Kiltox’s YouTube Shenanigans - 28/12/2023 - BRING OUT YOUR TAT

[Kiltox]

Finished up the cleaning, refitted the seats and started thinking about the HG job. Should be tearing it down reasonably shortly I think. 

 

 

[hairnet]

do you think bollox would interested in the contents of your box

 

[hairnet]

goblin works - fuck them watch this

 

[hairnet]

fixt noo?

 

[Kiltox]

35 minutes ago, hairnet said:

fixt noo?

 

Nah I’ve been working on the Fox this week. Can’t tackle two head off jobs at once!

[2flags]

Just seen this thread. Fantastic job so far. I have a Renault Megane Cabriolet. I love it. I think it is a good looking car, particularly in silver. Much better looking than it's replacement. For cheap roof down motoring I think it can't be beat.

 

[Kiltox]

Started digging into this today although I’m waiting on the cam and crank locking tools to arrive so won’t be able to take the head off for a bit.

Noticed a gearbox oil leak when i was draining the oil and coolant - might well be linked to the gearbox issues!

[Kiltox]

Well, the head’s off

[Kiltox]

On 3/30/2020 at 9:00 AM, Angrydicky said:

I'd like to, yes!

I'm no expert on these gearboxes but it seems from reading up on them, they're not very tolerant of low fluid level and/or dirty filters. They also have to have CVT fluid rather than normal ATF, so if anyone's topped up with ATF it could cause issues! The fluid also needs changing every 20000 miles or two years.

Are these any use? I didn’t notice the front plate was actually all smashed to fuck. 
 

[Angrydicky]

Yes, thank you! I'll let you know how I get on with finding someone to make them...

[Angrydicky]

What's the story with the gasket then @Kiltox? Don't keep us all in suspense!

[Kiltox]

So the head’s off, and it looks like there is a sign of a HG leak - the sign of dried KSeal on the valves is the biggest indicator. 

Original gasket I reckon, so that’s a good sign when you’re looking at a KSeries, right?

Fair old amount of work still left to do before she’ll drive again - long waits for parts and consumables isn’t helping but there are far worse things going on right now!!

 

[Isaac Hunt]

Good progress.  When I did our MGZR, I left the inlet manifold as you have done.

I left the exhaust manifold in situ, but several ways to skin the cat.

i used a cam locking tool but wasn’t aware that a crank lock tool was avail, so didn’t use one.

the elastomer gasket ‘may’ have been replaced.  Not everyone uses an MLS gasket.  I read that the MLS gasket is more sensitive to exacting liner heights.  I used a BG Gaskets Elastomer gasket and later heard from an ex factory engineer who worked on K Series that the BG Gaskets are the best.  Mine had been on for 55K and 6 years.

watch the tensioner, I was told by a MG specialist that the HBOL actually shows the tensioner installed incorrectly.  Our car was indeed installed incorrectly and it was a causing tensioner failure.

i installed as I ‘was told’ and again, that was 55k ago.

i’ll see if i’ve got my ‘notes diagram’ and take a photo.

[Isaac Hunt]

Here you go, my notes on tensioner fitting.  You should hopefully be able to interpret my ‘scrawl’

[Kiltox]

Thanks - those notes seem to be for the automatic tensioner though   

I believe some people jam a screwdriver into the flywheel rather than using the crank lock tool (and some don’t bother I guess) - each to their own. The tool I actually used is for a Ford because the Rover one I ordered is in Royal Mail’s covid limbo...

[Isaac Hunt]

Yes, notes are for an automatic tensioner.  

I don’t know what year they changed

[Kiltox]

Just now, Isaac Hunt said:

Yes, notes are for an automatic tensioner.  

I don’t know what year they changed

When I ordered the kit I was under the impression that only really early stuff has a manual tensioner and given 98/S is late for a 216 cabriolet I thought they’d have changed over. Alas, I was wrong. 

[St.Jude]

9 hours ago, Isaac Hunt said:

the elastomer gasket ‘may’ have been replaced.  Not everyone uses an MLS gasket.  I read that the MLS gasket is more sensitive to exacting liner heights.  I used a BG Gaskets Elastomer gasket and later heard from an ex factory engineer who worked on K Series that the BG Gaskets are the best.  Mine had been on for 55K and 6 years.

