MG ZR: Cams & Maps

[lolsteve]

nice rover.

you ever cure your oily spark plugs??

My experience with them is the 'O' rings/seals between spark plug recesses and the cam cover. quite common.

rover/mg , Citroen/Peugeot same differences

I won't lie, I didn't go back to check them. Cam covers aren't too hard to take off are they? but thanks for the heads up on that

[Piggy]

Nah not tricky.

Yeah big difference, we dont try to pretend we have nothing to do with Citroen!....in many ways we are proud!

No one should be proud of Rover.

[lolsteve]

Citroen saxo vts, chav waggon
Peugeot 106 gti, desired

Nothing wrong with Rover the engineers were smart just the company was run by idiots

[306Dan]

I had oily plugs on my zs120 turned out it was the cam ladder, just have a look down the holes after pulling the leads out should tell you quickly if its the rocker, ladder or other

[C2K]

Inlet manifold used to have coolant passing around it if memory serves. I had the inlet manifold gasket fail on my 214 which was causing it to chuff steam out the back. Really sinmple fix and it was like £8 for the gasket, but I think the design was updated quite a while ago.

Is your radiator healthy?

[lolsteve]

I had oily plugs on my zs120 turned out it was the cam ladder, just have a look down the holes after pulling the leads out should tell you quickly if its the rocker, ladder or other

Ahh cheers, I'll whip the leads out later and have a quick look and take some photos if I can get a decent picture

Inlet manifold used to have coolant passing around it if memory serves. I had the inlet manifold gasket fail on my 214 which was causing it to chuff steam out the back. Really sinmple fix and it was like £8 for the gasket, but I think the design was updated quite a while ago.

Is your radiator healthy?

It is a 2002 so not sure how much was changed before the "end"

Errmm..



not really no but no overheating problems and had it plugged into my Bluetooth obd thingy and the coolant temp reached 88 then stayed there

Been looking at eGay radiators and they're just shy of £50, will these be okay? since people use the eGay intercoolers

[Piggy]

Nothing wrong with Rover the engineers were smart just the company was run by idiots

yeah and cheap parts. like the headgasket...if they just used decent gaskets on the inlet and head, they wouldnt have a bad rep!

[C2K]

Your rad will have antifreeze crystals on the back no doubt. Standard radiators were absolute dog-turd quality, i've replaced them on every Rover i've owned. (220, both 214s, my ex's 214 and her VVC coupe too). I'd wager this is the cause of your disappearing coolant, or potentially a loose jubilee.

By 10 years old they're just shagged, whereas that alloy rads that Peugeot use are a god-send - mine is immaculate after 12 years and 256K.

[lolsteve]

Nothing wrong with Rover the engineers were smart just the company was run by idiots

yeah and cheap parts. like the headgasket...if they just used decent gaskets on the inlet and head, they wouldnt have a bad rep!

Cheap parts yes for the most part. but the hg was new technology not cheap and meant to be an improvment on the then current gaskets but like the way of asbestos this was not the case

Your rad will have antifreeze crystals on the back no doubt. Standard radiators were absolute dog-turd quality, i've replaced them on every Rover i've owned. (220, both 214s, my ex's 214 and her VVC coupe too). I'd wager this is the cause of your disappearing coolant, or potentially a loose jubilee.

By 10 years old they're just shagged, whereas that alloy rads that Peugeot use are a god-send - mine is immaculate after 12 years and 256K.

I'll check that out so are those eBay ones alright then to replace the current one with? Might as well change inlet gasket too.while I'm at it

---

Although piggy if you do get a chance check out the mk2 updated dash on these in person, its a whole differebt world of cheap plastic

[procta]

Nah not tricky.

Yeah big difference, we dont try to pretend we have nothing to do with Citroen!....in many ways we are proud!

No one should be proud of Rover.

piggy I am proud of mine
also look at a derv rad as I have on in my rover metro, and that keeps the engine nice and temp spot on.
also buy the full janspeed system too! as I have seen these in action with the janspeed and it does work wonder on them too! plus the sound aswell!

[C2K]

The ebay alloy ones are ok. I used one on each of the ex's cars and they worked very well.

I would think you have the later gasket, and that your rad is the issue. You can check your gasket anyway as you will see a neoprene green tang sticking out of the manifold at the bottom left i think it is.

[Piggy]

Nah not tricky.

Yeah big difference, we dont try to pretend we have nothing to do with Citroen!....in many ways we are proud!

No one should be proud of Rover.

piggy I am proud of mine

I got a number for a good psychologist for you mate, PM me, he can help you

[John1.4]

I used a ebay rad for my rents clio, was fine apart from rubbish mounts in the wrong place...

[lolsteve]

also buy the full janspeed system too! as I have seen these in action with the janspeed and it does work wonder on them too! plus the sound aswell!

