[Richard Barrett]

I like that mate a car hobby I'm almost exactly the same, but my wife became ill, so I packed up my lifetime love of fishing, to be home more. With the car, I can go for a spin, and be back in two hours, having my fix. However I wish we lived closer, as I'd come and cadge a few of your idea's, watch you and then try myself. I'm really hopeless at DIY of any kind, not practical at all. Economics and Finance are my given skills, but I'm finding even that difficult now days, as my mind wanders frequently. I'm hoping this summer I may find a local MG enthusiast that does his own work near by. Just to watch and get advice.

 

[Chris T]

Nut splitting time!

 

[Geoff11]

Nothing like the satisfaction of doing the job yourself !⁸
Tried to start mine this morning, nothing but high pich beep ! Never had this in 10 years ! Turns out it was the key fob, my wife washed it in my jeans about 3 years ago( dont worry she wont do it again ) and all was well
After drying it out , there was a bit of green crust around battery terminals
Cleaned and new battery
All is well
Now replacing torque arm
Luckily a curved spanner comes into its own

 

[Geoff11]

Now fitting mg Mania wiper linkage with proper rose joints, i even fitted a couple of grease nipples while it was out

 

[MiNiKiN]

Spent last Sunday afternoon (and the whole monday) replacing the hydrobush engine mount - as the old one had split, spillt all fluid and been metal-on-metal for some while. This was a bit of an aha-effect, that that and not the exhaust caused the horrible rattle.
The changing process was a right pain in the butt - as the bolt of the top bracket and the nut of bush refused any of my opening attempts for hours - no impact gun and no 1.5m-lever were convincing enough. Finally I slowly chiseled the nut away. removed the bracket as a n assembly.
Long story short - the MG feels transformed now - so quiet it is a joy to drive again.

Or has been actually, until yesterday. It's even quieter now - as it turned out the, previously already changed, HG has blown again. The car just stopped and would not start again - Argh!! More work

 

[Flanners]

Winter is over. Washed the TF, coat of Turtle Wax Ceramic Spray....check tyre pressures fit battery from Optimiser....then an hours blat in the sun with roof down. A good drive and a beautiful sunny day.

 

[Richard Barrett]

Winter is over. Washed the TF, coat of Turtle Wax Ceramic Spray....check tyre pressures fit battery from Optimiser....then an hours blat in the sun with roof down. A good drive and a beautiful sunny day.

And the little yellow light engine management light didn't come on? Result enjoy buddy. I drove in a tee shirt 16 deg, around Rutland water yesterday, we must have had the same weather?

 

[Flanners]

And the little yellow light engine management light didn't come on? Result enjoy buddy. I drove in a tee shirt 16 deg, around Rutland water yesterday, we must have had the same weather?

Yes indeed! Got up to 19 degs round here....will be having a nice drive later having got up at the crack of dawn to put the second coat of ceramic wax on......enjoy buddy.

 

[dert]

Fitted a second hand bonnet and bumper to my 160, originals were in a poor state when I first purchased it a few years back, the bonnet had been poorly resprayed and the bumper had taken some beatings as well....also it didn't help the bumper when I caught it on the ground when reversing onto my ramps a few months back Guess which is the before and after

 

[dert]

Give my Knobs a clean

 

[dert]

Today my brother and I rebuilt a fuel pump for my 2006 TF which strangely they stop working on....bought a ford focus pump and "botched" it into the TF pump housing, only cost £10 for the pump but should serve its purpose on seeing if there is a problem with the electrics or fuel...not fitted yet though.

Also finally found the water leak on my 160 using an endoscope (cost £5.98 on ebay) plugged into my mobile phone as suspected it was the thermostat housing, not looking forward to changing it as it appears a lot more difficult than the 135, etc. due to the oil cooler...pic below of the leak.

And finally, fitted some front mudflaps to the 160 no pictures of them...forgot where I've put the rear ones so it will have to wait for them!

 

[dert]

Took my 160 for an MOT, it passed with the now what appears nearly mandatory advisories on a TF of subframes corroded but not seriously weakened on front and back Still not done my thermostat housing, I was surprised it wasn't an advisory for a water leak

 

[dert]

Changed the thermostat on the 160 today, pig of a job compared to the 120/135....decided to split the inlet manifold to make it easier to remove it which I have to admit it did but also had to unbolt the oil cooler to get to one of the metal pipe bolts which was a nightmare, needed to get an extension bar onto the sockets to remove the bolts!! Anyway, all back together but looks like a leak on a front pipe now...at least they are easier to get to.

 

[dert]

Visited my brother earlier after work as have a "whistle" since changing the thermostat which is probably a air leak on the inlet manifold, anyway couldn't find out where the leak was but when sitting in car revving the engine so he could hear I put my foot on the brake which felt very spongy....turns out rear offside (drivers side) brake pipe had burst in an area not really noticeable when on a ramp, brother just so happened to have his brake flaring tools handy so a quick cut of the pipe further up in the engine bay and a black put on it as a temporary measure so I could get home.....next job later this week, replace the brake pipe completely and probably fit my spare braided pipes on the back the same time

 

[dert]

Come on peeps, is no-one doing anything to their F/TF?

Two part one as one was yesterday - Brother came around with his brake flaring tool so nice new brake pipe now in place, also fitted some braided hoses I've had hanging around for a while

This evening I decided to see if I could rectify the whistle on inlet manifold, removed the top half of inlet manifold (Plenum) to gain better access to the bolts, cranked all bolts up slightly over recommended torque value, refitted top half of manifold and all appears ok now. Will check properly tomorrow when I take it to work as engine will be hot when I arrive. Hopefully there will be nothing else happen to it now...apart from an oil and filter change and refilling the coolant with anti-freeze

 

[Flanners]

Had the alternator belt replaced on my F today, got my local spanner man to do it. I got the old belt back a Unipart one think it may be the original fitment from 22 years ago.....I knew the belt was cracking and it had begun to squeal for 20secs on every cold start but I think I have been living very dangerously, it was also splitting, put it off as doing less than 1K a year, I'm sure Russell (when I used to use him) was meant to have changed the belt out same time as the Cam Belt replacement. Disaster averted I'm thinking.

 

[dert]

All leaks sorted on my 160, however; noticed the temp gauge had stopped working in the dash so "shorted" the sensor cable to earth to check if a break in the cable or if a faulty sensor, temp gauge went to top so obviously no break in cable so decided to change the sensor for another I have spare, pig of job trying to get a spanner/socket onto the sensor when "in-situ" with the car on the ground (nice and easy by the looks if up in the air) so decided to take the alloy block with the sensors in off the head as its only 2 bolts, anyway took off changed sensor cleaned old gasket off mating surfaces only to find my spare gasket to refit was nowhere to be be found....luckily had some gasket paper available so made a new gasket...got it all bolted back on, bled the system started up only to find my spare sensor is also faulty New sensor now on order so will look at doing the job all over again in a few days.

 

[Flanners]

My F has required more or less nothing now on 48K miles has had 1 HGF, belts, tyres, plugs filters and oil, a couple of temp sensors, this week the cat has decided to destroy and detach itself internally, so have just put a new cat and flexi-downpipe on her yesterday. All good today in the sun.

 

[dert]

The 160 is now running sweet The coolant sensor which works the temp gauge in the dash finally arrived, changed it over and working fine. Also drained the system and refilled with new antifreeze....no leaks no odd noises, I feel something has to go wrong.......

 

[Barbour]

Had quite a bit done for the MOT (we call it APK overhere), new wiper motor, passenger doorhandle repaired, interior vent fixed, rear plastic window as the old one got knifed by some. And Kmaps tune