Informative video Andrew! The liners on my 2000 Rover 45 were below surface so MG Rover mobile mechanics changed the head 2yrs ago and did a good job( cross my fingers)
What did they do to the liners because if they were below the block surface that would not seal! They clearly did something for it to last 2 years, hopefully it continues :)
Prior to having it done engine was dumping coolant straight into sump a real mayonnaise issue!hah.MG/Rover mobile mechanics guy says he always carries 2 prepared heads in his van skimmed and prepared..
The K series is a great engine. The poor quality HG fiited at factory were to blame. The multi layered HG sorts the issue. Like all engines they need looking after. The propaganda spread by the auto media about the engine stuck with the educated. Brilliant thar you mentioned the liners because thats really important. I had a ZS great car great engine. Brilliant video
The MLS like I said isn't the right solution but for many its lasted a number of years, probably because the liner heights were pretty equal. But this is more by lucky than good judgement on the person fitting the gasket. The Elastomer will last longer for the reasons stated in the video. The liners are critical and often overlooked and hence why the incorrect gasket is often selected, I hear tales of garages ordering MLS gaskets BEFORE they've taken the head off! How do they know which one they will be using!
Great content. Just bought a Rover 75 1.8t. 75,000 miles. Came with a receipt for a MLS head gasket, skim etc. at 64,000 miles, 9 years ago. Do you think I should keep a watching brief or just change it again for a better gasket? The 75 is a Contemporary and was registered in 2007 which I find odd.
It was very late registered by the sound of it! Not unheard of - clearly after 9 years the MLS has been lucky to hold out for so long (it indicates the liners are very equal in your 75) but the chances of it failing sooner rather than later will increase. I would be planning a job at some point soon and replacing with the elastomer. The uprated ones will last way longer judging by their quality!
The head gasket they fitted on them k-series when came out the factory 💩💩 where people go wrong is not having the having the head checked to see if it needs skimming also the head blots need changing on mine i had the lot done on mine before i sold it on because when i first had the zr it had a head gasket done and went 6 months on me owning it and i didn't cook it i did the work and fitted it my friend had it after me and ran fine for 18 months before he wrote it off being a idiot
I think it's a good phrase to use with the K-Series, fabulous engine, rubbish head gasket design... but these days the original elastomer design has been improved and will last far longer without issue. You have to look after a K-Series and for that reason so many of them that remain with us under the bonnets of rovers are actually very happy engines and powerful as they have excellent compression!
