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MG MGF Technical - Eh what!

Well Saturday turned out to be eventful. Put the boliler suit on for a little fiddle with the car. Took the distributor cap off and cleaned up the points and discovered a spark plug lead was loose as well. Put everything back together and started her up to make sure everything was running ok.

Bent down under the car to look at my air intake pipe and put my hand over it to feel how much suction was actually generated. As I had my hand over it I noticed a coolant leak. Jumped up and ran round and looked in and discovered a lot of coolant running down the block. Panic ensued and I turned the engine off. No real loss from the expansion tank and no oil in it so I dont suspect HGF. Had small leak from the inlet manifold before and it seemed thats where it was coming from. Had a feel about and it's definitely coming form under the inlet for cylinder number 1. Top manifold bolt was not fully tight so tightened that up.

Then I decided to take the wheel off to get a better look. Did that and discovered the bush at the bottom of the damper had came away completely and the damper is flapping about!

Aarrgh!

I was due to have the inlet gasket changed this week anyway but could my hand over the intake pipe (I have a sealed intake) have caused a build up of pressure force coolant out? And is the bush failure on the bottom of the damper common? The car is a 1997 F with 23k on it so I'd have expected the bushes to have lasted longer! So frustrating!
B Millar

Bob

Sorry if you already know how to suck eggs but take care with the damper (shock absorber?) bushes. MGR do not sell bushes, just complete new dampers. If you go to an MGR dealer that is what you will get.

Replacement bush kits (were they called merkins or similar or am I on a completely different train of thought?) are available from Mike Satur and/or Brown & Gammons, and possible elsewhere.

You own a boiler suit so you either service boilers for a living or you are reasonably mechanically minded and do some of yor own work?

see http://members.aol.com/apttony for info on suspension damper poly buses and fitting.

I believe that Tony is moving site but hope there is still a redirector.

HTH
John Ponting

http://www.apttony.co.uk/
John Ponting

I think I may have been a bit wrong ... an MS bush kit may not be the same as a merkin

http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_232.html
John Ponting

>> (were they called merkins or similar or am I on a completely different train of thought?) <<

Definitely NOT a merkin John! ;-)

SF
Scarlet Fever

A merkin is a wig for a womans nether region
I watch to much bravo and men and motors
Steve

Bob.......... Welcome to MG Ownership :-X
D Jamieson

This thread was discussed between 29/06/2003 and 30/06/2003

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