Month: June 2024

An early start yesterday morning to head down to Stratford-upon-Avon where we met Kevan for the first time and his P reg MGF, in paint code HAM, known as ‘Moira’ that was named so by the previous owner.

He’d initially enquired about a pump up of the hydragas, but given that ride wasn’t great and the mileage on the car he wanted to go for replacement of the spheres themselves. So this we did for him, and it all went really well. We look forward to hearing how his ride out went.

Good to meet Kevan, who makes a cracking brew too.

From there we headed on up to Kidderminster for work on Marks LE 500, 80 of 500 (paint code 106) and Micks 2003 TF 135 (paint code JFV). We’d briefly met Mark when we were at Steve Cottons, last year, when he came over to buy his roll-hoops, which are now looking very good on Marks LE.

Weirdly, both of their drivers side door mechs had packed up, and they’d both been having to enter and exit via the passenger side for some time, much to other people’s amusement!

So these were replaced for them and they can now gain entry on the correct side once more. Great to see them both and have a natter before we went on a very long and slow haul back home.

Now here’s the thing we should have been staying over for the night ready for the call this morning in Walsall, but having been away so much lately we wanted to get home. Plus it wouldn’t have been much of a haul to Walsall anyway, it just seemed like a good round trip when first planned.

Thank goodness we did go home as we were met with a burst pipe! What an absolute nightmare!! Long story short, we managed to turn off the water, clear up the flood, but had no electricity throughout the house apart from weirdly one socket, so extension cables duly rigged up around the house to enable us to see etc. The insurance company did their usual of promising emergency plumbers, electricians and accommodation, but none of these transpired until this afternoon.

Unfortunately, we were unable to make it to our call in Walsall today, we contacted the customer last night, which didn’t go down well. Understand his disappointment and frustration, but I can count on one hand how many times we’ve had to cancel an appointment, and wasn’t expecting a response like the one we got.

It’s our 10th wedding anniversary today, and as most of you who know us we never really do the whole celebrating fussy stuff, so I suppose it was quite fitting that the day was spent, mopping up, replacing sink hoses and taps, repairing the boiler, cleaning and generally sorting out carnage. Deep joy all round. 😩 – https://ift.tt/wAZuy1i

Harrogate & Wilberfoss…

Our first call of the day was in Harrogate for work on Patrick’s 2001 MGF 120 mpi, that used to belong to his son Dan, and that we’d last worked on a number of years ago. Patrick had recently sold his TF and regretted letting it go, so as Dan wasn’t really using the MGF anymore he decided to take on the ownership of it.

The cambelt service was a little over due, plus it hadn’t had a service in a while so it was booked in for this, in between time though it was noticed that it was showing signs of head gasket failure. Everything carried out for him today, along with new heater resister pack and hydragas pump up and the car is all sorted for him and Diane to enjoy.

Really great to see Patrick again today and have a good chat while we worked, thanks to him for many cracking brews and Jon’s bacon buttie. Not forgetting to mention fusses with their very happy and cute woofer Bertie.

From there we went over to Wilberfoss, where it was lovely to see Derek and Margaret again, for fitting of a ‘Jakabi Design’ binnacle, as the one on their TF 80th Anniversary had cracked. Plus the gearbox oil was changed, that I forgot to take with us when we went over last month. Always good to have a chat with them, we look forward to our visit next year.

An enjoyable days work, complete with some sunny weather thrown in too. 🌞 – https://ift.tt/2jhrUS3

Sunday at the workshop…

We had a couple of cars dropped off with us while we were away so wanted to get cracking on these today.

Jane’s MGF 1.8 mpi was still emitting an awful screach, despite changing the alternator belt twice. So it could only come down to one thing, that the bearings in the alternator itself had finally given up the ghost. We ordered a couple in while we were away. This was duly fitted today and all things nice and quiet again. Car ready for Jane and Lee to come over from Rossington and collect.

The other car was Andy’s TF 160. We’d replaced the head gasket last month at Andy’s place in Royston, but the car was still having an issue with coolant levels. He subsequently brought the car up to us when visiting family in the area and we carried out an oil-cooler bypass. Following a run around the area and then back home it was still having some issues. So he dropped it back with us to sort.

