mgf.be

[andrew]

Well it's almost a year sinceI last wrote about my F. A couple of weeks ago we had our anual super sprint and after last years over reving I was being careful!!!.
A few days after this event I noticed and intermitant miss, but as I had been so careful, I felt it was more fuel related. Last weekend I entered a hill climb and noticed Iwas down on power past 4000rpm. Well after exhausing mylimited checks I took it to the workshop. After many tests the think it maybe a snapped valve spring, not so bad. I and they thought my engine was just a bit noiser in the head gear so doing a routine oil level check found I hads used 2lites in 250KM, a couple of people had comented about the odd puff of smoke at 5000rpm + but every thing seemed fine. So when we take the head off to do the valve spring they will look at my rings, this is going to hurt.........................

[Mr. Dj M.]

Ouch ...

[ErikB]

Have you been doing a compression test yet ?

(great you haven't forgotten your Dutch speaking fan clan)

[andrew]

When we had a look at it due a slight miss the first thing they did was a compresion test and nothing toward showed, ie all cylinders were at acceptable levels , so they started looking at plugs and leads. When every thing was all replaced they took it for a short drive and all was well, they thought it felt down on power but were thinking fuel pump or even my FPR. when I brought it back the next day they then found the broken valve spring and one thing lead to another........................

[LEBLAR]

Cheer up mate, it may not be as bad as it looks. After all the compresion was not that far off.

[andrew]

Well went to inspect the F today. The head neaded on number on cylinder a new valve spring but on some of the others the collets were very worn and ready to seperate from the valves. As I said the compression was about equal, BUT down on previous tests. Also the cylinders were showing signs of slight gouging as the top rings on two were broken, so two new/second hand linners have been sourced and all four pistons are getting new rings. My engine has done 172000km and the last 100000 very hard including some 100 speed events be it hill climbs, sprints, autokhanas and the such over the past eight years. The engine is producing approx or rather was 175HP instead of the original 140 and this is the first items attended to for wear and tear. So over all a cheap car to run. As i'm doing fewer road miles this should last another ten years of speed events!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Carl]

Wow, impressive results for the K-engine: 35 BHP extra powers and still reliable after 175.000 km's This should be seen in the topic here were people ask questions if the K engine is ok or not!
Keep posting !
thanks !

[LEBLAR]

Really impressive. You could almost say at normal use 200000 + should be no problem. Then again using it like you do I'm sure you keep it very well maintained.

[andrew]

Well I have just collected my car from the workshop. With the damage done due to failed rings I now have a secondhand set of sleeves which were honned. New big end bearings, rings were fitted and the head had to have a new exhaust valve, new stem seals, collets and caps along with new springs so every thing was re ground so once more the head has been reconditioned and yet another headgasket kit. Well i'm using using the max of 4000RPM whilst every thing beds but for every 200km, I will increse the revs by 500 so by the time the next hill climb in a few weeks I will be back up to max power. So far the car feels back to full power and is pulling crisply. The cost some AUD$3700. Over the past eight years the running costs have totalled excluding fuel almost $10000 BUT that includes this latest work, two clutches, the modding of my cylinder head, rebuilding the rear suspension turrets when they ripped apart, roll cage, harness, LSD, exhaust, suspension, upgrade brakes and have travelled some 100000km. Value for money a big YES coupled to the fun and the friends I have made, 10c a KM a bargin.