– Upgrade to the current, updated MGR item, or the Mike Satur
Motorsports head gasket. A more recent alternative is the Land Rover
Multi-Layered Steel (MLS) gasket, used in conjunction with the stiffer lower
oil ladder. However, whether this gasket is a significant improvement over the
standard MG Rover gasket remains a topic of debate.
Dowels
– current specification items are made of steel rather than the original
plastic - and for this reason is well worth fitting due to the improved
location of the cylinder head.
Inlet Manifold gasket
– Older, non-VVC cars are fitted with an
inlet manifold sealed with an inferior grade of gasket
material. As the manifold needs to be removed in order to remove the head, replace the
inlet manifold gasket with the latest version (distinctively coloured green).
Cam bolts
– part of Mike Satur's VVC 'Engine Life Saver kit,' these bolts are a
direct replacement of the originals and are much stronger. Particularly
important for VVC engines.
Head stretch bolts
– These can be re-used if they have not been stretched too
much. However, as these bolts take considerable stresses, it is often safer to replace with new.
Convert to OAT coolant
– a suggestion made to cut down on the frequency of
coolant changes, with the attendant risks of air locks in the cooling system.
Expansion bottle cap
– ensure that this is of the latest specification -
these used to be identified by a white/blue dot on the centre of the top of
the cap. Unfortunately, however, this is no longer the reliable sign it once
was, as more recently the white paint spot has been deleted - most
confusing!
Other items to consider or check:
Replace Cam belts?
– an option to consider if your car is already approaching
the 5 year/60,000 mile cam belt service.
Underfloor pipes
– worth considering replacing the mild steel originals with
alloy items specified by Mike Satur; likely to have much better longevity.
Radiator
– These have a tendency of corroding after 3-5 years. Certainly worth
considering replacing with an alloy item sold by Mike Satur or with the version currently
found on the MGTF.
Thermostat
– consider the thermostat modification options discussed elsewhere
on this page.
Coolant level Warning System
– a clever
development from Brown and Gammons, using the latest 2005 model year expansion
tank and sensor. Well worth considering as an early warning of coolant loss in
future!
Liner heights
– extremely important, but how often over
looked? The cylinder liners should stand proud of the engine block top face by
0.100 to 0.125mm. If too low or too high, the gasket fire rings will not seal
properly to contain exhaust gases. Under these circumstances, a repeat gasket
failure becomes almost inevitable!
Condition of the cylinder head
– possibly the most important point! The head
needs to be checked to be true and square (an edge of a metal rule and a feeler gauge can
be used for this or else ask an engineering shop to check it out for you) and also the
metal hardness confirmed. The opportunity might also be taken to see whether the cylinder
liners have moved and damaged the heads, and whether the valve guides remain in good
order.
Clean-up work:
Check and clean out Jiggle valves
– remember that there are two!
Ensure that the cooling system
and oil ways are thoroughly flushed before
reassembly. This is particularly important where oil and coolant has
mixed to form a thick emulsion, often referred to as 'mayonnaise'
Enhancement work:
As the head is being removed
, why not consider performance enhancing upgrades to
the head and ports? It's always nice to have a silver lining to a head
gasket induced cloud...
