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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Head on, any first run advice?

Hi all. I have surfaced from the workshop at last.

The head is on and its all back together with advanced features like gaskets on the carb to manifold joint, shiny new throttle cable, and all old clips remaining on cooling hoses swapped for new ones. The failure was from the water to the oil, on the pushrod side of the engine, not into the cylinders. Exacerbated by the fixed cooling system. Valve clearance checked.

Final check over everything tomorrow first thing, then coolant in, crank over to prime float chambers, and start.

Any advice for first run? Quite enjoyed doing the FHG but prefer to drive the car so?

Then when back with warm motor will check carbs.

Miles till check torque?

Any other suggestions?
Dave Squire (1500)

Dave,
dealing with the cooling system, even with your (seemingly IIRC) partial and scattered method would have helped matters not made them worse -if things had got too hot you could have warped the head, you did check the head was level(?) with a known flat edge

I'd always pre-mixed the coolant and have the required quantity of pre-mixed coolant that way I know how much has gone in by what's left and I have pre-mixed coolant if topping up is required

I've always just refilled (slowly to avoid air traps) with pre-mixed coolant as per Handbook instructions and never had and problems by doing so

no advice for first run other than perhaps make it a circular run around near where you live so that you can follow a short radius to get back home if required

and keep an eye on your dials, an ear to how the car sounds at start up, running and just before turning off, and sniff the air as you can smell overheated coolant

take the rest of the premixed coolant with you just in case and a few tools

different people have different ideas of if/when to re-torque, could be 500 miles or whatever you feel happy with

before doing carbs you need to check (points/plugs) timing and adjust if/as required
Nigel Atkins

Head not warped Nigel, checked before anything else done.
Sleepy time so up early and ........ brm! :-)

Thanks.
Dave Squire (1500)

id leave the cap off and run the engine for 15 minutes then put the cap on to bleed off air pockets in the engine

retighten all water hoses after 50-100 miles

change your oil and filter before you start it the 1st time

retorque head hot after 1st 15 miles

bobs your uncle

prop
Prop and the Blackhole Midget

Battery Operated Boyfriend is your uncle? WTF?
Steven Devine

good point there about changing oil and filter, remember oil is the secondary engine coolant but you'd have already done that personally I'd have done an oil flush too if the coolant been mixing in the oil and oilways

the thing is all these changes of fluid helps but not if they're getting contaminated each time after

(IIRC?) and if you've run on just water instead of coolant mix then you've missed out on the anti-corrosion within the coolant mix and possibly have crudding up from just the water

no need to drive slowly but best not to go too mad until you know things are fine

enjoy your run (or enjoyed your run)
Nigel Atkins

Ted at TSI automotive in Ohio told me a couple of things about break-in for 1500's.

Change the oil a few times during break in period, not just once. You should remove distributor gear and prime oil pump before starting. Use a ZInc additive or break-in oil with zinc, good zinc cam lube too.
Ron Koenig

Disagreeing again with you Nigel, sorry!

There is no problem at all with a CI engine of initially filling with plain water with no coolant additives. It makes a lot of sense after a major job like this to fill with water and run for a while to check for leaks and until you are sure everything else is OK and you don't need to dismantle anything again. Then when you are happy with it, drain, or partially drain the water and add the coolant needed to bring it to the correct strength.

I always do that in these cases and usually leave the water without additive for a couple of weeks / few hundred miles until I am sure all is OK. I couldn't stand draining off and wasting brand new coolant mix if I did need to fix a minor hose leak!
Guy W

yeap a few weeks of just water aint going to amount to much along as it's not forgotten and left as water only but coolant isn't expensive (depending on your definition of course) so why not add it at the start and then it also doesn't matter if the car has then to be left standing untouched for several winters as many classics do

most minor leaks you don't lose much coolant, I know I've had plenty of experience of minor leaks (ETA: with my cars)

if you ever fit an electric cooling fan check not only that it works but also that it goes in the correct direction because that is a waste of fresh coolant (unless you filter it and reuse it, saves a bit of money)

I'm with the many oil changes when running-in the engine and being thorough with the oil and filter changes by getting the oil as warm as possible and drain for as long as possible to get out as much of the existing oil and muck as possible

CI(?) is that a typo or I'm missing what you mean by it
Nigel Atkins

CI = Cast Iron. Less fussy than an alloy head when it comes to use of proper coolant.
I was only advocating water as a test, and for a week or two. I never mentioned leaving it is "for several winters" !!
Guy W

no I know you weren't suggesting leaving it for several winters but you would forget as it's a common practice for you

David and you are very strict on not expanding the subject :)

you got me with CI, wonder if I'll remember next time I see it

you're obviously not on a water meter with all this draining water off, I hope you recycle it
Nigel Atkins

This thread was discussed between 20/04/2013 and 30/04/2013

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