day).

 

It all has the look of damp electrics, that fuzziness that grows on battery terminals and stuff. Hoping that's the rather easily solved problem.

[Pillock]

 

Fixed now. As you were.

 

I put cap and arm on, Euro inexplicably gave me the right ones first time so I had a nap before setting to it in what would have been "storming back to Euro and whinging at them" time.

 

Charged battery, same deal. In fact seemed worse, it tried to kick into life once then nothing, just the engine turning with no spark. So I started fiddling and mumbling, I wiggled the coil end of the king lead a bit, tried again and it worked so I went for a drive with the roof down.

 

Are the coils known for dying? They seem to be in a bit of a daft place for puddle splashes, maybe that's another part to fit.

[Barry Cade]

Great news, but get than number plate light fixed....

[Pillock]

I'm running in speed camera stealth mode