Only sixty two comments, this excellent effort deserves far more. I have worked on numerous engines over the years and during the past twenty, concentrated on Rover T and K-Series. Have to say the latter, K-Series have always been a pleasure to work on. The latest being a problem MG ZT-T 1,8T which the previous owner had given up on. Collected the car with suspect engine issues but, drove OK. Part exchange taken in by local dealership who told me it had Head Gasket damage. No sign of coolant loss or over heating during the next couple of hundred miles.. Not for the first time, my closer investigations showed some evidence of abuse from those entrusted to care for the car. Will not go into details but, numerous pieces of evidence support this. Long story short, all four cylinder liners FLUSH with the surrounding cylinder block. Further inspection when Pistons and Con-Rods removed showed Ring and Piston Head Lands damaged by over heating. All four damaged to a greater or lesser extent. Evidence of over heating and being driven on when obviously something was wrong. Surprised it ran so well all things considered. Also poor of no antifreeze used resulting in the original cylinder liners corrosion welded to their block locations. Two middle ones came out easily whilst the outer two needed mush persuasion. They should all come out with ease by hand. Long story short, bought a set of new Cylinder Liners, Pistons ( 160 ) Pins, Rings and a set of liner shims 4 "thou", Shims cost £25 and the four piston assemblies cost £199 delivered to my door. All via eBay. Enjoyed fitting all that lot following a thorough clean up of all parts involved with the stripping and reassembly. Turned the key before starting the engine and waited a few seconds for the fuel pump to fully pressurise the fuel system. Then operated the starter. Immediate start. Never tire of enjoying that experience after all the work. Can confirm that engine feels and drives as good as new. Great engines if looked after properly. Well mine are.
Good to know more k-series engines being looked after by someone who knows what they are doing. Well done. Good engines when built and maintained correctly.
@@comeinhandynow Some of the friends of my thirty something sons are keen Rover and MG owners. That destroys the myth of the pipe and slipper stereotype so beloved of Clarkson wannabee hearing aid beige mindset types. They own a wide range of MGs and Rovers from 620ti to "like new" 1980 Metros and even an MG ZT260 V8. Our favourite cars are safe in those competent younger hands. Odd balls like a special factory paint MG ZR with a Rover T16 Turbocharged Transplant. Have driven a couple of T-Turbo transplants. 200ps in a smaller car = pocket rocket.
@@T16MGJ Good to know. My 30yr old son had an mg zs 1.8 and loved it. And daughter a mg zr and freelander 1.8. My influence ;). I have fond memories of my mg zs v6 as well. Lovely flexible engine. Often tempted to look for a freelander1 v6 but it’s an auto, shame. My current freelander 1.8 turbo upgrade supposedly has 200bhp, which funnily enough is about the same as the 2L sierra rs cosworth that people used to rave about! Good old k-series 1.8!
@@comeinhandynow Clearly a kindred spirit. Over twenty years ago, I gave my then schoolboy older son a 1982 MG Metro to play with. It's older than he is. He still treasures that car although he has several "better" cars at his disposal including his Lotus Elise with its 1.8K. Takes the little MG Metro to shows etc. That gift possibly sewed a lifetime's interest in Rover and MG cars. He now maybe knows more about K-Series than I do. He and his friends have changed K-Series Head Gaskets on the hard standing in front of my garage in about three hours. They know their stuff. I prefer to take my time and be thorough. Do it right and clean up extensively during the job. That adds extra time but is time well spent. The engine compartments on my cars are often cleaner than the exterior paintwork. Good old 1.8 K=Series indeed. Double 👍👍 from me.
My head was damaged by the fire ring indenting the head. That saver shim doesn't save anything. Eventually I popped an N-series on and shimmed fhe cylinders to 5 thou proud of the block. Tell you what, that Loctite 574 is pretty expensive. Less expensive than a new head, though, so well worth it! Thanks for the tips. Did my head a long time ago. Did all the upgrades. Going strong for +41k miles since, and I drive her hard. No issues or hiccups. **touch wood** P.S. You're right about the dowels. I had a cheaper Chinese MLS gasket with head saver shim (two of them went) and both had dowels that held the head off the block just enough that it dripped coolant out the side of the gasket. Not good!
