MGF Head Gasket - do I need a new engine?

As I mentioned in my previous post mg MGF unfortunatley suffered a head gasket failiure the other day.

...the garage wont be open (or able to look at it) for several days and I am just trying to assess the likelyhood of needing a new engine.

Basically, the car did over heat and did cut out, I took it out of gear and coasted to the hard shoulder. Once it had cooled down I topped up the coolant and started it and ran it ok (without any steam or drama) for 30 secs.

I got it towed to an MG garage, but im just sitting here wondering what the chances of needing a new engine are? ie the engine hasnt seized up altogether, but could it still be a write off?

What proportion of HGFs end up needing a new engine?

David Bevan

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PS - Sorry if you have already read about my troubles, but im a little bit worried about the chance of being hit with a £3500 bill straight after Christmas!

See my reply to your other post. Don't worry, it isn't a right off, not unless you continued to drive it!

The head gasket has failed your coolant has mixed with your oil and emulsified. The chances are that your head will have warped, nothing a skim won't fix. They will flush all the emulsified oil out of your engine and replace it with fresh.

Here is a breakdown of my invoice from last summer(NOT A MAIN DEALER):

To remove and strip cylinder head. Pressure test and skim head. Rebuild.

Head skim £70 Head gasket set £66.33

1 Cam belt £18.36 1 oil filter £8.11 1 air filter £6.96 1 thermostat £7.48 Antifreeze £8.00 oil £12.00 Labour £175.00 VAT £65.32 Total £438.56

Prices will vary depending on what your garage charges for labour and how long they need for the job.

This is not a major repair, you could do it all yourself with the exception of the head skim. Working on an MGF is different to most cars but not a great problem. 10 minutes to un clip and remove the hood, 5 minutes to remove the 10 bolts holding the engine cover on, a bit more involved than simply lifting a bonnet but hardly a major undertaking.

Any garage that tells you different is preparing you for a big bill and is ripping you off.

I watched them strip mine and remove the head, it took less than an hour. The head was taken to a local engineering company that afternoon to be skimmed. It was returned the following lunch time and the car was put back together.