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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Why is No Job Ever Easy

After getting a bargain unleaded 12G940 A+ head off ebay, de-coking it, fit new valve stem seals, drill four holes in the thermostat block off the bypass on the water pump make sure everything is clean go to fit, torque down the head in the correct order get to 30lb on the torque wrench when you feel the threads strip and you can't believe it.

One use of nut splitter, undo all nuts remove the rocker gear and then remove the stud.....(see image).

Bugger was just trying to get it back on the road for the weekend now got to wait for replacement parts as usual.

Just lately everything is taking longer than I expect but hey that's the fun of a 38 year old car!!!

Now should I really be thinking of replacing all of the studs?

New mental note to self make sure all tappets are loose before bolting rocker gear down next time....




Shaun

Shaun,
I feel your pain. I have done exactly the same thing. But with anything worthwhile, there is some pain, some dissapointment and even some great joy. If it were pain free, we would not have the heart that most of us have in our cars and for others, its just scraped knuckles.
Pax
Allan
Allan Jacks

Buck up Shaun. We could all drive Hondas right? We do things right because we do them twice.
CJCharvet

Shaun,

I've re-used standard studs and nuts numerous times and never had that problem. I would be glad though that the nut end gave in and not the thread in the block which would be more difficult to rectify.
David Billington

you mean Im not the only one that has ever happened to....shocking!!!


I feel your pain....Im still screwing around with my chrome side pipes...Im supposed to leave tomarrow by noon for the brit car show in st. louis...so not sure whats going to happen but Ill be there pushing it or pulling it makes no matter to me

yeah nothing ever goes to plan....its just life trying to shaft you anyway it can.

hang in there



prop
Prop

CJ the daily driver is a honda!!!! how ironic, just was hoping to get some sunny days in the Midge with the top down this weekend.

Plus been missing driving the midget as it feel like its been off the road since the end of august......

But chin up now where can I find a stud locally today during my lunch?
Shaun

Shaun.

You could order a competition stud kit from Minispares North, it should be with you for Saturday morning. Make sure your torque wrench is calibrated!!! sounds like something was wrong there.

Also worth lubing the threads and thrust face of the head nuts.

Mark.
Mark T. Boldry

I had a similar situation when I changed my head earlier this year only it was a stud that snapped, luckily there was enough sticking out the block for me to remove it, And it was on the final torquing of the last stud (isnt it always the case!!)

I didnt want to risk it happening again so I invested in an ARP set and only needed to do thre job once.

Mark
Mark Whitmore

couldn't you 'borrow' a stud from your old head - just to get you going!!
Mick - She's off the rotisserie

This set of studs is off the old head as the bargain did not come with any!!!!

I have a mate with a 998 head off a mini would the studs be the same material?
Shaun

Hi Shaun,
I did exactly the same thing. Are you using the long nuts? From the look of the stripped thread you could be using a standard nut which can't withstand that amount of torque (well mine didn't). I went down to MG Mecca and got a couple of new studs and nuts. I have a spare stud if you need it (also spare nut I think).

Steve
Steve Church

Shaun,
I should be home from about 2pm today if you want to stop by and pick up that stud. I'm fairly sure I kept one back somewhere.

Steve
Steve Church

Cheers Steve, I will be popping by that way around 6pm tonight after work if that's OK by you?

Shaun
Shaun

SORTED!!!! have a nice weekend -- hope its sunny 4 you
Mick - She's off the rotisserie

Shaun,
Yep I'll be here, painting the garage doors!

Steve
Steve Church

Shaun, it's coz your cack handed, thats all.

cheers
Brad
B Richards

Thanks for the vote of support Brad,

Need I remind you about how important a spring is for a gearbox to stop it sticking in first gear!!! How many time was that engine/gearbox in / out.....

Shaun

Had something similar a few years with a Jaguar 4.2 engine. Terrible job to get a broken stud out when the stud snapped off at the bottom of the water gallery. One can take a core plug and impotently just feel the stump with a fingertip. A local machine shop made me up a very long drill, and I was lucky to drill in the centre and tap (very long tap bar made up) the mess out successfully enough to get a new stud in.


So I then investigated the other studs and over half were just like this one. Jaguar maintenance advice at one time was chuck a fresh tube of barsleak in the coolant at every service. Over time the sediment of barsleak builds up and erodes the bottom of the studs.

I replaced all the studs with as it turned out, pattern studs. Torqued head down exactly as specified. Started engine - bang! water and oil all over the place, head gasket had blown. So took head off and sent it off for skimming, got it back and put it all back together. Started engine - bang! Head gasket again.

Finally discovered that the head nuts were jamming on the threads of the pattern studs. Normally it's supposed to be a big no no, using oil on the threads and nuts because of false torque wrench readings, but in this case it did the job. I got another turn and a half of the head nuts before the torque wrench settled down.

Engine ran fine after that, and I was well practised in taking an XJ6 head off in 20 mins.

Roly




Roly Alcock

Now that's serious corrosion!!!

Replacement stud sourced yesterday off a 998 engine. Managed to get the head bolted down last night, put all hoses back checked valve clearance .012 as per manual.

Top up the coolant this morning and then fingers crossed time to turn over with no sparks to get oil flowing and make sure nothing is hitting.

Then put the spark plug in and see what happens......

Shaun 'It will run this morning' Riches
Shaun

Fired after three or four turns and no leaks.

Job well done, one happy owner.....enjoyable car show and back home again.

Shaun

This thread was discussed between 19/09/2008 and 20/09/2008

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

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