Great video! Will be helpul for the rebuild of my MGF engine which failed emissions and has low compression on cylinder 2. As my engine build experience so far has been limited to A and B-series engines I was initially a little scared of the K-series, but after watching this video I begin to think it might be do-able for a home mechanic.
I'm an ex factory machanic. I've done many K series head gaskets. I find the multi layer gaskets to be not very good. I've fitted them and coolant and dribbled out the front of the gaskets behind the exhaust manifold when i've run them up. I've then fitted the original style gasket and no problems so i don't fit the multi layer anymore. I've not tried the N series gasket yet. That gasket was in secret testing before MG Rover when under btw!!! As for skimming the head, if the compression ring has only lightly marked the head, all is ok with a bit of wet n dry, but if there is a proper indent then it wants skimming. K heads can on be skimmed 2-3 times depending on how much they take off. They run like a bag of bolts if to much has been taken off. As our man says at 1:19 if that little groove (which was there to improve gas swirl as it was a lean burn engine) is almost level with the head its scrap.
That can happen if it is not completely flat. I now use a very thin layer of loctite 574 around the water sealing edges and to seal any corroded bits. The N series gasket also has a layer of something on it to help sealing.
@paulrobinson3528 Yes I agree, I only use the elastomer head gasket if I have to do a head gasket change. The MLS are fraught with problems, originally developed by Land Rover for fitting to their K series engines, but only when the engine was new, not used. The N series gasket works well on the N series engine, with recorded mileages in excess of 200,000 miles! Again on a used K engine, as long as the head is in good condition, use the elastomer gasket because it does compensate for any minor vagaries between the block and the head. Lastly make sure the surfaces are immaculately clean before replacing the gasket as well.
I remember the recall to replace the inlet manifold bolts for studs, feels like a life time ago, RTV on later liners and o rings in early if I remember right, don’t turn over with head off with out liners clamped, and some of the rough lads would snap the cam belt cover when doing the heads as to not have to removed the timing pulleys
Well now,that is a great idea,i have 2 Rovers,a 25 and a 45,doing the head gasket on the 25 now,never thought of that!!! by the way,i had a new MLS steel gasket that ONLY last one and a half years!!! But now i will use the original old style composite gasket; the POS Victor Reinz or something steel gasket (wudahell would thing of a steel gasket...that is no gasket,it is a piece of steel, gaskets NEED to be compliant,steel is not!!) in which almost ALL the black sealing coating disappeared; Anyway, OEM, Payen BW750 or equivalent is gonna go on it this time,no more hype with steel ; a steel gasket requires a perfectly straight and polished block and head, AND it requires that ALL 4 liners' protusions abobe the block deck are exactly .003 inch,AND 4 ALL THE SAME, again because its steel, not really a gasket; not easy to achieve and you need a depth micrometer or checking with feeler gauges on those .003" .
Thank you for your brilliant videos - proper useful information from someone who obviously knows their stuff! Just one silly question - you seem to use your floor a lot which makes my back twinge just watching it - would you not prefer a little bench to work on?! 😄
Thanks for your nice comments. Yes a bench to work off would be nice, but I seem to fill all my bench spaces with stuff (that will comeinhandy!). Have a great day.
I am not a mechanic or even mechanically minded. However, I loved this video because it gave me a better idea of how the K-series engine is built. My main motive in watching was that I aim sooner or later to buy a Rover 75 and I know that the head gasket problem is infamous. Can you advise me of how, as far as possible, to ensure that I buy a Rover 75 that has been "improved" along the lines that you described. Are there specialist Rover car dealers in the UK who are likely to have ensured the engine is in good condition?
Thanks for your comments and I’m glad you liked it. I don’t know of any garages that I’d trust. Better to buy off someone private selling on a forum that maintains there own cars and knows what they are doing. There are a few user groups online and facebook groups around. If it has had a replaced gasket, try and look for one that has the N-series gasket, tell tale signs are little tags sticking out that hold the gasket rivet on the head gasket and those that have the PRT thermostat (although normal external ones or reconfigured PRT ones to work like external output side ones would be even better. More on that latter at some point).
