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MG MGF Technical - Camcover - breathers

1996 VVC.
Have removed the cam cover in order to replace it's gasket (slight weep of oil into one spark plug).
There are two wire mesh filters in the cover next to the breather tubes. One mesh is clean, the other rusty dirty as if no oily air passes through it. It transpires the breather tube nearest the oil filler is not drilled through - adjacent to the dirty filter! This breather connects to the rubber tube from the "VVC" inlet chamber. Is this a manufacturing defect I need to remedy by drilling through - or is it closed off by design?

Jeff
J Lennon

Hmm - interesting question. I've only got experience with the MPi head and covers - but hopefully someone can answer this. If you've got a copy of the K-series engine workshop manual, this may shed some light too.
Rob Bell

Upon closer inspection there IS a hole in the cam cover breather to "VVC" inlet. In my case a blocked hole of 2mm - now cleared of carbon with a tiny drill bit. The hole was masked on the inside of the cam cover by the usual light brown patina from hot oil. The other breather spigot has a hole 3 times larger (to throttle body) which was totally clear of debris. Panic over!

The motor is 105k old, and was in in need of TLC when I acquired the car last year. Very sludgy oil, horrid cam belts, duff HT, mismatched plugs, duff water pump etc etc. Much flushing and oil changes (finally using Millers 10/40 semi synthetic) plus parts renewal have transformed it. HGF was fixed according to bills, at 67k. With the cam cover off I expected to see some horrors, but was pleased to see a fairly clean and oily space. Suprisingly, all the cam lobes are free of wear marks. There's evidence of baked on deposits on some of the top facing ledges and a bit of sludge in some of the wells of the camshaft carrier - no doubt left overs from previous poor servicing. I'll try to get that lot cleaned up before reassembly. I've been concerned for some time about the diesel rattle of the VVC mechs - or is it the hydraulic valve lifters? More evident on warm than cold. Others better qualified than I am, say it's nowt to worry about. However, I now think it could be a hydraulic tappet or two - since I've had the cams exposed and seen some muck. In fact I inadvertantly overrevved the motor for 5 seconds or more a few weeks back in second gear (rev limiter cut in). Since then the tickover clatter has been less. Perhaps overrevving abuse cleared out some muck from an oil way?

It's a nice day, so must get the above back together and enjoy some top down driving. Now I have PU all round and Toyo T1-R's (used 185 and 205 sizes on 15 rims). I want to check out high speed straight lines and some fast corners! She is a bit harsher on the bumps of course with PU instead of rubber, but it seems to me the rebound is too agressive - i.e. not damped enough. Looking at fitting Gaz adjustable shocks next, but find them out of stock until September. Same supply problem with Toyo Proxes - the rear 205's were hard to locate.
J Lennon

Thanks for the update! The tappets certainly could be responsible for some of the noise. I had a sticking one on my MPi - solved when I changed the cylinder head for a new TF135 casting with a fresh set of tappets! LOL

Replacements come up on ebay from time to time - but more often than not of MPi specifcation rather than the superior VVC type (they are different, and have different oil feeds, presumably designed to cope with the altered rpm limit and anticipated usage of the VVC engine).

I'd definitely recommend Bilstein dampers Jeff. Non adjustable, but Tech-speed got the specs right out of the box. Not massively expensive either... http://www.tech-speed.co.uk/
Rob Bell

This thread was discussed between 22/08/2009 and 23/08/2009

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