Topic

Greetings everyone,

Have had my 1.8 2003 model MGTF in Trophy Blue since 21/05/2017 and she puts a smile on my face every time I drive her.

Has not always been pleasurable though as within 4 months of having her the engine got destroyed (every valve broken, piston/con-rods smashed and even got a 2.5 inch hole in the crankcase!), the cause of this disaster was the alternator belt !!!! The belt broke up and ended up inside the timing belt cover, eventually and very quickly lifting the timing belt off the camshaft pulleys So a reconditioned engine and new clutch was fitted.

She now drives perfectly (am very cautious with regards the alternator belt now though, having just had it replaced after only 18K miles and 1 year and 6 months use).

Am looking forward to reading about the experiences of others and of course to contributing to the forums.

Regards.

Steve

Hi and from John in Pudsey Yorkshire . That's real bad luck with the alternator belt . Think I'll change mine even though its done less mileage but been on since I bought the TF 4 yrs ago .

Hello and

Hi and welcome to the forum.

When the cambelt failed on the ZR160 it bent 4 valves.

It wasn't due on age or mileage so I suspect the water pump failed after the son in law borrowed it for 2 months and seems to have emptied the cooling system and run it on peat bog stream water (and balded 2 new front tyres in a couple of thou miles!) love him dearly even so.

Don't be scared of using the car, just keep it maintained.

James

1 second sounded like I was driving through gravel, the next bang (I do 450 miles a week though on my commute to work, hence perhaps the need to change mine more often).

Was just unlucky I suppose that I inherited a dodgy belt when I bought the car, but prior to failure there was no squealing, or any sign of slippage/damage.

talkingcars wrote: wrote:

Hi and welcome to the forum.

When the cambelt failed on the ZR160 it bent 4 valves.

It wasn't due on age or mileage so I suspect the water pump failed after the son in law borrowed it for 2 months and seems to have emptied the cooling system and run it on peat bog stream water (and balded 2 new front tyres in a couple of thou miles!) love him dearly even so.

Don't be scared of using the car, just keep it maintained.

James

Thanks James,

Car was allegedly MoT'd and serviced before I bought it. My local MG specialist in Gosport said it was the worst engine damage he had ever seen, which was a shame as they use the engine casing in part-exchange to cut the price of the reconditioned one.

The car is my commute to work vehicle, so defo not afraid to use her at just over 450 miles per week Although have now started to give her the occasional break when I use my Honda CBR500RA (in dry and not too chilly weather).