|
||
|
12th September 2018, 20:23 | #1 |
Loves to post
Rover 75 Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Biddulph
Posts: 486
Thanks: 101
Thanked 145 Times in 90 Posts
|
Sad now - Head gasket again
Well, last year, I had the dreaded HGF which was fixed by MG Rover Repairs from Derby. They came out and did the repair work in the drive but did tell me the turbo was loose and would fail at some point.
That point arrived! I called MG Rover Repairs and got a quote and asked their advice but found a second hand, low mileage turbo on eBay for £100 delivered, which was good. As I kind of needed the car done quickly, I took it to the garage that I live three doors down from in order to get the thing done quickly. I looked at doing it myself, but it seems the entire front of the car has to come off, so I do NOT have the ability to do that! Unfortunately, the garage took its sweet time doing it, and I got the car back today. The report the mechanic gave was that the Head Gasket that was done, was done really badly! This is his list of problematic things from last years repair: New Head Bolts weren't fitted Head wasn't skimmed There's an oil leak from the head to the block Cam shaft oil seams leaking Cam shaft closing plates missing Radiator has a leak at the top left. The turbo manifold gasket hadn't been replaced and the bleed nipples were snapped off. Depressingly, the guarantee I had with the car is 14 months ago, so no guarantee on the work done. Now, the thing is, I love the car, but with the repeated leaks and engine repairs, it's getting on my wick a bit. I know nothing about cars, so can't comment on what was done right, wrong, what should be done or anything, but the mechanic says it needs the head gasket doing and the head shimming and everything that MGRover Repairs did last year at another £400+. But do I trust him? Last year, the guy that did the work was really nice, seemed to know what he was doing and was quite happy with me standing over his shoulder watching and "helping". I don't want to cast aspersions on anyone, but I have a guy that came and did a bunch of work, and another guy saying the work was done badly and needs redoing, but I'm in no way qualified to know either way! Do I call MGRover Repairs and talk to them, but what would I say, and what would I ask? They are hardly likely to come out just to have a look at something they wouldn't even remember doing or do I just accept the fact that it seems like I need to have the car expensively repaired every year? It's very depressing as I do love the car when it works and doesn't smell of damp and sloshes internally. I also need a new handbrake thingy as the handbrake holds less than me sticking me foot out the door. Thanks for listening. I just really needed to moan to someone who isn't my long suffering wife, or someone who isn't instantly dismissive of Rovers. |
12th September 2018, 20:30 | #2 |
Gets stuck in
MG ZT 190+ Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: North Shields
Posts: 561
Thanks: 143
Thanked 170 Times in 103 Posts
|
Get a 2nd opinion
__________________
Approved food eater |
12th September 2018, 20:45 | #3 |
This is my second home
Rover 75 saloon x2, Rover 75 Tourer x2, Rover 220 Coupe Turbo Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Kirkcaldy, Fife
Posts: 9,038
Thanks: 2,278
Thanked 2,852 Times in 1,718 Posts
|
Get a second opinion. I’ve heard good things about those MG guys in Derby but worth getting another opinion in case this garage is trying to pull a fast one to try and get some business out of you.
__________________
Wanted - Indian bride. Cash waiting. (All sorted - bargain) First name and forum name: Ravinder Rover 75 2.0 CDT Connoisseur SE 116 (160 remap) Royal Blue (JFM) This vehicle was the 50,481st 75 to run off the production line, out of 112,381 This vehicle was the 2,238th 75 CDT Connoisseur SE to be made out of 3,775 This vehicle was the 5,002nd 75 in Royal Blue (code: JFM) to be made out of 14,420 Royal Blue 75s |
12th September 2018, 20:56 | #4 |
Loves to post
Rover 75 Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Biddulph
Posts: 486
Thanks: 101
Thanked 145 Times in 90 Posts
|
I did think of the garage as getting work out of me, but I told them to replace the turbo and leave everything else as it ought to be covered under warranty. Not that it was, but he didn't need to know that, so he was just telling me what he found.
To be fair, the garage has a good reputation. They are generally good, relatively cheap (turbo replacement including gaskets and oil/water replacement for £120) but are a little slow and a little...I don't know, rough and ready? Not a sparkly, free coffee and magazine reading area kind of place? Everything is covered in oil and engine dirt. A proper mechanic looking kind of place. Problem is, in order to get a second opinion, I'd have to pay again to have someone pull things apart to see what needs pulling apart. At least it doesn't smoke like a steam train now. 'Twas rather amusing when the old turbo fell apart, the quantity of smoke that it threw out. Give me a chuckle. AND made me cry! |
12th September 2018, 21:02 | #5 |
Gets stuck in
MG ZT 190+ Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: North Shields
Posts: 561
Thanks: 143
Thanked 170 Times in 103 Posts
|
Clean up the engine and look for the leaks described, should be easy enough
__________________
Approved food eater |
12th September 2018, 21:03 | #6 |
Premium Trader
Rover 75 Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Devon
Posts: 33,808
Thanks: 8,837
Thanked 14,831 Times in 8,030 Posts
|
A proper garage then, getting rarer these days.
__________________
Lest we forget..
|
12th September 2018, 21:11 | #7 |
Gets stuck in
MG ZT+ CDTi Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Wolverhampton
Posts: 633
Thanks: 166
Thanked 264 Times in 154 Posts
|
You might want to get member Dawns view on that Derby Garage!
Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk |
12th September 2018, 21:23 | #8 | |
Loves to post
Rover 75 Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Biddulph
Posts: 486
Thanks: 101
Thanked 145 Times in 90 Posts
|
Quote:
In that last 12 months, the car appears to have used no water or virtually no oil (according to the dip stick) so I figured everything was hunky dory, other than the ticking time bomb of the rattly turbo. Poo. |
|
12th September 2018, 21:30 | #9 | |
I really should get out more.......
BMW X3 2.0D Join Date: May 2017
Location: Tipton
Posts: 2,383
Thanks: 51
Thanked 765 Times in 421 Posts
|
Quote:
In fact last time I checked it'd just passed another MOT.....
__________________
Current car: BMW x3 2.0d (The one with the M47 engine!) Rolled off the line on December 14th, 2004. |
|
12th September 2018, 21:46 | #10 |
I really should get out more.......
P6B, L550, Imp, F56, Commando Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Aberdeenshire
Posts: 2,886
Thanks: 352
Thanked 677 Times in 440 Posts
|
New Head Bolts weren't fitted.
If they were changing out a turbo then I can’t understand why they would have taken of the camshaft cover, as that is the only way you can see the bolts. The bolts do not normally need changing. Head wasn't skimmed. If it’s flat then there is no need to skim, skimming for the sake of it is stupidity and means that they do not understand basic engineering. There's an oil leak from the head to the block. Big deal. Sounds like a/some camshaft seal/s are/is leaking, a simple enough repair to a trustworthy source.the camshaft seals may have been leaking before the repair or after, as I said they are not normally terminal issues Cam shaft oil seams leaking. Same as above. Cam shaft closing plates missing. Perhaps, poor attention to detail tbh but not terminal, the seal should be protected from road grime/dust, but perhaps they were not there before? Radiator has a leak at the top left. Could have occurred just recently, I don’t know why you can attribute this to the head gasket repair The turbo manifold gasket hadn't been replaced and the bleed nipples were snapped off. Bleed nipples? Last edited by Lovel; 12th September 2018 at 21:53.. |
|
|