It’s quite probable that due to
The blockage in the oil-cooler it has caused the head gasket to blow again. So we replaced the head gasket once more, so hopefully this has now resolved all the issues with the car. Hope so as Andy’s coming up to collect it ahead of the coming weekend, when he will be going on the MG North Yorkshire groups annual weekend away. We’ll do a further road test on Tuesday anyway.

Van unloaded of all the stuff from our recent trip to the South West and then restocked ready for our visit to Harrogate and Wilberfoss tomorrow.

Back home now and I’ve an absolute ton of admin to get through. Then we’ll watch the highlights from the Spanish Grand Prix. Hope everyone has had a great weekend, where possible, enjoying the fabulous weather. 🌞 – https://ift.tt/2jhrUS3

Day 11 – South West – Warmley…

After a stop over in Monmouth, last night, we headed back down to Warmley to get Steve’s TF 160 sorted for him, following our visit to him last Wednesday, as part of this latest trip.

There was also an issue to sort on his MGF, he’d got in touch a couple of days ago to say that he’d heard a loud bang coming from the engine bay. When he removed the engine cover he found that one of the forward rubber mounted engine bolts had sheared, which had compounded the fact that the mount didn’t have the upper retaining spring. Steve had managed to get hold of one so while we were waiting for the valves to arrive for the TF we fitted this and remounted the engine. It was in no danger of falling out, but it could move forward and back an inch.

Valves arrived shortly after that, so Jon got on with replacing these, two inlet and two exhaust valves had bent. Everything put back together again and we refitted the cylinder head. Car back up and running lovely.

Really pleased to have this sorted for Steve. Big thanks to him for many cuppas keeping us hydrated as it was a bit of a hot day, plus the freshly baked banana bread. It was great to have lots of fusses with their lovely woofer Bertie too.

We’re now a very slow crawl back up north to home, but at least we’re heading home, and looking forward to seeing Binx puss.

It’s a been a very busy and tiring 11 days, but very productive and we’ve found ourselves in some very nice locations with lovely people and their fab MGs!

19 MGs

1 lodge, 3 hotels, 1 pub and a shepherds hut.

1,200 miles ish. – https://ift.tt/rJLZM3X

Day 10 of 10 (11) – South West – Hereford…

From our digs in Bromash, we headed over to Hereford for work on Noel’s 2003 TF 135, in Trophy Blue. Noel had previously owned a MGF for a number of years. He spotted this TF for sale and fancied owning one, it came with little service history so he asked us to carry out a full cambelt service.

This went so well, no awkward bolts or issues and we turned the key on it at 10:30 am. Wouldn’t you know it would go well when we should have been heading home afterwards. Never mind, it’s just how things pan out.

Really great to meet Noel today and have a good chat with him, and meet his fab puss Fred, plus he makes a cracking brew, Noel that is, not Fred.

We made the most of the early finish and went into Hereford for some lunch, well actually it was an all day breakfast that Jon was fancying. Found a lovely place called De Koffie Pot right next to the river. We took in a visit to the cathedral too, which was pretty impressive.

So we’re now back in Monmouth for the night. The weather has definitely made a change for the better. I took myself off for a hike up the hills to The Kymin again.

The valves we ordered are arriving tomorrow, so we will head back to Warmley to get things all sorted for Steve. – https://ift.tt/rJLZM3X

Day 9 of 10 – South West – Haytor…

A departure from our digs in Plymouth bright and early this morning to head over to Haytor for work on Roger’s two MGFs.

One of which, we had done some work on four years ago. Today this one, a W reg 1.8 mpi in Nightfire was in need of hydragas pump up and the underfloor coolant pipes replacing with stainless.

The other one, a R reg 1.8 mpi, in Tahiti, which he had fairly recently bought, was in need of a head gasket replacement and cambelt service, hydragas pump up and underfloor pipes. Well that’s what we thought.

Unfortunately, on removing the engine cover we could tell that there was something definitely amiss. On further investigation and on removing the cylinder head we found that the engine had been well and truly cooked.

The cylinder head had deep indentations made by the fire-rings, once removing all the oil from the cylinders we found that the liners were all scored and rusty. The cams were rusted up too. Thick mayo had made its way into the inlet manifold, the air pipe, the air-filter box, the exhaust manifold, the original plastic allocation dowels were just melted blobs. The cambelt casing was completely melted. Part of alternator belt was missing, luckily this hadn’t caused any further problems. Surprisingly, too even in this case the liners still hadn’t sunk!

