my MGF Rover is overheating, head gasket? There seems to be a mix of oil and water in my oil dipstick? HELP?

Hello, this sounds definitely like the head gasket has failed on your MGF. Once you strip the car down and get the head off you could find more problems like a warped head, cracked cylinder head, broken water pump, burst pipes. It could work out to be more expensive then just a new head gasket. Your looking at around £450 for the head gasket + any extras needed to prevent it happening again. If you visit http://www.head-mechanics.co.uk/ they do a free delivery and collection service and fix it for you within a few days, i believe they are specialists in Rovers and MGs. Thats is your best bet, submit a quote request on their website. Hope this hopes and Good Luck!

Head gasket is common on the K series engines fitted in these cars. Oil in the water and vice versa is the most common symptom. Unfortunately there is no easy solution as the Cylinder Head will need to be removed and skimmed and a new gasket will need to be fitted at least. If you know a freiend who has experience would be your better option as most garages would charge between £200-£400 do carry this work out.

Only way to do it cheap - is to do it yourself I'm afraid.

AS it is a blown up, beefed up K Series engine - it is not that difficult to do - just time consuming.

You will need to disassemble the timing belt casing - the injector rail (fuel) and take off the top part of the engine (head). I did mine using a Haynes manual - took me seven hours - but it runs sweet now.

You will also need a camshaft locking tool. Head Gasket & Head Bolts - you can get those (gen parts or better) off Ebay for about £40

Other than that, if you do not feel confident to do it - it will set you back about £400 to have it done - cheaper if you use a local garage and not the main dealer - in this case about £280 approx

That is your head gasket gone!! Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. It's not going to get better either! The gasket itself will only cost a few pounds. Fitting it will cost a few hundred. The engine head has to be dismantled and then rebuilt. The labour cost for that at a decent garage will set you back £300 or more.

Sounds exactly like a head gasket when the water mixes with the oil.....my rover had the same thing happen, unfortunately no cheap or quick fix unless you know someone who works in a garage?

Hope you get this sorted soon!

Definitely your head gasket.

Sadly, the K-series engine like you have in your MGF is nototrious for this and it won't be cheap to have the work done. You may also have to have the head skimmed which will cost over and above any other work.

All I want to add to that is that a skim will cost about 20 to 30 pounds, and that this question gets asked time and time again on here - those K-series engines aren't to be touched with a barge-pole.

DON'T just change the gasket, do the mods with the extras which are essential to stop you needing to do this again, soon!

Mgf Oil Change

Hi John. Many thanks for your answer to my 'Doing Own Accounts' question earlier today. I just wanted to ask you who is: Douglas Marshall ?? A firm or person? Are they in Belfast? Reliable/Qualified? If you have any details, please email me at:

Belfast4121@yahoo.co.uk

If you live in Belfast, I could suggest a good garage for your Head Gasket problem. I use them for all my repairs to my vehicle. They are slightly cheaper than most garages I looked for, and they seem like a more honest team than most. They might even check your car out for free and give you a quote for work needed. Their Tel No. is:

Black's Garage, 243a, Upper Lisburn Rd, Finaghy, South Belfast.

028 9060 1913

Hope this helps. Cheers!

Dave

it does sound like the pinnacle gasket lengthy gone yet others have reported you cant verify except you're taking it aside yet you'll get it to a storage and characteristic the pinnacle stress examined yet its no longer a cheap restore quite on a mazda except you do it youre self