I've read this about liner heights. Sometimes in engines that have overheated the liner can slip. But there is a tolerance (as with everything) of a few imperial things of a thingymabob. 

Interesting what you mention about the BG Gaskets Elastomer gasket. I suppose these gaskets would work without a problem up until an overheat scenario. But how likely are K-Series engines liable to get to this point if you switch to a PRT instead of the normal thermostat?

[Isaac Hunt]

Visually there are a number of ‘looks’ for R8 underbonet layout.  

Beyond the early ‘single point injection’ and the VVC ‘tooned’ Models there was a cast ally manifold and plenum and then the plastic manifold with bulkhead mounted expansion tank.  Your cabby layout looks identical to our 2003 MGZR but clearly specs were being changed continuously.

Our MGZR was a bit of an experiment. I had already replaced belt, tensioner and water pump.   After replacing a leaking water pump, the car continued to use a bit of coolant, not as much as it did when the pump was leaking, but no surprise there.

i just kept it topped up.  ‘Yoof’ had blown the gearbox up in his Fester, so while I had that in bits, the MGZR was ‘lent’ to him.   Despite requests to ‘keep it sensible’ On the M4 in the summer heat, that fell on deaf ears and he was caning it trying to keep up with a colleague in a Beemer.   That finished of the HG which turned out to be a rotten MLS Gasket “ it shot upminto the red dad but only for a short while” yeah..... when you lifted and eased back off to two figures and gave it half a chance.....

I pulled off the head, cleaned the faces with wet’n’dry, wd40 on a sanding block (fine wet n dry).   I checked the head with a straightedge and threw it back together with an elastomer Gasket, new inlet and exhaust manifold gaskets, old stretch bolts and it has been spot on since, that was 2014 and 55k miles ago.

i was interested to see how well a ‘low rent repair’ worked.  

[Kiltox]

Couldn’t resist a dirty lockdown buy - delivered contact free of course 

 

Slightly over budget but still a bit of a bargain. It drives beautifully in that indestructible “90s Toyota” way. 

[loserone]

13 minutes ago, Kiltox said:

Couldn’t resist a dirty lockdown buy - delivered contact free of course 

 

Slightly over budget but still a bit of a bargain. It drives beautifully in that indestructible “90s Toyota” way. 

Dibs!

[Kiltox]

23 minutes ago, loserone said:

Dibs!

It is available...

[Kiltox]

Tailgate mounted spare wheel doesn’t seem like such a good idea when the tyre is 21 years old....

[montytom]

The rover cabriolet looks great. I had one years ago but a manual honda engined one. It was outside my brothers girlfriends house and she wanted it moved so had to give it away. One of the only previous cars I'd want again. I only drove it a few hundred yards.

 

Keep up the great work 

[Kiltox]

21 minutes ago, montytom said:

The rover cabriolet looks great. I had one years ago but a manual honda engined one. It was outside my brothers girlfriends house and she wanted it moved so had to give it away. One of the only previous cars I'd want again. I only drove it a few hundred yards.

 

Keep up the great work 

I had a manual K series one on an R reg for a bit. Sold it to @Six-cylinder for buttons due to storage concerns. Better car than this one!

[Six-cylinder]

41 minutes ago, Kiltox said:

I had a manual K series one on an R reg for a bit. Sold it to @Six-cylinder for buttons due to storage concerns. Better car than this one!

My friend who owned a R8 convertible at the time and has had many other BL/Rover cars drove it home for me, he is always critical about me buying low cost cars and ending up with utter crap. I could not believe the verdict after driving it home for me 70 miles was you have got a good one there!

Don't worry I did the same as you, sold it on for button and now have bought a 216 SLi 5 door auto when I would prefer the manual convertible!

Please send help!

[Kiltox]

Such a lovely example. The grey and red cloth is THE interior too I reckon - I find the leather in this one I have pretty disappointing!

[Six-cylinder]

The interior lifted the whole car.

[Aston Martin]

You have the space. Why not get a small compressor and have nothing but air tools?

 

Battery management seems like a ball bag.

[Kiltox]

19 hours ago, Aston Martin said:

You have the space. Why not get a small compressor and have nothing but air tools?

 

Battery management seems like a ball bag.

A small compressor won’t run air tools for heavy use plus being tied to an air hose sucks. I have a 100L 3hp compressor but even that’s a bit timid for proper air tools. I do plan on making more use of it though.