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MG MGF Technical - HGF

Hello,

Am I right in saying that my HG will eventually blow, as this is all I keep hearing about..

Has there been anyone that hasn't had it blow?

I ALWAYS wait until the car oil has reached 60 celcius and keep it below 3000rpm before I out me foot down.

Will this stop it happening ??

Regards,
Mike
Mike Gibson

>>Am I right in saying that my HG will eventually blow, as this is all I keep hearing about..<<
No, this is not correct.

>>Has there been anyone that hasn't had it blow?<<
Many have not had HGF - people come onto this BBS to report problems.

>>I ALWAYS wait until the car oil has reached 60 celcius and keep it below 3000rpm before I out me foot down.

Will this stop it happening ??<<
It's a good idea not to thrash any car when cold, but poor maintenance may also be a contributory factor.


In other words - don't worry about it.

Steve
Steve

Cheers Steve..
Mike Gibson

Steve,

So what other stuff should be done in order to prevent this happening?

Regards,
Mike
Mike Gibson

Mike,

Also, later models also seem to be more robust. The years '96 - '99 seem to cause the most problems. Secondly, if you've bought your F second hand, then there's a chance it may have already experienced HGF, and been sorted. There appear to be very few instances of people experiencing more than 1 failure.

Jim

Jim

I've had my Jan '96 F from new, and have covered close to 65k miles now. I too usually wait for the oil temp to rise to 60C before flooring the throttle.

I've not had an HGF (I say, touching wood).

I am not aware of any 'special secrets' - but common sense does apply. I have had problems with over heating (failed ECU water temperature sender and a corroded radiator) - but hopefully by keeping on top of these problems, diaster can be avoided.
Rob Bell

Another tip - from K-series guru, Dave Andrews, is to ensure the engine cools down before turning off. The reason? There are areas of the cylinder head where small traces of coolant get trapped. If the engine is very hot, these will boil off when you stop the coolant flow by turning off the engine. In boiling the gas helps lift the rubber seal on the gasket and over time this can cause the HG to fail. So, after a good thrash, cool your engine down with some light motoring.

Dave
(currently with cylinder head in Dave Andrew's safe hands and the rest of the car with Techspeed - HGF after 45,600 miles on '98 VVC)
Dave

>>So what other stuff should be done in order to prevent this happening?<<
As Rob and Dave have already said, warm it up carefully and drive the last couple of miles gently.

I think that if it's going to happen, then no amount of user care is going to stop it. Just make sure you don't continue to drive the car if it happens.

Mine went on my '97VVC (about 1999 and about 21K miles) some 8 miles after a very careful check on coolant levels and the usual careful warm-up.

Steve
Steve

The head gasket is the Achilles Heel of the internal combustion engine, modern technology, modern materials and modern engineering methods mean that this problem area is not 'the problem' that it used to be BUT it is still a weak spot and on the MGF/TF with its long and convoluted plumbing to the cooling system it is accentuated.

Having said that I like Rob have ahd my *F* since early 1996 and no HGF yet - touching wood, crossing fingers etc.etc.

Ted
Ted Newman

<<I've had my Jan '96 F from new, and have covered close to 65k miles now.>>

<<Having said that I like Rob have ahd my *F* since early 1996 and no HGF yet>>

I also have a simliar age/mileage F. Only had for 2 years, but no sign of HGF.

Not sure about keeping RPM down, i am very rarely below 3,000 rpm.
I enjoy my car, and to me that means high revs, red-lining and having fun.
If it happens, it happens. I have had two fun filled years in my F, and hope for many more.
For me, worrying about HGF everytime i got into the car, would spoil the fun.

my advice, enjoy it while you've got it.
usual checks, oil, coolant, tread, tyre pressures apply ;-)

paul weatherill

I agree that there is not much that can be done to limit the chances of an HGF. My wife uses ours mostly and she does not drive fast or hard at all. But it still happened.
Just use the car as you would any other and if it goes be ready with £500.
T Green

This thread was discussed between 14/10/2002 and 15/10/2002

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