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Huddersfield this morning, and thankfully the weather made a bit of an improvement, after hearing torrential rain in the early hours.

We ventured back to see Andy and his Rover 25 to replace the head gasket. Plus, we noticed last time that the radiator was past its best. Andy had bought a replacement, so we fitted this for him today too. Good job, it was a lot worse than thought when we took it off, it was the original one so had certainly done it’s time. Fab car, really pleased to have everything sorted now for Andy.

From there we went back over to Sheffield, as our visit to see Tony last week had been delayed due to the hideous weather.

Underfloor coolant pipes replaced with stainless ones and a minor service carried out on his great looking MGF 120 mpi (in JRJ). As is found sometimes with underfloor pipes replacement you can sometimes get a half to one litre air lock, if you’ve counted them in at least you know it’s there. Even though you get coolant out of all three bleed points it does sometimes take a bit of finding. Normally jacking the rear of car up and down helps.

Great to see Tony again and have a chat and a cuppa while we worked, car now all good to go! – https://ift.tt/Y3zAqDn

Our last call on the road this week was in Burley in Wharfedale where it was time for David’s TF 135 (in MBB) to have the cambelt service done. Almost 5 years ago when we were last there, seems like longer, good to see David again .

Cambelt, water pump, tensioner, plugs, filters, alternator belt etc all replaced. The brake fluid was also changed.

Yesterday morning, Thursday, found us in Tickhill, near Doncaster where it was great to meet Lenny for work on his MGF 1.8 mpi (in CDX). Unfortunately, not long after buying the car the proverbial happened. So he parked the car in his garage until we were able to get there. Glad he had a garage as tad dismal when we set off and slowly worsened. So pleased to see that he did have a garage as I think the gazebo would have provided us with the minimum of shelter!

A nice car to work on, with no other issues found and an enjoyable morning chatting to Lenny.

We had planned to go back and see Tony in Sheffield, for work on his MGF, but the weather was too bad, so we agreed between us to go back on Monday, hopefully when the conditions are slightly better.

We hardly ever give in to the weather, if we did we would never get anything done, but lying under the car on axle stands on a sloping drive in torrential rain just didn’t seem like the best plan. Thanks for your understanding Tony, look forward to seeing you again next week.

Wednesday morning we ventured up to Langtoft for full cambelt service etc on David’s MGF as all booked in and confirmed, but it seems he forgot to check his diary.

We, therefore, arrived a little earlier than planned at our next call in Beverley, where it was lovely to meet Adrian, who had asked if we could come over and check over his TF 135 for some issues he’d been experiencing. On carrying out our usual checks it was found to be head gasket failure, which he had suspected. The underfloor coolant pipes need replacing too. A date booked in at the workshop for Adrian to bring the car over, and do whatever else needs doing should we find anything.

One of the places where we were storing some of our cars needed their space back for a while, so we drove 4 of them over to the workshop, all started up first turn of the key. Really must find time to get these sorted and sold. Well one of them will be our dedicated track car, as was the plan. Looking forward to getting ‘Nancy’ ready for some fun at Cadwell Park next month.

Looking forward to seeing everyone tomorrow for collection of their cars. Hopefully the rain will stay away for the day. ☀️🤞 – https://ift.tt/KXYqvyW

Paul’s LE 500 (paint code 109) completed today, following a few things that were picked up on on the last MOT.

One, of which, was the reluctor rings that would have inevitably caused a problem with the ABS, as they were corroding very quickly. This is a problem we have come across on a few occasions with the LEs. We replaced the rear drive shafts along with the front stub shafts.

Rear brake pipes replaced, and clutch pipe and flexi section all replaced too. Good to have the car back in again and get everything sorted out for Paul.

Great to see Peter and David today who drove over from Ashton-in-Makerfield today in the TF 160 that Peter bought from us last year for a remap. ‘K-maps’ map all done with a few subtle pops and bangs! Lovely to have a chat and a brew with them both.

The TF 135 that we had in for Fiona and Jason had, we discovered, signs of head gasket failure, so they asked if we could do this for them while we had it in. All done and sorted today for them and the car does sound a lot smoother.

Back on the road for the rest of the week, taking in Driffield, Beverley, Sheffield, Doncaster and Wharfedale.

Then it’s back at the workshop on Saturday morning for collection day! Best stock up on the teabags! Hope the weather is as good as it has been for top down drives home for everyone. – https://ift.tt/06LImrg

A very nice Sunday at the workshop, as we greeted Susan and her co-pilot Tony who drove down from the north east in ‘Racey Tracy’, her TF 160, this morning…

Susan had been quoted a bit of high amount for the work that was described. Turns out that the flexi section of the exhaust was still like new and the blow was coming from the flange on the cat. The exhaust hanger was coming adrift, so Jon welded this back on. New cat duly fitted and refitted the Lambda sensor. So she’s all good to go again.

Lovely to see them both and have a cuppa and a chat. Thank you, so much Rachael for sending the sweets down with them, very thoughtful.

Beautiful sunny day for a top down drive.

We gave Roddys MGF a bit of an underseal as it was looking a bit flaky.

Ollie’s TF was collected by the courier. Kevin is collecting his TF later today and Paul dropped off his lovely LE 500 with us for some work next week. – https://ift.tt/Ah8lm59

Everything we set out to do and a little bit more all completed in the workshop this week (apart from our trip to Bromsgrove on Tuesday of course)…

Ollie’s hoses and t-piece fitted on his TF 160, this was the final thing to be done, all other work mentioned in previous blog, the car can now be reunited with his owner in Eastbourne.

