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MG MG Y Type - Water Leak

I've just spotted a slight weep of coolant from the cover plate on the back of the cylinder head on my Y. Does anyone have experience of replacing this plate without removing the engine?

I've a feeling that this has been covered before, but a search of the BBS archive has drawn a blank.

Bill Bennett
W M (Bill) Bennett

Hi Bill

Just been down to have a look in my shop at mine (center battery box) and a client car I have in currently (offest battery box).

With an off-set battery box this is just about possible but tricky. At least though you can get a reasonable contact on all of the heads. Whether you would actually be able to extract the bolts though is another matter!

With the center battery box I wouldnt even begin to think about it personally as removing the head is way easier than messing around in the cramped space before aborting the mission and reverting to lifting the head any way.

On the plus side, you would not have to take the entire engine out (which saves having to dismantle half the car) but seriously I would say you will be hours ahead just to pull the head and then you can have at the end plate with ease.

End plates do tend to rot out over time so I would replace it with a new one. Paint it before mounting it on the cylinder head. Make sure the gasket is new too. Before remounting the head though, make sure the end plate is snug and secure with a new gasket and is on square.

Get a new head gasket set too while you are about getting the end plate (gasket set comes complete with end plate gasket - at least the Payen [recommended] kit does. Most of this kit you will end up throwing away but take the opportunity to put the new exhaust gasket on the header/cylinder head while you can too.

Before putting the head gasket on, check the block for true and also the cylinder head under surface too. Get a new set of head studs too while you are at it - the old ones may have stretched some over the years. All surfaces must be dry and free from debris.

Sounds terrifying if you have never done this before, but the Workshop Manual is a pretty good source for reference, and then you can find all the torque sttings on the website too. Provided you go slowly and methodically there is little to fear.

Drain the oil and the water before you start and then before you put the head gasket on, first blow out the head stud holes with compressed air to ensure there is no oil or water/coolant seeped in to the holes as this will give you a false torque setting when you sinch the head down.

Paul
Paul Barrow

If your car is a YA with the side battery box I think it may be possible to drill access holes through the bulkhead so as to engage the screws. Failing that if possible remove the front engine mount which should tilt the engine down so that a Mole grip can be used on the screw heads. Best of luck Bryan
B Mellem

I did succeed in removing my rotten rearplate, with the cylinderhead in place, but I had a non standard rearplate with hexagon-headed bolts. Slotted screwheads could be trickier.

I removed the front engine mount completely; the rubber and the big V-shaped metal plate. After loosening the top radiatorhose, lowering the engine made it tilt enough to remove the bolts. The bolts shouldn't have been a thou' longer.

I've fitted a locally produced stainless steel plate which should outlast the car.
Willem vd Veer

This thread was discussed between 25/02/2011 and 01/03/2011

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