Awesome video, Im rebuilding an MG ZS 120 engine at the moment without much experience, so its immensly helpful. Btw do you know what sealant should be used to refit the main bearing ladder to the block? Loctite 574 again? Maybe Im digging a bit too deep but does it matter if its aerobic or anaerobic sealant? Thanks
Thanks. I don’t remember but I would recommend getting the Haynes workshop manual or original MGRover workshop manual download which you can probably find online. They will say what sealant if any.
I hear that the MLS head gaskets are pretty unforgiving of uneven head and block surfaces. How true is that in your experience? Obviously getting the head a mild skim isn't much of an issue but it's more of a pain to do the block if it's mounted in a car.
That is probably true. I have never seen a head go non flat, the common issue is sunken liners which can be fixed with shims. Be careful not to skim the head too much or too often as there is a limit easily reached.
Had a hole in exactly the same place on the metal pipe behind the engine, was corroded through, the only thing stopping it from pissing coolant was a rust clot.
@@comeinhandynow yep! I've replaced all mild steel coolant pipes with stainless on my F now, I never intended to spend as much as I have on this bloody thing
I really don’t know how I can keep in person touch with you sir???? I have been rebuilding this engine several times for different clients but I have a challenge with the spares and key programming
Thanks. See the video description section for parts. I always use the N-series gasket which is multi layered metal without the fire rings of others that damage heads.
Hi, great video ...my partners car is the Rover streetwise 1.4 petrol engine, the vehicle has been stood for 3 months (her spare car) she came to use it when her MG zt-t had an issue! ...on using the streetwise for few days, I asked if she had checked coolant level, she hadn't, I checked it for her, on opening the bonnet, to my shock I found the coolant hose that goes over top of gearbox missing, and obviously no coolant in it, the hosed had been removed (big mystery) I cautiously filled it with water, and no issues, it drove perfectly for two months, then overheating began! ...my question would be, do I replace head gasket and skim or new head? ...my thinking is head badly warped, your thoughts greatly appreciated Regards Norm's
I would say remove the head and inspect it for flatness, corrosion and indents. Only do a minimal skim if it is bad in any of those respects. A new head is nice but only at a reasonable price.
Ah an expert. What is the semi circle indentation in the combustion chamber actually for? Looked at mine for a while, couldn't come up with any purpose
I wouldn’t call myself an expert. Just passing on some if my experiences. The semi circle bit of the combustion space is, I believe, a squish zone where gases are squashed to encourage circulation, mixing and complete combustion.
If you mean the U shaped recess on the side of the circumference of each combustion chamber, near and between the Inlet Valves, then I cannot explain the purpose of that. It is useful though for the DIYer working on K-Series Cylinder Heads. It's one of the first things I look for as soon as I remove a K-Series Cylinder Head. If it is absent, that is BAD news. It means the cylinder head has been over-skimmed and this can mean the poor thing is scrap! I have seen several problem cars I've investigated for myself and others where that -U- shaped recess is absent! Machined away completely in the pro-environment by those workshops who "We always Skim the head mate" often when it is not required. In over half a century of working on cars, I have only had four cylinder heads refaced by engineering firms. The first two, a T-Series Head which had been poorly machined so that the surface was worse than before the skimming, and a B-Series ( MGB ) which suffered from poor quality or more likely no anti-freeze and that caused corrosion in key areas. The other two were a 1.8 K-Series and the A-Series Head on my son's now forty year old MG Metro which had been stored unused for many years with poor quality/no anti-freeze, These last two were not skimmed, they were machined on a GRINDER. The helpful guys allowed me to video the grinder process. That was done by a small two man engineering firm here in the Cotswold in an old Cotswold Stone disused Quarry now with several Industrial Units. The finish quality of the ground surface of the cylinder head was far superior than any I've seen refaced with a skimming cutter! If ever I need to reface a Cylinder Head again I will have in refinished on a grinder as the finish is superior. Those firms who ALWAYS skim heads are best avoided in my experience. Often it is not necessary. It