I have a janspeed backbox, not a full system like the advert said Looking at the manifolds at the moment considering getting one and a decat pipe then putting the original cat on the decat pipe. Since the manifold only works with janspeed cat systems and a decat on the k series looses power.

The ebay alloy ones are ok. I used one on each of the ex's cars and they worked very well.

I would think you have the later gasket, and that your rad is the issue. You can check your gasket anyway as you will see a neoprene green tang sticking out of the manifold at the bottom left i think it is.

Okay, might just be radiator then just sometimes there's a puff of white smoke on start up so thought it was internal leakage

I used a ebay rad for my rents clio, was fine apart from rubbish mounts in the wrong place...

So long as they hold together, sounds like you just got unlucky with that one

[procta]

also buy the full janspeed system too! as I have seen these in action with the janspeed and it does work wonder on them too! plus the sound aswell!

I have a janspeed backbox, not a full system like the advert said Looking at the manifolds at the moment considering getting one and a decat pipe then putting the original cat on the decat pipe. Since the manifold only works with janspeed cat systems and a decat on the k series looses power.

where have you heard that shit from about the kseries looses power?
mines decatted and it pulls like a train! the shell is a J plater.
they are fussy on back pressure that's all, if you put a too big a bore on they dont like it.
I spoke to the ex mg rover works team engineer at mg live. he gave me a few good pointers with these engines,

[lolsteve]

Mg forums, it's mentioned in a few threads like this one http://forums.mg-rover.org/showthread.php?t=295493 :/

Also whipped cam cover off today and turned car on, not seeing any water leaking from there and saw none from the inlet manifold. Looks like there is some crystallisation on the back of the radiator near the bottom but can't quite make it out. Thinking I'll skip the lowering springs for now and get the new rad and brakes instead since they're more important or something

[THE_Liam]

I wouldn't skimp on cooling system bits on one of these...

[Poodle]

No need when you can pick up a nissens rad for less than £60.

[samass]

did you keep my addition?

[lolsteve]

I wouldn't skimp on cooling system bits on one of these...

I don't want to really but the mg forums rate the ebay one fairly highly

No need when you can pick up a nissens rad for less than £60.

I wish, sadly I got the model with ac so the radiators are more expensive/harder to find

did you keep my addition?

yea, had to explain to my mum and she found it kinda funny

[samass]

win



i wanna meet your mum.

[lolsteve]

Over my dead body

[samass]

That can be arranged!!!
/Cardinal Rishulou

[lolsteve]

New radiator just arrived, less than 24 hour delivery spot on! Although dad has asked me to work Saturday now so no time to get it fitted unless I got for it today

Just need to order brakes next, will be going for mintex discs and pads up front

[procta]

steve I replaced the two coolant sensors on mine, as well as the thermostat. ( that's a fun job to do)
as I wasn't getting true readings at all on the clocks, the car was saying it wasn't at temp, but the fan was kicking in at temp. but with these cars having two bloody coolant sensors. its hard to see which one is acting up.

[lolsteve]

My car gets up to temp nice and quick (maybe because half the rad is missing) but have yet to hear the fans come on, strange.

New radiator has arrived very nice and shiney and since ECP has a nice sale on at the moment so considering swapping out the triple qx oil in there for some Shell. Would it be worth while doing so since the triple qx is only on a few hundred miles?

Planning to get it rolling roaded now since Poodle had a test of it and said it doesn't feel like 160bhp, which is worrying because he's not the first to say it and Im sure it doesn't feel like 160 either

[lolsteve]

So new radiator put in today however it may not surprise many to find out that it is leaking already from the core. Looks like a manufacturer error which can happen to anything I suppose. The seller wants me to return the rad so they can inspect it which is fair enough in theory however it will leave me carless until a replacement is sent out, which I'm not exactly thrilled about.

The new goal for this project is to make it able to beat a gti6 on track, the power should be there since the standard mg is lighter than a standard 306 (even more so after the rust) but the standard suspension struggles against cars on coilovers/braces etc. With that said I'm aiming to make it so it can out perform on track whilst keeping it daily worthy

[C2K]

Did the zr come with Lsd? Put a type b torsen in from the 620ti if not.

[lolsteve]

No lsd as standard sadly, just been reading about the rover lsd. sounds like it would a lot of work to put one it?

[procta]

No lsd as standard sadly, just been reading about the rover lsd. sounds like it would a lot of work to put one it?

better off swopping the box for one that has one in, ie if you can get hold of the BRM or the VI
you will need to know what code you gearbox is, as those two have shorter ratio boxes, as for the coolant side of things, the brown/black sensor near to the rad. unplug that and start the engine, if that has gone down your fan should kick in.
also the switch can act the goat too, by telling the ecu the temp isn't hot enough etc so it wont kick the fan in.