MG-Cars.info

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

Recommendations

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 - Mike Satur Head Gasket - to buy or not to buy?

Bought F in July 2002. VVC. 33,000 miles on the clock.

Have read with concern about HGF
Have read that there was a modification of HG and dowels to certain Fs around 1999

1. How do I know if my F has had the modification?
2. Does the peri-1999 dowel/HG modification reduce HGF?
3. Is Mike Satur HG worth getting and replacing my current HG?
4. Dare I say it, but I do trust you lot, but is Mike Satur stuff held in high regard? (i know i know i know, but "i gasts to know")
R H Greig

1) 2002 F - if any car's got 'em, yours has
2) peri? Thought peri was pre? Before 1999 was plastic dowels which allowed some small movement of blocks against HG. Metal dowels (post 1999) eliminate movement, so reduce HGF.
3) No. Even when this is asked of pre 1999, the answer is normally no, unless you have reason to believe HGF is 'in progress'. Besides even a Mike S gasket's not guaranteed not to fail.
4) Can't comment. Never bought any of his stuff yet. Not met him either! However the man himself is held in high regard here.

>Bought F in July 2002. VVC. 33,000 miles on the clock.

Look forward to spring 2003, and enjoy the car!

>Bought F in July 2002. VVC. 33,000 miles on the clock.

Just re-read this. 33,000 miles is a lot to do in 6 months. What year is your car?
Leigh

There's no point in worrying about HGF until it happens - just enjoy the car :-)

Re your questions:

Q1 - unless you can ask previous owners you can't tell if your F has had new HG and dowels without taking the head off (also see answer to Q3).

Q2 - no-one really knows yet whether the new HG/dowel kit significantly reduce HGF incidence, but there is good cause to think it should.
Q3 - removing the head is a significant cost because of the high labour content. So it's not really the sort of thing you do as preventative maintenance. Plus the old addage - if it aint broke ... comes into play. Unless, that is, you fancy a serious dabble on the darkside and want to get your cylinder head ported :-)

Q4 - the gasket Mike sells has the rubber strip pinned through every centimetre or so, rather than just glued on. In theory this should be stronger. The dowels are steel dowels just as MGR now supply and should reduce head movement.

HTH,

Dave
Dave

Leigh

"Bought F in July 2002. VVC. 33000 miles."

means

"I bought my F in July 2002. It is a VVC first registered in an undisclosed year. It had 33000 recorded miles when I bought it."
JohnP

I have a little confusion over the new revised version from Rover and Mike Satur item. I know Mike's stuff is good, but the new revised ones seem to do the trick as well.

But yes, just enjoy the car until the thing happens. But do look after it checking your coolant level / engine oil level every week. I know I don't :-) but I am enjoying my car... it's 97 VVC @ 38500km with no HGF as of yet.

Good luck.
Hanah Kim

Thanks.
Leigh - the car was first registered in july 1999 and has had 2 prev owners. I bought it in 2002.
There's no way that i could have put 33,000 on the clock that quick! Mind you if i tried (and would be happy to) the bird would kill us

(peri- = around, peri 1999= around 1999, similar to circa (its a saddo doctor thang))
Rob Greig

Ah. Post, peri, pre!
Leigh

Rob, it's taken me a while to stop refering to components in terms of anterior and posterior! LOL The confused looks you get...
Rob Bell

Rob G,
Dieters web site has a break down of the VIN numbers of the F's , so armed with your VIN number, Dieters site will be able to describe to you when you car was manufactured and if it was pre/post steel dowels introduction.
look for Vin's on www.mgf-net.de or www.mgfcar.de/index.html
HTH Mike
p.s. MS parts are to be recommended as is MS himself.
Mike

Main HG change to steel dowels was around March 2001, I thought?
David Bainbridge

I don't think I'd replace the HG without cause - its a lot of money!

However... You might consider (I didn't!) getting it done next year when you have your 5 year / cam belt change service. At that point you're some of the way down the road of dismanteling, so the incremental cost wouldn't be AS huge...

Certainly, we're getting relatively few reports of cars with steel pegs failing (there will always be some). It would seem that the pegs, plus the redesigned gaskit are performing much better than the originals.

Whether Mike's is better, I don't know. Another factor is how long you've got to have the change done: you can normally get MGR parts the same or next day. Depending on where you are, and "how lucky you are with couriers", getting bits from Mike can sometimes take longer (but can also be quicker!)...

Neil
'97VVC @ 64k miles, with original HG (touching wood!)
Neil

We bought our 'F' in '97 it's the R reg. with 26,000 miles on the clock.
At the end of last year the head gasket gave up the ghost and was replaced with the 'modified' version.
The dealer form whom we purchased the car couldn't give a d-mn.
Both he and Rover customer service declined to help in anyway because we hadn't had the car serviced in 12 months, rather than the 12,000 miles, which we had complied with.
Is this typical of the customer service of Rover, or have we been unlucky with our dealer?
Our question is ....has anyone ever claimed from Rover, on this issue and gained compensation.
It does look like Rover are killing off the people that would like to buy British!
Bridget Shaw

This thread was discussed between 21/01/2003 and 25/01/2003

MG MGF Technical index

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