is simply a lazy professional way to clean up the cylinder head face which takes time to do it carefully by hand. For the DIYer that extra time cleaning the head properly is time well spent and saves the additional cost of an unnecessary head "Skim". Finally, the best gaskets "in the world" will not last long in a repair unless the all important cleaning, checking and preparation is given. On any car. Because of so much fake news about the K-Series, many folks ALWAYS blame the poor Cylinder Head Gasket when their engine overheats and so accuse the gasket of "Failure". Often the real blame lies elsewhere. They rarely ever fail, most times they are first DAMAGED usually by excess heat from the poor engine when coolant loss reaches reaches a critical level and it over heats!. Many reasons for coolant loss. Moral.. check the coolant level as recommended by ALL manufacturers. Trouble is, many modern car users do not even know where the bonnet release is on their cars. My friendly neighbour who drives one of those big yellow Roadside Rescue Service vans confirms this is widespread. When asking the car owner to pull the bonnet release of the stranded car at the roadside, he is often met with a blank stare. I fitted MLS gaskets* to three K-Series cars fifteen, twelve and ten years ago. Two still in the family's daily driver use and one a neighbour friends Rover 25. All well over 100,000 reliable miles now. Rocket Science it is not. It's the checking, thorough cleaning and caring reassembly which will go a long way to ensuring no repeat so called HGF. Cue .. "They all do that mate. Well known fact "In the trade". * Those MLS CHGs off ebay around £20 delivered to your door. Worth repeating, it is not the quality of the gasket which is the key factor here. It is the quality of the preparation, checking, cleaning and caring reassembly. I shall never tire each time I turn the key for the first time and the repaired engine bursts immediately into smooth running good health. Recommended.
Yes, been there done precisely that six years ago. The SIX uses a conventional clutch and Flywheel. The ZT uses a Dual Mass Flywheel which is a straight fit on the MG6 Engine. One of the best and most successful mods I've ever done on any car. Mind you, I had driven the donor MG6 a few months before it met a premature end. So knew the Chinese Engine was a good 'n. There are numerous improvements with the Chinese Version of the K-Series when both are placed alongside for comparison. The best being unseen. Part of the improved casting process for the major engine components. Learned that from one of the guys up at MG Motor. Pity the good folks up at Longbridge were denied the opportunity to implement them!
Service it well. Spray wax oil underneath on any rusty bits and brake pipes. Change cam belt when due and regularly check water level and consider fitting a water level alarm.
The 18k4g is the SAIC version of the k-series original engine with some minor mods like extra webbing strength but it is mostly the same overall design as the original 18k4k. There is also an N-series by NAC very similar again. NAC and SAIC later merged. I loosely tend to talk about both the later engines as N-series engines. See en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rover_K-series_engine en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SAIC_Kavachi_engine
@@comeinhandynow Have fitted an MG 6 engine to my other MG ZT-T 1.8T. Been my daily driver workhorse for the past six years since I did that. Very useful load space in the ZT-Ts. The MG6 has much MG ZT 1.8T DNA. The Chinese are not mugs picking up the IPRs from MG-R receivers for peanuts. One of the things I most dislike about the ZTs and Rover 75s is the location of the clutch hydraulic system's Slave Cylinder. Also Mater Cylinder come to think of it. Inside the Bell Housing. d'OH! The MG6 has the Slave Cylinder OUTside the Bell housing like many previous Rovers and MGs. Far more user friendly when the system needs servicing .
@@comeinhandynow Almost certainly that is true. The 75 being produced under the Bavarian Outfit's ownership. Volumes and unit costings play a part here. Lots of BMW bits on my ZTs, not the engine though. Working on MGs and Rovers over the past few decades, there are Honda, GM, AUDI and BMW logos on many smaller parts. The washer motor pump on the front of my ZT's Headlamp Washers has stopped working. Maybe lockdown lack of use responsible. Had it happen before. The Washer Pump is a BMW item complete with part number on the label which is convenient. Fortunately I have a spare which works.. I would have preferred a Rover PG1 Gearbox in my ZT-Ts as is the case with the PG1s fitted to my MG ZS 1.8. Having changed the Slave Cylinder in two MG ZT-T 1.8Ts, nasty job. Doddle on other MGs and Rovers.