So the car is going to require, new piston rings, new liners, new covers etcetera, along with obviously all the gaskets, cambelt, water pump and everything else required to put it back to rights.

After liaising with Roger he’s decided to go ahead with all the works. So we’ll find a date to come back and get this sorted for him. He wasn’t sure of the history of the car when he took it on, it had been stood for doing nothing for quite some time, but he certainly wasn’t expecting things to be this bad. But, it’s nothing that a bit of TLC and time can’t put right.

We look forward to our return and getting it back up and running, as it should, for Roger to enjoy.

We had a quick nip round the corner to Haytor rocks, and had an ice cream, I still couldn’t persuade Jon to walk to the top this time either! Maybe next time. So we’re now on our way back up the country to just near Ross-on-Wye for the evening. – https://ift.tt/45Um8Wr

Day 8 of 10 (11) – South West – Crapstone…

We ventured, not many miles, from our digs, this morning and found ourselves in this beautiful village for work on Simon’s 2003 TF 160, in paint code LEF, that he’d just recently taken ownership of as a bit of a project in his retirement, amongst his many other interesting activities.

A full cambelt service carried out, the car had been stood and unserviced for about ten years, so it was good to get it back to rights.

We also installed a K-maps remap. The car is having the MOT done tomorrow, so all should be good to go on the car, which is intended to be a daily runner. It does have a very nice stable-mate, one of my absolute faves, an RV8, just stunning!

It was a real pleasure meeting and chatting to Simon today. Plus it has to be up there for one of the best commutes ever, from town and industrial area, where we are staying and then, all of a sudden, you’re in stunning countryside, filled with ponies and their foals, not forgetting the sheep and their lambs too of course. Sorry, but I’m adding a few more pics than I usually do, of the locations we find ourselves in. 🐴

The weather has finally felt like it should for the time of year, so having an early ish finish this afternoon I took myself off for a walk through the streets of Plymouth and the park to the seafront, where Jon and I met up for a cuppa. – https://ift.tt/45Um8Wr

Day 7 of 10 (11) – South West – Abbotskerswell, Newton Abbot & Liskeard…

Our first call of the day was in Abbotskerswell, after leaving our digs in Exeter.

Warren had asked if we could take a look at his 2004 TF 135, that had creaky suspension, we greased up both front arms, one of them had been recently replaced, of which this one took quite a bit more grease than the other. Tops of the shockers on the rears were sprayed with lubricant and the car is now squeak free, including the noisy boot hinges. Minor service carried out too.

Great to meet Warren and his lovely Dad, we could have happily stayed and talked all day long to them both, but we had to be on our way to the next call.

This was only a few miles along the road to Newton Abbot, where it was good to see Alan again and his LE 500 (number 353), for replacement of a track-rod end and engine-oil and filter change. After a catch-up and a cuppa it was time to head off, we look forward to seeing them again next year.

The next call of the day was in Liskeard, to check out a couple of things on Ray’s 2002 TF 160, that we’d seen on our trip last year for the cambelt service.

The temperature gauge was working intermittently, so we replaced the coolant temperature sensor and this resolved that issue. The handbrake light kept coming on on the dashboard, so the free-play on the handbrake was adjusted, which sorted this out too. This car will be going up for sale due to Ray becoming the custodian of another vehicle. He’s owned 5 MGs in the past, so will no doubt return to the MG fold once again.

Tim had got in touch regarding his 2003 TF 160, that he thought was making a strange noise, coming from the back of the car and asked if we could check it out. As we weren’t heading as far as Redruth this time, due to the annual trip to Penzance being delayed until next year, Tim drove up to meet us in a car park in Liskeard.

The only sounds only audible were the usual VVC mechs rattle, but they’re really not bad at all on this car, and a little bit of vibration from the heat shield. It was good to see Tim again and we look forward to seeing him next year when we venture back down.

The weather made a change for the better today, and it actually got a bit warm at Warren’s this morning. Plus Tim enjoyed a top down run both ways.

A long and tiring Sunday, but a good one all the same and great to see everyone and the sun for a change. We’re now in some very decent digs, in Plymouth, for the next couple of nights with a cracking view from the window in our room. – https://ift.tt/dHUl8oS