K series cam locking tool

Tamus

Well-Known Member
Ok, this is a bit of a chancey one, but I live in hope.

I've a bit of work to do on a Rover K series engine this weekend and I find that the cam locking tool that I ordered earlier in the week was not "in stock" after all.. and now I've no idea when it will actually be delivered.

Can any kind soul in the Edinburgh/Central Belt area either lend me or sell me one of these little gizmos... or point me in the direction of someone who could... ideally tomorrow.


Thanks in anticipation~Tom
 
Oops! ... Sorry for posting this in the wrong section... meant to put it in vehicles "wanted" .... :oops:
 
Try Dan Tomson on 01315 541233. Edinburgh.

Wow!

Thanks Foss.... Dan's the man, right enough... Result! (PM to follow, friend)

And... in 4 minutes flat... That's just astonishing... Good ole S.D. :thumb:
 
Tamus
Just out of curiousity is it the Head Gasket? I am on my third on my K-Series.

Yorkie.
 
Pleased you hopefully got it sorted.

Good morning Foss...

As it happens, Dan didn't actually have one but he knew a man that did... I'm just home from collecting it and about to go back out to the shed and whip the head off one of those much maligned, but brilliantly conceived, K-series motors. So, provided no machining is required (which is something I've yet to establish) there's a fair chance of getting "sorted" this weekend. I thank you for this... cheers!. Atb~Tom
 
Tamus
Just out of curiousity is it the Head Gasket? I am on my third on my K-Series.

Yorkie.

Sorry Yorkie, got a bit caught up in solving the problem and missed your question.

Yes it was the head gasket, but it was not a toasted one. Caught in the early stages of oil pressure leakage to coolant system. All the oilway seals on the exhaust manifold side were in various states of failure.

For your technical info. The vehicle is a late MG ZS 1600. With the uprated "steel" locating dowel version of the K-16 engine... but, dear only knows why they stuck with that stupid gasket with the condom material for seals. Now sporting a very smart Multi-layer (5 layer) Stainless Steel, Viton coated, gasket system. There was no cylinder head fire-ring pitting or either head or block distortion detectable and the fine surface polish is now very even and intact without any obvious stress risers visible. No annealing of the head had taken place either and... the liner heights are good and pretty even at between 0.0035" and 0.004" proud of the block deck, just as you'd want... so we should hopefully be sorted now.
 
Tamus.
You know you stuff mate.
I dont think the 1.4 and 1.6 were as prone to HG failure as the 1.8?
Have the Chinese started using this Engine again in their new MG incarnation? I think they bought Powertrain as part of the MG Rover deal.

Yorkie.
 
Tamus.
You know you stuff mate.
I dont think the 1.4 and 1.6 were as prone to HG failure as the 1.8?
Have the Chinese started using this Engine again in their new MG incarnation? I think they bought Powertrain as part of the MG Rover deal.

Yorkie.

I remember seeing the TV ads for the new MG6 (Chinese model). I've still not seen one on the road to this day though. Has anyone else?
 
The K series is good engine as long as it's well maintained... i.e regular oil change, coolant changes and it also helps if the owner is willing to listen to advice.

I recently had a customer who refused to accept that the radiator was blocked (due to lack of coolant) the header tank was full of rusty brown water. He was adamant that the thermostat was stuck. I replaced the thermostat under his instruction and he continued to drive it, ignoring the fact that the bottom hose remained cold when the engine reached operating temperature. I await the call to say it's overheated again.

If you ignore the warning signs and allow the engine to overheat it will inevitably cook the gasket and possibly warp the head. replacing the headgasket is a fix but not a cure, you need to establish why the gasket went in the first place.... possible causes are water pump failure, sticking thermostat, blockage in the radiator or coolant leak.
 
I remember seeing the TV ads for the new MG6 (Chinese model). I've still not seen one on the road to this day though. Has anyone else?
yes we had one dropped off at work by the hire company for a customer while his car was repaired. he had it for 4 days said it was bloody awfull and they have still got the old 1.8 k series with a turbo on. Ugly looking car too.
 
The K series is good engine as long as it's well maintained... i.e regular oil change, coolant changes and it also helps if the owner is willing to listen to advice.

I recently had a customer who refused to accept that the radiator was blocked (due to lack of coolant) the header tank was full of rusty brown water. He was adamant that the thermostat was stuck. I replaced the thermostat under his instruction and he continued to drive it, ignoring the fact that the bottom hose remained cold when the engine reached operating temperature. I await the call to say it's overheated again.

