Month: June 2019

Despite the continuing rubbish weather we had a really great morning in Harrogate with Patrick & Dan. Patrick’s very tidy MGTF 1.6 had shown signs of HGF, after pressure testing and code reading etc it was definitely the case.

No damage to the head and everything looking good. Stainless underfloor pipes also replaced and the clutch release arm was freed off.

Great chats and tons of cuppas, bacon sarnie and gorgeous homemade bread thank you! Fab to meet lovely Bertie too and have lots of fusses.

Thornborough near Bedale was our call this morning to meet Glen for head gasket and cambelt service on his MGF 143. The hose for the heater inlet/outlet was split so this was replaced. Pic of the gasket showing heat damage.

All done as quick as possible to dodge the next downpour! Lovely to meet you Glen, thanks for the chocolate shortbread.

Biggleswade was our destination this morning to meet Richard and his very lovely looking MGF 143 in Alumina for cambelt service.

All bolts came undone easily, car running great and on ECU check only some historic codes came up related to the Lambda sensor.

Thankfully we had Richard’s (fab!) garage to work in out of the steady downpour. Great to meet you both, thank you for the cuppas.

After leaving our lovely digs near Ross-on-Wye this morning we went over to Brecon to meet Anne, who had been experiencing overheating problems with her lovely looking TF160. After pressure testing and investigation it was evident that the head gasket had gone, so this was replaced and whilst there we carried out cambelt service. We were told that unfortunately the local garage had put steel seel in it!! After doing the head gasket it was apparent that it had blocked the radiator. So after enquiries with our contacts and resources we have managed to locate a rad and will be taking a planned morning off on Sunday to fit.

Following this we headed back to Gloucester to see Alex again as after we replaced the head gasket yesterday the car was still having temperature issues, as the car was bought as a project with known problems we had narrowed it down to a circulation issue which had caused the head gasket to blow. So after replacing pipe clamps on some of the hoses and replacing the thermostat the car is now behaving nicely.

What an absolute continuous deluge we had all day, soaked to the skin, but thankful of a steady stream of cuppas and lovely homemade scones from Anne and offers of food.

Gloucester was bathed in sunshine again which gave us chance to dry everything out! Plus charge my phone, thank you Alex to your lovely grandparents. Really fab to see their cars and have a chat.

A good start to the day seeing Kevin in the hotel car park in Pontypool for replacement underfloor pipes on his TF135, a good bit of planning! All went well with no awkward bolts. Great to see you Kevin, shame we couldn’t get Marcus sorted!

Having sourced a radiator for Anne we went up the hill to remove it from a car, thank you so much Andy for letting us do that!! You will make someone very happy tomorrow!

On our way home now after a long but successful day. We went to see Terry’s TF160 in Braintree again. He had had a lucky escape when his bottom pulley had come undone causing damage to both bottom cogs allowing the cambelt to cut through both upper and lower covers but miraculously not slipping a single tooth! The bolt had obviously not been tightened fully when the car had had a cambelt service elsewhere in the past. We fitted new bottom pulleys and new covers. All back up and running nicely again.

From there we went to see Andy again in Sudbury following diagnosis of the problem last week on his friend Claire’s TF135. We fitted a new fuel pump and problem solved, car sparked in to life having been stood for 2-3 years. Cambelt service also carried out and a couple of other bits. Really great to get the car back to rights again, now time for the MOT. Thanks for all the cuppas and yummy cakes!

We then went over to meet Stewart in Leavenheath near Colchester whose recently acquired TF115 had started having problems with a slow & clunky window. We went armed with a new window mech but after Jon spent some time doing some adjustments problem was solved. Whilst there, Stewart asked us to see where a weird squeak was coming from. Previous owner had obviously had a problem with the bonnet release and had not refitted the bracket underneath the radiator cover, so this was duly fixed and annoying squeak gone! Great to meet you Stewart, don’t forget to do the wave 👋😃

Some pics below of some quite remarkable damage to the timing covers and pulleys.