Internal heater pipes replaced with stainless on Roddy’s MGF 143, that we have had in for a while, due to a non-starting issue. (All details in previous blog). That was all sorted, but other issues developed. Another one was that once it was fired up there was a lot of rattling coming from the back end, which was due to cat having collapsed and the internals of which had made it into the back box. The only way to get all the bits out was to cut two flaps into it, shake it all out and weld back up. The windscreen was replaced yesterday, as due to the rust underneath the bottom corner of the frame bulging up it caused it to crack. Pleased to have finally got this one done, it was in another garage prior to us, so we’ve just had to do bits as and when we had gaps. MOT booked in for Monday.

Kevin’s TF 135 (in LEF) came into us for underfloor treatment. One of the top ball joints was noticed to have gone, so this was replaced.

Fiona and Jason’s TF 115 (in LEF) that we last saw at their house for cambelt service, came in for replacement of front wishbone, underfloor coolant pipes, undersealing, check over and then an MOT. This along with Roddy’s MGF will be done on Monday.

A very busy and productive week. We even got chance for a much needed sort out, stack back and organise this afternoon! Sorry Jon, I know you hate it when I get my tidying head on, but look at all the space! 😃

Looking forward to seeing the owners reunited with their cars over the next week or so. – https://ift.tt/SYycezt

Bromsgrove this morning…

Really good to see Keith and Karen again for some work on their fab cars.

We replaced the head gasket on his TF 135 (in paint code PBT), along with a gear box oil change, coolant flush and fitting of a USB port in place of the cigar lighter.

Then we changed the gear box oil in his MGF mpi 120 (in Volcano) and replaced the coil pack to the distributor HT lead as the others were only changed a year ago. The cars looking good, and he had treated himself to a Christmas present last year of full Mike Satur Daytona exhaust system, and sports cat, sounds great, and next up will possibly be a remap.

What a lovely morning in Keith’s company, fab weather, lots of tea and biscuits, plus cuddles with their beautiful pooches. – https://ift.tt/J8icnmb

It was supposed to be a weekend off, but needs must when things are a tad on the busy side…

We went over to Green Hammerton, near York yesterday morning to see what was occurring with Jamie’s TF Steptronic, that he had to have recovered home, as it had decided to lose a load of coolant and then subsequently not start again. He told us, in a good spirited way, that his uncle who owns and runs a garage, had politely declined to work on the car for him.

On pressure test, it was found that the hose from the head to the heater pipes had a rather large split. The expansion tank cap was also faulty. Hose replaced and new cap fitted. Fortunately, for him though, it wasn’t the proverbial as he had suspected.

But, the none starting issue, after our investigations, with fuses and relays etc, was found to be the fuel pump having packed up. A quick message to Jason at MG & Alpha Spares and one is being shipped out to us to be fitted next week. We don’t keep these on stock as they can dry out and be of no use if kept in storage for a long period of time. Good to meet Jamie and have a brew too, we will be back!

The car we had in from Filey was returned today, good to see Linda and have her reunited with her TF 135, after its bit of surgery with us. A nip over to the car park near the Brigg for a cuppa and a bacon sandwich before heading back to the workshop to get the other cars fitted in there that were dropped off today ahead of the work on them next week.

Jason and Fiona dropped off their TF from Ulceby and Kevin came over with his TF from Selby.

Think we need an even bigger workshop!! 😳 – https://ift.tt/H5gauPq

Ollie had his TF 160 transported up to us from Eastbourne, as planned, this week. It was booked in for a simple head gasket replacement, but there was more to be done on this car than initially thought, from the issues we came across as we went along…

You may have heard of the old advert of not taking two bottles into the shower, (obviously depending on your age!) one is enough, this was actually the opposite with the bottles of this evil stuff, ‘Steel-Seal’ not only one bottle was used in this car, but two!! We definitely had hang dog expressions when we saw them when the transporter chap dropped it off, what a great bloke he was, we’ve got his card for future use.

Anyway, we took the head off that was still in good useable condition, thankfully. Even though the car has a PRT someone previously had fitted a thermostat into the original housing on the rear of the engine, so we removed this and put a straight through plate in. The underfloor coolant pipes were pretty rotten, so new ones fitted. Then discovered that the PRT was stuck slightly open, so this was also replaced. On doing this found further hoses that were also leaking, along with the T-piece having a split in it.

With the cooling system being full of steel-seal we put in an oil cooler bypass to prevent further issues with the heater circuit. On doing this noticed that the hose from the thermostat housing to the coolant tank had been taped up with electrical tape, on removing the tape found that it was split.

The radiator was also shot, and when we removed it it was found to be blocked throughout many of the channels. We know this because even though the hoses were disconnected when we removed it, it still poured out over half a litre of coolant. Bit more work to do, with replacing further hoses and then the car will be good to go.

Lotus Elise S1…
Tim traveled up from Wisbech and dropped his Lotus Elise S1 with us this morning, initially this was a squeeze in for a head gasket replacement, but he asked if we could also carry out the cambelt service, and a clutch replacement while we were at it. We declined on the clutch for now!

On removing the cylinder head we found evidence of steel-seal on this also, the return pipes were all blocked. These were all cleared out, including the expansion tank was that was full of gunk!

Cylinder head replaced, along with cambelt, water pump, tensioner and alternator belt. Back up and running lovely and ready for Tim to collect. I’d have happily driven it back for him though! 😀 – https://ift.tt/zkIlbjX