22 replies to this topic

[Jordie]

Hi all

Brothers MG ZR just blew its head gasket. Car was stopped straight away and recovered in order to avoid major engine damage.

I am going to strip it down and repair as the car is clean and worth repairing. Head will ofcourse be crack tested and skimmed if required.

What I want to know is as anyone fitted the uprated gaskets which come with the "head saving shim".

The car will be fitted with aftermarket/pattern parts as hes on a budget, but we will be replacing head gasket, head bolts, timing belt kit, water pump, thermostat, oil+filter, engine flush, fresh coolant etc etc.

Anyone know any ways to improve them these to stop HGF in the future? Its said on the net that they should last 100,000 miles with uprated gasket and keeping an eye on the coolant etc.

Cheers for any comments and posts,
Jordie

[Boycie]

Use the MLS (Landrover) gasket for a decent repair. The proper kit also comes with a new oil rail that goes into the sump (the head bolts screw into it..) and as long as you use the correct bolts with the revised torque setting, you will be absolutely fine with this decent gasket.

It's worth noting that the liner heights should be checked before using the pressed gasket, but due to the ZR's age, it should be fine- it was the earlier K-Series engines that seemed to have insufficiently-proud liners.

[Tommyboy12]

Get the MLS head gasket for sure. Its a big improvement over the standard one. My mum tried to cheap out on her head gasket replacement on her MGF and ended up doing it again 6000 miles later. The MLS has done another 30k no problems.

[Jordie]

Its a 2004 model.

I assume MLS is multi layered steel gasket. If thats the case, its the one ive got on my parts list.

Is the oil rail much of a job? I assume the sump will remove with a set of bolts, but whats involved in removing / replacing the oil rail.

[Boycie]

Yes multi-layer steel. They still supply the original Payen item (with its crappy silicone beads..) for cars with insufficient liner height and therefore less clamping effect.
The oil rail is not too difficult to fit, gives a good opportunity to clean the sump out nicely at the same time.. but really, the revised oil rail is for the Freelander application, it stiffens the bottom end up because one theory about head gasket failure is twisting of the aluminium block :eek:

The Freelander is obviously much harder on its block due to the transfer case being bolted to it..

[Jordie]

I have seen a new uprated one on ebay for £40+post, is it really needed then? If yes then his budget will need to stretch a little.

The gasket set comes with a head saver shim, thats said to prevent the liners damaging the head. No idea about that like.

[Mini-Mad-Craig]

You can get a complete head set (Land Rover) for 40 quid on Ebay. All of the ones I've fitted are still alive today... and we've had a K16 ZR do 140k since updating to MLS HG

[Jordie]

did you get the head tested or skimmed then craig? or did you just whack it back on and hope for best?

[Boycie]

The uprated oil rail is not really needed on the ZR.. but it's all a matter of opinion of course!
If it were me, I'd be doing a pukka job on the top end and leaving it at that. The latest gasket really is the best 'fix' they ever came up with.. prompted by all the Solicitor's wives threatening to sue Landrover when their shiny Freelanders went t*ts up after 20k!!

[Jordie]

thanks for the replies guys, confirmed im getting the right parts etc.

[Mini-Mad-Craig]

Knew we were keeping the car so the head work was worth it. Just got it skimmed, didnt cost a lot. Well worth doing if you're planning on keeping the car. If not I'd just whack the new gasket on, cross my fingers and hope for the best...

I've never known of a MLS HG fail, not just on our own cars but all of the MG/Rover forums too.

[Boycie]

Yeah they seem to have finally sorted it.. only twenty years late

I remember reading that if MG-Rover re-designed the gasket in-house, they'd open themselves up to so many warranty etc claims, it would have bankrupted them over night. It would have been seen as an acceptance of a faulty part..

The MG ZR is a belter otherwise.

[Mini-Mad-Craig]

I think if you're buying a ZR as a true enthusiast then MLS head gasket is something you SHOULD do when you buy it. Not grumble and moan when the standard one go's after you've overheated it like an idiot and continued to drive it like so many do.

Get the car and get it done, if theres any sign of HG or not... better to be safe than sorry, and then you can enjoy many thousands of miles more in your stunning British beast!!

[Jordie]

He bought the car all fine and well, no signs of HG. its something we planned to do, not just this soon and out of the blue. Luckily he listened to what i said and on the first sign of HGF he stopped the car and we recovered it, hoping to do minimal damage.

Hes actually got another car, so ive bought it from him, to be honest its a weigh up between repairing it and the scrap yard at the moment. The front half leather seats could go in my mini, wheels on gumtree etc and rest weighed in......but its super clean, fairly low mileage so worth repairing in my eyes.

Jordie

[Boycie]

It's an easy job Jordie, well worth doing..
Is it a ZR or a ZR+? I've had both and found the lower-spec car slightly less fun to live with.