MG cambelt change, proving to be a pain.

[Ju1ian1001]

Where do i start, My niece's other half bought a bargain 03 MG ZR 105 almost a year ago for £300 with a few small issues, to be honest it's been a great little car for him (and me as i'm sad to say rover's and MG's are a big passion of mine, i even love the dreaded K series engine, any way i degress.) 

 

Last year in july i changed the front discs and pads for him (never got round to upgrading them as it's on solid discs and really needs vented,) any way this year we decide to change cambelt and water pump as we didn't know when it was last done, turns out it wasn't done when the last owner had the headgasket done (as i said dreaded K series,)  i duly stripped it down, changed the water pump, changed the tensioner (belt and braces me) and thats where the trouble began, the first belt supplied was wrong; the was back in feb,so put old back on for temp use so he get to work, he got a second belt from ECP and we set about doing it yesterday, that belt was wrong, got another belt today and i was fitting it the sprung hook on the tensioner broke, so the MG is parked up on an axle stand keeping Tissy company (my octy 2, so named coz of the TSi engine)

 

I will post pic's of the MG tomorrow, but the little car will be the death of me, oh the little issues were the brakes and the current condition of the bodywork, but this will be sorted by his uncle as i don't do bodywork, just MOT's and mechanicals. 

[niceyellow vrs]

Manual tensioner I assume if it has a spring?

 

The springs are still available from Rimmer Brothers, number 12 on the list.

 

https://www.rimmerbros.co.uk/Item--i-GRID001182

 

Miss my Rover, it did very well considering the abuse it got

[sharkrider]

I miss your old Rover!

[Ju1ian1001]

10 hours ago, niceyellow vrs said:

Manual tensioner I assume if it has a spring?

 

The springs are still available from Rimmer Brothers, number 12 on the list.

 

https://www.rimmerbros.co.uk/Item--i-GRID001182

 

Miss my Rover, it did very well considering the abuse it got

No auto tensioner, K series was semi modernised in march 2001 with auto tensioner for the cambelt, and distributor less ignition, this is when it got eobd diagnostics port as well, got a new tensioner from ECP today and the little MG is running again.

 

Next job to do is convert the brakes to vented disc on the front, this also give's slightly bigger brakes on the front as well so safer more predictable brakes; leaving the rear as a drum setup as it only a 1400cc engine.

 

Also got to change the o/s/f driveshaft as both inner and outer gaitor's are split, easier, quicker and less messy to change complete driveshaft.

 

Miss my rover as well, had a 45 ixl with the 1.8k mated to the steptronic automatic gearbox, very quick and lively car it was, and not to juicy either it would easy get 39mpg on a run.

[niceyellow vrs]

I've not long sold off all the bits you'd need for the brake conversion, including brand new Tarox pads. Shame. The 262mm vented brakes never let me down and I was running a zr160 engine in my wedge shape 214 known as the 'Brisk Rover'

[Ju1ian1001]

Didn't think i would be updating this for a long time but well things change, My niece has since split up with her BF (he ended it and turned nasty)but he gave her the MG; the twist being he has ragged it with the result the tensioner has failed and the cambelt has slipped. the Cams are at least 4 teethe out of sink, i also think the head gasket may have failed as there is now lots of oil in the header tank, i have taken the cam cover off today ( after driving back from a week away in norfolk) and there is no signs there.

 

Parts i'm going to need are:

cambelt kit (again)

Headgasket kit

Cam carrier sealant

Valve's or decent second hand head (which ever is going to be cheaper)

Pressure/crack test and skim on cylinder head

Plugs, oil and red antifreeze.

 

 

[Leeboy]

Might be cheaper to get an engine from a scrappy work on it off the car then drop the old one out and in with the new? 

 

I've a 1.6 k series conversion in my old Rapid and it's so easy to work on! 

Edited 10 August, 2017 by Leeboy

[Ju1ian1001]

Wow didn't think this was still on here, well just to concluded it, the MG was scrapped about 8 months later from the last post, the cylinder head was replaced with a good second hand unit i found on the on MG Rover.org, got it running but it smoked badly (dense blue smoke,) dropped the engine out and stripped it, found damage to the rings on cylinder 1, and vertical scratches in all the bores. I knew it needed a set of drive shafts as well and found corrosion starting to take hold on the nearside sill, so she went to scrap, but i did sell all the bits that were good and made £1500, which i gave half to niece and kept the other half and used on a holiday in 2019.