I have recently purchased a second hand engine for my MG TF 52 reg ( the old one has failing head gasket!) it has only done 7000 miles as is perfect order.
A local garage is telling me that the mechanical fitting of the replacement engine is easy but compled because of the diagnostics (electrics) etc systems.
Can ayone advise if this is true or otherwise
Isn't replacing the entire engine a bit much, just for a bad head gasket? I realize that we're talking about a mind-engined car here but still, it seems like overkill to me....
Dan D '65 MGB '76 MGB Central NJ USA
I'm interested as to why the Head Gasket failed?
Yours is the first TF I've ever heard of to have a HGF!
It used to be a common problem on the MGF before 2000 when they fitted plastic dowels to locate the head on the block.
Post 2000 they went back to steel.
I had HGF on my old 97 MGF the main dealer was quoting £1500+ but my local independent, who's been servicing my cars for years, Quoted me £500 all in.
In the end the bill was £483 and that included all the parts, labour and a head skim. He also replaced the cam belt while he had the old one off. I was off the road 3 days. Head off on day one, take to whoever did the skim. Day two head is away for skim and pressure test, delivered back to garage just before closing. Day 3 head replaced and car returned.
As you've already bought the engine I'd simply take the head off the new engine and put it on the old one with a new gasket set as there's unlikely to be any damage to the block, unless this failure is very different from the run of the mill failure.
Why would you go to all the grief of swapping the whole unit?
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