If you ignore the warning signs and allow the engine to overheat it will inevitably cook the gasket and possibly warp the head. replacing the headgasket is a fix but not a cure, you need to establish why the gasket went in the first place.... possible causes are water pump failure, sticking thermostat, blockage in the radiator or coolant leak.

Let me get this right.
You are saying that the K Series Engines well reported problems are down to poor Maintenance?

Yorkie.
 
It's true. And of course as long as it doesn't exceed 200 miles per annum. ;)

Like it.:D
It would seem the Chinese are using the K Series but with all the many developments that had been made to improve on the reliability over the years incorporated into its final build.

Yorkie.
 
Let me get this right.
You are saying that the K Series Engines well reported problems are down to poor Maintenance?

Yorkie.

No I'm saying that regular servicing will significantly reduce the likelihood of headgasket failure. You would be shocked by the number of vehicles I get in with the engine oil level below minimum, or the coolant expansion tank empty. Some engines can cope with very little maintenance but the K series isn't one of them.
On a service I can check that the thermostat opens when it should and that electronic fan cuts in, I also check the circulation for signs of waterpump failure and that the anti-freeze is the right concentration (good quality with corrosion inhibitor) check for coolant residue around hose connections.
Basically check everything that could possibly cause it to overheat and sort it.... pronto ;)
 
No I'm saying that regular servicing will significantly reduce the likelihood of headgasket failure. You would be shocked by the number of vehicles I get in with the engine oil level below minimum, or the coolant expansion tank empty. Some engines can cope with very little maintenance but the K series isn't one of them.
On a service I can check that the thermostat opens when it should and that electronic fan cuts in, I also check the circulation for signs of waterpump failure and that the anti-freeze is the right concentration (good quality with corrosion inhibitor) check for coolant residue around hose connections.
Basically check everything that could possibly cause it to overheat and sort it.... pronto ;)

That's what we've just done... :thumb:

Fortunately the engine I've just been working on has no history or evidence of overheating... and now, hopefully, it never will either.
 
Part of the modrn engines problems is manufacturers reducing the amount of coolant in any system. I just put new red into that 2.2L Vauxhall/Japanese hybrid in my car and the whole system is only 7.2 litres. Also the red long life if it gets low for any reaon starts to attack the metals of the engine and radiator. So NEVER let the coolant leve get low!

The original radiator was partly blocked which is probably why the head gasket blew about 3 months after we got it and only a year after it was replaced by the previous owners. Even the type of coolant seems to make a difference. The chappie who replaced the gasket that time for me filled it with the 2 year Blue and after fitting new thermostat, radiator, water pump and temp senders the gauge actually got to just over the 90 degree mark instead of hovering just off the blue segment when running normally, now witht eh new Red coolant in it we are back to the gauge hovering just off the blue segment in nrormal running to the engine is running cooler that with the Blue in it................................. Weird.

The "K" series has it's faults when I drove the recovery truck when teh warranty chappies came out to Freelanders with blown gaskets to check them they looked in two places and sure enough if gone that's where they leaked so it's obviously a weak point.

The mechanic says that the 1.8 Rover engines usually need a new gasket around the 50k mark then 100k etc. Seems thermal shock, or so he says, plays a apart due to the design, some would say poor design, of the cooling systems.

Over the years we have had a number of these Rovers but so far not had any problems with them engine wise unlike the Vauxhall. ................................. Perhaps I should sell the vauxhall and get another Rover.
 
Si
Fair enough mate,you are a mechanic and i am not so i am in no position to argue with you.But i will say plenty of people had fully Landrover serviced Freelanders with Blown Gaskets.
My first Gasket went about 60k and the Car had a full Landrover service history so i presume it had been maintained correctly. Fortunately the engine did not cook as i noticed the water leak down the side of the engine block.I thought at first it was the water pump but i was not so lucky.
Same thing second time at around 90k, water running down front of block from gasket.
I learned to drive it with one eye on temp gauge though.
On two occassions the temp gauge has gone up and after stopping found the top hose to be cold. If i squeezed the hose many times it came warm and all was then ok. Took it to garage who could find no problem. Still a puzzle.
Maybe i would be the one to break a Honda v-tec.Aren`t they supposed to have never had a Warranty failure or is that an Urban Myth?

Cheers.
Yorkie.
 
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