The TF has a lot of hoses and several glass fibre reinforced plastic joiners that couple the hoses that after a couple decades, can be in poor shape. I replaced all my hoses only to have 3 of these T piece joiners crumble in quick succession. Examination found the joiners they had become very brittle.
Standard advice on these is to use the proper expansion tank cap with the dimple, that incident may very well not be HGF but instead just a popped hose due to the incorrect cap not regulating the pressure properly. Access isn't actually that bad once the panel is off and a head gasket can be done from the top. Costs for it with the specialists is also very reasonable as are parts etc. For major engine work, it's easier to drop the entire subframe and engine out of the bottom but that is pretty drastic and not required for most jobs. I have a 160 with the Bilstein suspension and the AP 4-pot brakes and yes, all those definitely make it a more engaging experience I think.
Nothing wrong with the MGTF, I've had mine seven years, they are very cheap to buy so the first thing I did was buy the Land Rover upgrade, heavy duty oil rail, high tensile head bolts and a Payen multi layer head gasket, I also had stainless steel water pipes. Not had any issues at all. toured Scotland been on many club events and its been great. All cars have faults, the MX5 can rust for fun just like any car. The biggest problem is people trying to fix the head gasket on the cheap, there are loads of cheap gaskets that are not worth having. I followed the Land Rover guide, it states the head should be skimmed before refitting. I look after mine as it should be.
I blew the head gasket on mine quite early on in my ownership, I think it could happen to everyone. I didn't have the dramatic overheating steamy issues like in your video and other peoples video. I was pretty religious bout checking the header tank and mine did go brown and I took it straight to be repaired. I managed a lot of miles and the head gasket did not go again and the car eventually had to go after the cambelt snapped (plus lots of age/usage stuff that was needed or coming up soon)
If you know how to treat a K series they are fine, main cause is cavating water pump.agravated by a crappy gasket..keep rev's low until up to temp and it will be ok. I have had a similar thing happen to me but it was "new" coolant cap, put old one back on and has not happened again
Youd know if the headgasket had gone... the temps would be through the roof and the car wouldnt run like that... I can see thats got a china coolant bottle cap onit ( no dimple in the center of the cap) .. i gaurentee the heater would have gone cold because that cap cant retain the pressure.. its a pressurised coolant system and if it leaks.. thats what it does... steam.. throws coolant out... she will be fine.
There is no comparison between the MX5 and the Mgf or TF , I worked as the service manager at Swindon Mazda from 1995 -2001 and never saw a MX5 ever break down , I then moved to Swindon Automobiles Rover MG dealer as the service manager and we were replacing head gaskets all day long on them they were so unreliable, it’s a while ago now as that was from 2001 -2007 and I think then a fix finally happened to make them better by a metal dowls instead of the plastic ones which caused the head to actually move and also a updated head gasket but at that point it was all to late for Rover , they looked good , but I certainly felt sorry for the owners who were trying to buy British
The MG TF comparing to a Mazda MX 5 the MX 5 is so much better because they don't blow head gaskets obviously the MX 5 engine is so superior to the MG they don't blow head gaskets and will last so much longer and in Australia when these new MGs came out saw a few of them around but typical British built car they disappeared and the last time l saw an MG was in my local spare parts shop and it had its head gasket replaced why don't they build them properly first take a leaf out of how the Japanese do it make them extremely reliable especially Mazdas Suzuki's Toyota's Honda's and Lexuses and to blow a head gasket on a test run how bad does a car have to be these MGs can't hold a candle to a MAZDA MX 5 there no comparison and as an Australian well there British built vehicles haven't improved why can't they bet things right can't build a decent car apart from Lotus with there TOYOTA CAMERY engines reliable sport cars the most reliable British sports cars with TOYOTA engines in them shows even Lotus can't build a decent engine and l do own a Toyota a 1997 Hilux with 438000 kilometres on it still on its original head gasket Toyota got it right back in 1997 why couldn't MG Rover
The TF has a lot of hoses and several glass fibre reinforced plastic joiners that couple the hoses that after a couple decades, can be in poor shape. I replaced all my hoses only to have 3 of these T piece joiners crumble in quick succession. Examination found the joiners they had become very brittle.