@@comeinhandynow Precisely. Put it in 5th Gear for best results and if you have a strong son like me, he can plant his foot firmly on the foot brake. If that Crankshaft Pulley bolt has been done up silly tight with power tools, it can be very difficult to release for the DIYer with limited facilities. Over use of power tools in the pro-environment can make problems for those like me who like to work on their own cars. Annoying.
You don't need to reuse the bolts, they stretch yes but not so much you can't reuse them at least once! If you can't use them because they've stretch is the least of your problems!
That is true, you can reuse head bolts as long as they haven’t overstretched, but if you are upgrading the gasket to the N-series MLS type gasket you should change to the higher stensile bolts that go with it.
Help ! I need some direction/ reinforcement on the right direction here having had an elastomer leak just on the edge so the water came out the exhaust side.... So should I really need any more convincing to go do the N series ??? Not make callers for it on internet advice forums I queried... Everyone on MGs seems to recommend the elastomer...but I have a nice flat 20k head engine and can't see any warpage, and all liners seem to measure at least 0.08mm to 0.1mm between a straight edge on block on feeler guages ( Also there is genuine N series and Reinz one, tempted if going this route to ensure to get the Payen one?)
Personally I always use the N-series gaskets. They never fail catastrophically like the elastomer ones. If they do weaken it only results in a slight leak, but if you are careful with assembly they will be fine. Look for any surface imperfections and around the water ways and edge I put a very thin layer, spread with finger, of loctite 574. Not around the combustion chamber.
Dobrý den, chtěl bych se zeptat, jsem z České republiky a mám freelander 1.8 verze 18k4f z roku 2004 a koupil jsem si toto auto a ve velkém ztrácím vodu, myslel jsem, že tyto závady byly vyřešeny až letos po faceliftu, víte, jestli na těchto motorech již byl zesílený olejový žebřík a lepí těsnění řady N?
Hello, I would like to ask, I am from the Czech Republic and I have a freelander 1.8 version 18k4f from 2004 and I bought this car and I am losing water in a big way, I thought that these defects were solved only this year after the facelift, do you know if there was already a reinforced oil ladder on these engines and they glue the N series seals?
To be honest I am not sure if that year has those improvements. Try and be sure where the water is being lost. It could be the water pump leaking which is easier to fix, or a radiator leak, or a hose. If it is the head gasket there should be a loss of compression on a cylinder (use a compression tester) and probably steam / smoke from the exhaust.
there is no water flowing anywhere on the side or under the car and I lose a lot of water and the exhaust smokes not much, but it smokes when I bought the car, a head gasket was done before, including the alignment of the head, the scales were not sunken, I am afraid that the block or head is cracked
@@radimadamovky-sl4qd A cracked head or block is unlikely. To check if the water is going into the combustion chamber, buy a cylinder compression tester (not expensive) and test each cylinder for the compression value, with all of the spark plugs out. If water is getting into the combustion chamber then one of the reading will be lower than the others. Also often you can get oil mixing with the water or water in the oil so look for that. If the head gasket was recently changed it is probable that it wasn't done properly.
Hi I have a 1.4 mg zr and am going to do the n series head gasket and stronger rail upgrade and in your opinion would the prt thermostat upgrade work because I spoke to rimmer bros and they say wouldn’t recommend it but wanted your opinion
@@robertbowes1001 There are a few kits on eBay for PRT assemblies for MGs which you could probably adapt and use: www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2334524.m570.l1313&_nkw=prt+hose+assembly&_sacat=0&LH_TitleDesc=0&_osacat=0&_odkw=prt+hose+kit
Ive got a 216 Cab that has a multi-layer gasket on it when i bought it, seems to be an old repair . After a year or so of ownership, its started leaking coolant from the left hand front of the engine from the gasket. I expect the gasket has wore out as i can see bits of black of the gasket has come away. Would i be able to replace the gasket with out skimming the head? as its not leaking internally. Also as its got a MLS gasket already could i just used the N series gasket as the previous one worked ok?
