MG Rover Addiction - is there a cure?

[Dallas]

Originally Posted by Jim Jamieson

Just looked in to this post and in answer to your first question, I’m sorry there’s no cure to your addition and will remain with you for life.

Meantime to make things easier on yourself save some of your pocket money which will ease your addiction.

For a car of 22 years it sure looks good and the following owners cars show just what can be achieved.

Re the switches, I found with the SD1 a lot of the switches had started to dry out and some had corroded contacts. I stripped down every single switch on mine, cleaned all the muck off using electrical spray cleaner then re assembled the switches with a smear of petroleum jelly. I never had any problem after that.

Good luck with your future plans on the wee gem.

Thank you Jim, Its seems the old girl is the one to keep, even if she is going to cost me a small fortune.

[Dallas]

MG Rover addiction LOL I need my head read, why the hell I'm messing about with this MGF is beyond me.

I had another go at getting the top two cambelt cover bolts out this morning, and with a lot of patients and persuasion, I managed to get them out without damaging the two covers that much.

On inspecting the belt, tensioner and watepump they all look ok. After running the engine upto temperature and hearing the whine/drone noise, I reckon its the tensioner for sure. A light spray of WD40 around the rim of the tensioner and the noise nearly vanished, so its got to be a cheap tensioner that was fitted just two years ago which now has dry bearings.

Thats as far as I can go, if I meddle with fitting a cambelt kit, the poor car will never start again.

[mininuts]

Nice one Wes
That's the hard bit done! Get yourself a new tensioner and belt and get stuck in. If you're methodical and follow instructions, it's not to bad a job. If I can do it, anybody can.

Pleased you've got this far though and, hopefully, sourced the whine

[trophy160]

Good work wes, as mininuts says get yourself the new parts and have a go at it. Imagine the satisfaction of getting it running and looking just as you want it. Best of luck mate

Sent from my F8331 using Tapatalk

[Dallas]

Originally Posted by mininuts

Nice one Wes
That's the hard bit done! Get yourself a new tensioner and belt and get stuck in. If you're methodical and follow instructions, it's not to bad a job. If I can do it, anybody can.

Pleased you've got this far though and, hopefully, sourced the whine

Originally Posted by trophy160

Good work wes, as mininuts says get yourself the new parts and have a go at it. Imagine the satisfaction of getting it running and looking just as you want it. Best of luck mate

Sent from my F8331 using Tapatalk

Thanks for the encouragement guys, but thats as far as I can go, if I meddle with fitting a cambelt kit, the poor car will never start again.

I can do an engine transplant on a Ford Capri oh! how I miss the good old Ford Pinto engine, they were the days. I can even change the thermostat kit on a ZT190, but I have never performed a cambelt changed, this is something I have never delved into I'm afraid.

I once watched PhilT4 in action, and as much as I thought I had it all mastered in my own mind, timing up an engine is something I will most probably mess-up.

[Groundsman Willie]

Originally Posted by Dallas

Thanks for the encouragement guys, but thats as far as I can go, if I meddle with fitting a cambelt kit, the poor car will never start again.

I can do an engine transplant on a Ford Capri oh! how I miss the good old Ford Pinto engine, they were the days. I can even change the thermostat kit on a ZT190, but I have never performed a cambelt changed, this is something I have never delved into I'm afraid.

I once watched PhilT4 in action, and as much as I thought I had it all mastered in my own mind, timing up an engine is something I will most probably mess-up.

This is the attitude I had until recently. Cambelt change? Nooo can't do it, tis magic.
Then I tried it. Took me a few evenings in total, but probably half of that was checking and rechecking everything was lined up right. All I had was a Haynes manual and a couple of YouTube videos. The feeling of smugness is immense when you turn her over and she fires up sweet as anything
You've got the backup of everyone here to help you through it.
Just think of the manpoints you gain, the next time someone compliments you on her and you say " oh yeah, done a few jobs on her, a service, a couple of bulbs...... Cambelt.....you know, just a few small things......"

[Dallas]

Originally Posted by Groundsman Willie

This is the attitude I had until recently. Cambelt change? Nooo can't do it, tis magic.
Then I tried it. Took me a few evenings in total, but probably half of that was checking and rechecking everything was lined up right. All I had was a Haynes manual and a couple of YouTube videos. The feeling of smugness is immense when you turn her over and she fires up sweet as anything
You've got the backup of everyone here to help you through it.
Just think of the manpoints you gain, the next time someone compliments you on her and you say " oh yeah, done a few jobs on her, a service, a couple of bulbs...... Cambelt.....you know, just a few small things......"

I know exactly what you are saying Dave, I've had that feeling a few times before, and its precious as you say.

But! If I go wrong it will be a very expensive lesson to learn, can you imagine.

[mininuts]

Originally Posted by Dallas

timing up an engine is something I will most probably mess-up.

Hard to mess up really Wes. Set to safe position, fit your cam pulley locking tool and you're pretty much good to go.
Make sure all timing marks are lined up and nothing has moved. Your timing should be exactly what it was before you started

When I did mine I found the timing to be one tooth out so, rectified that and it's running better than ever

[Lordy]

Go on Wes have a go at it you'll never learn if you don't give it a shot sometimes its good too jump in the deep end you'll learn from it.

Doesn't matter how long the job takes if its done correctly and in a safe manner it can be done you just need too give yourself a kick up the back side and do it.

I did my first one on the probe with no help what so ever, I did bit research and I got too finally do it and guess what.

It took me a good few hours and I don't I was worrying so much, Mark everything if you can't see the timing marks propyl use tipex I did and since then timing marks are much easier too line up.

You've got the perfect site here if you get stuck your unsure of anything.

[Dallas]

I bought one of those 4" single din stereo's for the F, at least now I can drown out the dry bearing sound.