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MG MGF Technical - :o( My post HG problems just got very worse..

Oh dear. Carl it looks like your fears were correct.

Overnight, apparently the water has seeped away into the engine somewhere, and even though the new starter is fitted, its way too tight for it to turn over.

So. ANY suggestions as to what might have happened will be very gratefully received. Looks like the HG failure was just the easy bit to fix and that the reason that went was far more sinister.

Events:
HGF - replaced
Starter motor broke - replaced
Water in engine & from exhaust.

And I'm just off now to see my footie team get relegated.... what a weekend!

Many thanks in advance, Julian
Julian

>>...its way too tight for it to turn over.<<
Is it possible that the engine has hydraulic lock ?
If water has entered a cylinder where the piston is coming up on the compression stroke then the piston may lock towards the top of the stroke with the combustion space full of coolant (it only needs less than 50cc coolant).
You could take out the spark plugs and try to turn the engine by hand - but don't try to run it in this condition !

Steve
Steve

Well, we can get the engine out of that position, its not stuck or anything.

We're just not sure where the water is coming from in the first place.

I'm getting the feeling that maybe there was no 2nd HGF, and that the water came in from this other source in the first place. Its just fathoming where that is.

?
Julian

Really no ideas peeps?

apparently nothing at all had drained away this morning and it was fine again with regard to being tight - it wasn't at all.

Can't figure it. Is it busted or am I leaving it in the workshop for no reason!
Julian

Is there water in the combustion chambers Julian? Take out the spark plugs - this should be revealing.

What condition is the inlet manifold gasket? Sometimes when these go, water is allowed into cylinder no 4 ...
Rob Bell

Ah. Cyl 4. That certainly fits doesn't it? And seeing as no-one else's F seems to go at 4...

Will check. Thankyou Rob.

One thing is true - it is ALWAYS sunny when my F is off the road so you all have me to thank for the lovely top down weather you're all enjoying at the moment...
Julian

Cheers Julian :-)

Sorry, feeling facetious tonight! ;-)

Failed inlet manifold gasket lets water into the pot nearest the expansion tank, i always thought this was pot 1 (ie nearest the cam belt), but i suppose it depends which end you start counting from!!!

Inlet manifold has the return pipe to the expansion tank cast into it and the gasket can fail causing coolant to be sucked into the combustion chamber. A sign of this is 'lumpyness' when running, as if the engine is running on 3 cylinders (which effectively it is, BANG, BANG, BANG, bang).

HTH

SF
Scarlet Fever

Julian, could be the inlet as mentioned above , there are two coolant ports ,one adjacent cyl 1 and one adjacent cyl 4, water can weep across both and indeed on the 1.8i across all ports as the manifold is recessed for the thicker gasket, and ideal path for a little stream/river of coolant into the head. The VVC has a thinner gasket but just as prone to breaking down.Check this first as this is the cheapest option, remove spark plugs and turn over the engine to remove the standing water,check each plug as the colour will be different on the cylinder/s that have a leak.Also ensure the manifold has a true face as it may not have been torqued down correctly and caused it to distort.HTH.
Mike.
mike

This thread was discussed between 21/04/2002 and 27/04/2002

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