You may be able to just change the gasket but check if there are any indents in the head or marks or corrosion on the block. You can only tell once you have the head off. Also check liner heights. Maybe some liner shims would help.
I ended up swapping in a 1.8vvc 160 engine as the cambelt snapped on the 1.6. but would you believe, it I have HGF on this engine now...ive got it stripped down but I'm concerned about weather I need to clamp the liners down to clean the tops of the liners?@@comeinhandynow
@@spencerburrows3525 only what I briefly show in this video. You remove sump. And oil ladder as well. Unbolt big end bearing nuts. Remove bearing. Piston pushes out top. Tap out liner evenly with something long enough to reach. Be careful not to chip it. If it does happen don’t leave any raised edge on the liner from the tapping.
@@comeinhandynow is it a new liner job or use old liners. The liners are meant to be 3 tho above block. Three of my liners are 3 tho below. I have thought about doing it but it is a big job which had got to be done right first time.
@@spencerburrows3525 3 thou below is a lot. Flat with block is the worse I’ve had. They should be 3 to 4 thou above the block. I read they went to 4 later in life. I would reuse them if they are not damaged or worn out and you are reusing your pistons.
This is on an originally 120 bhp engine (the 160 bhp is usually VVC) but most of the do’s and don’t are the same. I’ve made it 200 bhp now though by turbo charging it.
Tell me, friend - on such a motor, detonation sounds are heard when the gas pedal is pressed (1500 - 2300 rpm)! what could it be ? (freelander 1.8 2004 )
That is unusual, but the obvious causes could be: cylinder head skimmed too much rising the compression ratio, poor quality fuel, cam belt timing not correct.
tell me, after assembling the motor, a month. a ringing sound appeared (like hitting metal with a metal ruler). with crankshaft frequency. the sound is similar to a bad hydraulic lifter, but is heard better from below. when warming up, the sound becomes quieter. and sometimes it is clearly audible. what problems could there be? oil pressure on a hot engine is 1.6-6 atmospheres.
Possibly sticking Hydraulic Lifters. If oil maintenance has been neglected in previous ownership, "thick varnish" build up slowing the lifter's ability to quickly return. Hence the extra metallic noise which reduces when the engine warms. I drain the old oil HOT and fill the engine to the correct level with DIESEL FUEL. Which is of course Oil. Then run the car GENTLY for about 10 kms or 6 miles. Then drain hot and fill with good quality brand 10-40 Semi=Synthetic and new Oil Filter. Always works for me with much reduced engine noises. Valve gear noise reduced to and acceptable "rustle".. like new. WARNING, Although I have used this method for over ten years, it does work for me but I am NOT recommending it just in case it does not work for others. It does work for me and sometimes spectacularly so. Better sounding engine, better throttle response and even improved fuel consumption. So if you decide to try it. do so sensibly. Keep those engine revs below 3500rpm and mostly less avoiding any steep hills needing larger throttle openings...Drain Diesel Fuel hot immediately. You be surprised the muck it dislodged from the engine's internals. That nice clean and clear Diesel Fuel will be Black full of contaminants after draining. .
@@T16MGJ I also wash the engine with diesel fuel but at idle speed and within 30 minutes))))). it is better not to give him a load at this time. everything works fine this. but the sound appeared on new hydraulic lifters, though they are from the cheap segment. after 2 months - the sound practically disappeared. )))
@@politicazlo8926 Well done. Your method is safer. However, I do not over stress the engine for obvious reasons. It can work on engines which show signs of not being properly cared for in previous ownership. Those signs are always there if you know what to look for. Someone told me that because Diesel engines run far dirtier than Petrols, detergent additives are in the Fuel and Diesel Specific Engine Oils. That makes sense. I used to wash/flush PETROL engines with Diesel Engine Oil until some wiser person told me about the Diesel FUEL engine flush method.
@@T16MGJwhen flushing with diesel fuel - do not sit down! this is the load on the crankshaft - connecting rod. the main and connecting rod bearings will touch the crankshaft journal through the diesel film (which is weak and thin) get bad marks on the crankshaft journals - at least)