MG-Cars.info

Welcome to our Site for MG, Triumph and Austin-Healey Car Information.

Parts

MG parts spares and accessories are available for MG T Series (TA, MG TB, MG TC, MG TD, MG TF), Magnette, MGA, Twin cam, MGB, MGBGT, MGC, MGC GT, MG Midget, Sprite and other MG models from British car spares company LBCarCo.

MG MGF Technical - HGF *3

anybody ever had 3 HGF or know of somebody who has?

Just had my 2nd Repaired, car only 50K, cant help thinking it will go again.

opinions, Mine is to dump the car asap.
ngm

Is the same person / garage repairing your car? When was the last time it went? Not definite to guarantee against future failure (oops been taking Dieter pills), but using steel dowels (and getting head skimmed if needed) should help future failure.

You've not had any problems recently with coolant leaking out of the cap (and replaced) by any chance?
Leigh

I echo Leighs questions. If the 2nd failure was soon after the 1st, then I'd question the initial repair job.

What were the symptons and what was done to repair it?
Dot

had the car repaired at a reputable garage who I have used for years and come to trust. Also did the research and had steel dowels, Mike satur head gasket etc put on and the head properly tested and skimmed.

Going for a competition all steel gasket from moto-build this time
ngm

just my idea: go for all standard MG-Rover parts and when it fails again, they couldn't make a word.
Erik

Yep, agree, and I'd mind you that almost NOT the gasket or it's fitment circumstances is the problem.

The true failure can be anything else.
Blocked or restricted water flow to the radiator, worn wires to the front fan with blowing fan fuse, overfilled coolant reservoir, damaged cap, broken water pump... to name only some.

btw. Dot's old MGF had 4 "HGF" (IMO). 2 with her ownership, two more ending up in a blown engine at the later owner.

Bad luck in any way :(
HAll of shame is looking forward your entries.
http://shame.4mg.com/setup.html

325 counts plus your unlucky 3

Kind Regards
Dieter
Dieter K.

ngm ever thought it could be the way that your driving it?

We all seem very quick to blame the car, what about how the driver is treating the car.

It's not a race car even though alot of us drive it as if it was one.... no time for warm up, rev, rev, red line it to the corner shop, rev, rev, park it

It surprised me when I started asking about HGF.... Age was a factor (and I'm not talking the age of the car)

I'm sure ngm will go on the defensive (as I first did) but the more I think about it... the more I realise some of us drive the sh*t out of our "F's"

The HG isn't the best around but ask the question why some people only get 40K and some have never have a HG issue
Matthew Minion

I agree with what both Dot and Dieter have said.

HGF is not a diagnosis, it is a symptom. Which is to say, that head gaskets only fail if there is an underlying problem - and if that problem has not been resolved when the gasket has been replaced, then a repeat failure is likely.

There are a number of checks that need to be performed - not only does the head need to checked for porousity and level, the height of the cylinder bore liners needs to be checked - if not even, the head clamping force will not be even, and the gasket prone to failure.

Personally, I'd also invest in a new thermostat (in fact, I'd probably go for a completely different design - but that's another story). Better get both of the joggle valves checked for normal operation (they get blocked quite easily, yet perform an absolutely vital function draining airbubbles into the expansion bottle) - as well as the checks that Dieter suggests with respect to the head...
Rob Bell

I agree with getting thermostat replaced as something seems a bit suspect here. Might also want to consider water pump. And have a look at your radiator. Wouldn't surprise me if you've got half your fins missing. Have you noticed any symptoms of overheating at-all?

Leigh

yes I do drive the car hard, but it is supposed to be a sports car. I have also done 100,000 miles in my previos car a 205 1.9 GTI which I drove the same way without a problem.

always drive "off the cam" and never go past 3500 rpm till the oil temp is up.

Don't aggree that HGF is purely a symptom. Yes there may be contributary causes but it's still a CR@P gasket
ngm

Head gasket just replaced on "new" engine at 140525 miles
Raced engine before fully warm after only 1 1/2 miles from home.Water pouring over alternator.Slight lifting of bead on head gasket.
Replaced head gasket plus cam belts at home and seems okay having done 100 miles to-day BUT drive in fear .
(Original engine hgf 29605 miles then wrecked engine with 2nd hgf at 67602 miles.)
roger

rw cattermole

>btw. Dot's old MGF had 4 "HGF" (IMO). 2 with her ownership, two more ending up in a blown engine at the later owner.

=:o I didn't know that Dieter - will not the last 2 anyway!
Dot

I think it's a healthy one now with the second engine and should have reached the 200k km ?
http://www.roadstervision.de/impression/driver/a_e.htm
Du you remember the funny make year entry written to the 'Fahrzeugschein' ... 87 :)
Dieter K.

>>Don't aggree that HGF is purely a symptom. Yes there may be contributary causes but it's still a CR@P gasket <<

There are superior designs of head gasket, certainly (provided both by Rover, and by aftermarket outlets such as Mike Satur). However, these do not provide immunity to subsequent HGF if there is an underlying problem that has not been discovered and corrected. So we'll have to agree to disagree.

;o)
Rob Bell

a certain race driver who fixed my HGF put a lot of it down to the basic design - i.e. the stretch-head bolts/dowel construction, also does not see the need to uprate HG as this is not likely to deter failure. (The above on top of the heat/cooling problems)
Ddraig

This thread was discussed between 25/05/2003 and 28/05/2003

MG MGF Technical index

This thread is from the archives. Join the live MG MGF Technical BBS now