Standard advice on these is to use the proper expansion tank cap with the dimple, that incident may very well not be HGF but instead just a popped hose due to the incorrect cap not regulating the pressure properly. Access isn't actually that bad once the panel is off and a head gasket can be done from the top. Costs for it with the specialists is also very reasonable as are parts etc. For major engine work, it's easier to drop the entire subframe and engine out of the bottom but that is pretty drastic and not required for most jobs. I have a 160 with the Bilstein suspension and the AP 4-pot brakes and yes, all those definitely make it a more engaging experience I think.
Nothing wrong with the MGTF, I've had mine seven years, they are very cheap to buy so the first thing I did was buy the Land Rover upgrade, heavy duty oil rail, high tensile head bolts and a Payen multi layer head gasket, I also had stainless steel water pipes. Not had any issues at all. toured Scotland been on many club events and its been great. All cars have faults, the MX5 can rust for fun just like any car. The biggest problem is people trying to fix the head gasket on the cheap, there are loads of cheap gaskets that are not worth having. I followed the Land Rover guide, it states the head should be skimmed before refitting. I look after mine as it should be.
I blew the head gasket on mine quite early on in my ownership, I think it could happen to everyone. I didn't have the dramatic overheating steamy issues like in your video and other peoples video. I was pretty religious bout checking the header tank and mine did go brown and I took it straight to be repaired. I managed a lot of miles and the head gasket did not go again and the car eventually had to go after the cambelt snapped (plus lots of age/usage stuff that was needed or coming up soon)
If you know how to treat a K series they are fine, main cause is cavating water pump.agravated by a crappy gasket..keep rev's low until up to temp and it will be ok. I have had a similar thing happen to me but it was "new" coolant cap, put old one back on and has not happened again
Youd know if the headgasket had gone... the temps would be through the roof and the car wouldnt run like that...
I can see thats got a china coolant bottle cap onit ( no dimple in the center of the cap) .. i gaurentee the heater would have gone cold because that cap cant retain the pressure.. its a pressurised coolant system and if it leaks.. thats what it does... steam.. throws coolant out... she will be fine.
Garage did mine twice at a cost of £1700 both times. In the end I’d had enough.
Side vents for the radiator 😂
Being a good friend of mine, I don't think Andrew would be bothered by the kettle boiling over 😅
Go to trophy cars all cars are sorted excellent service number 1for mg
You mentioned the head gasket once too often - self fullfilling prophecy I'd call this... 🙄🙄🙄
I had same problem twice. It was the temperature sensor
There is no comparison between the MX5 and the Mgf or TF , I worked as the service manager at Swindon Mazda from 1995 -2001 and never saw a MX5 ever break down , I then moved to Swindon Automobiles Rover MG dealer as the service manager and we were replacing head gaskets all day long on them they were so unreliable, it’s a while ago now as that was from 2001 -2007 and I think then a fix finally happened to make them better by a metal dowls instead of the plastic ones which caused the head to actually move and also a updated head gasket but at that point it was all to late for Rover , they looked good , but I certainly felt sorry for the owners who were trying to buy British
Oh.
Clutch Fluid? On my 2003 tf its wash wiper fluid!
K Series - the K does stand for Kettle? doesn't it?
Oh dear!!
The MG TF comparing to a Mazda MX 5 the MX 5 is so much better because they don't blow head gaskets obviously the MX 5 engine is so superior to the MG they don't blow head gaskets and will last so much longer and in Australia when these new MGs came out saw a few of them around but typical British built car they disappeared and the last time l saw an MG was in my local spare parts shop and it had its head gasket replaced why don't they build them properly first take a leaf out of how the Japanese do it make them extremely reliable especially Mazdas Suzuki's Toyota's Honda's and Lexuses and to blow a head gasket on a test run how bad does a car have to be these MGs can't hold a candle to a MAZDA MX 5 there no comparison and as an Australian well there British built vehicles haven't improved why can't they bet things right can't build a decent car apart from Lotus with there TOYOTA CAMERY engines reliable sport cars the most reliable British sports cars with TOYOTA engines in them shows even Lotus can't build a decent engine and l do own a Toyota a 1997 Hilux with 438000 kilometres on it still on its original head gasket Toyota got it right back in 1997 why couldn't MG Rover
Nobody said it had blown the head gasket!
Award for longest run on sentence goes tooo ^^ Punctuation is your friend me old DIngo wallaby shrimp on barbeque mukka!