Realistically, what can you do in terms of uprating parts to make a 1.4 K-Series less likely to blow a headgasket?

There's loads of supposedly uprated headgaskets on eBay, but they all look a bit pony. Anyone got any recommendations of what gasket out there is the one to go for and what else can be done?

Cheers.

 

Not sure on a 1.4 Mike but the MLS off a Freelander is the VVC choice upgrade so perhaps just a multilayer one. It's all a gamble anyway, I'd only bother if it has actually gone, just let it warm up well first. My wife's 216 had been done three times by 80k yet others just keep going.

 

As above, the one with the multi layer gasket and the "shim" gasket. Just put one on a MGTF and the thickness of it was superb, it was from a local MG specialist with genuine dealer stock

 

Isn't there a better block locating dowel that can be used as well as part of teh swap to the Land Rover headgasket?

 

I used a multi layer gasket and steel dowels ( they are what cause gasket probs as the oe ones and nylon) and new bolts and never had a prob" and never ever used any oil

 

I had heard that:

A. Land Rover Gasket is the best upgrade, but obviously they're 1.8's. I'm assuming they don't fit a 1.4, but does anyone make them to the same spec? There are loads of MLS Head Gaskets on eBay etc, but lots of bad reviews on the internet too.

B. Switching to steel dowels helps, but again, are there right and wrong ones to buy, where's best to buy from etc?

The car in question is a Metro GTi and it's going to get TB's and some abuse and I do beleive that prevention is better than cure.

I also have an MGF, which when I acquired that I was told it had an MLS gasket fitted as the headgasket had gone previously, but they didn't know much about it other than that and that has been spot on with no issues.

 

i sure they use a remote themostate as well as an upgrade

 

Go to a motor factors or online and get a Reisse kit number 74209001 it has uprated gasket with metal dowel, shim and all the loose gaskets and new head bolts and it should be around £70.

Dan

 

Just looked it up and that looks spot on.

Cheers!

 

Totally agree, £70-£80 is bang on the money for one of these kits

 

After owning a Rover 214 SEi (M plate) in the past with the K series engine, I was told that the reason for the notorious head gasket issue was due to the pathetic capacity of the cooling system.

Increasing/uprating the capacity of the cooling system would make it less likely to warp the OE headgasket.

Something else to consider.....as said i'm only repeating what was said to me

 

I've ordered one of those kits now, cheers for the heads-up.

I've got a twin-core aluminium radiator on the way and looking at uprated fans.

Anything else I can do?

 

Change the oil rail in the bottom of the engine for a modified one mate

 

good to here someone else is as mad as me with a metro gti , i had a gti few years back that i put on twin 40's, cams etc , went like stink, i remeber ..........( here we go ) beating a gta astra mk2 , lad couldnt beleive it , he waved me over to see what i had in the thing

head gasket was standard on that as well , lasted for quite a while

get some pics up


Ben

 

i dont know if that engine is the same as my mates mg zr105 trophy anniversary edition but we have tried 3 different head gaskets on his, none of which have sealed properly and in all honesty i think is a major wank design and i would never bother tuning one of them engines because of it

 

Well Elises, Exiges, 340Rs and all manner of Caterhams have them fitted. It's one of the most widely-tuned engines out there.

I'll get some pics up, but it's not the greatest of sights just yet.

 

use the multilayer head gasket from the kit listed above or use the 1.8 freelander one make sure you get the head skimmed and it should never blow again, if i had a fiver for every k series headgasket ive changed to mls i could retire (no joke) lol
the mls gasket is suitable for all engine sizes so dont be alarmed when you go to fit it and the ports for the pistons are larger than the bore, this is fine, as the fire rings on the gasket seal aginst the liner and will be fine
i would also like to add off all the mls gaskets ive fitted not a single one to my knowledge have ever had headgasket problems again
p.s usually worth changing the rings and honing the bores at the same time while its apart and make sure you strip the tappets and empty them of oil until they are springy otherwise they can and usually do jack up causing you to have no compression and make it impossible to start

 

yep i done loads too to the mls gasket and never had a problem!

 

im about to start the headgasket on my freelander tomorrow, got a recipt that its had a head skim and mls gasket in the past but we will see?
wanted to get somebody to do it for me but since they go so often decided to make sure its done properly, and get the head skimed, putting new water pump, timing belt and thermostat on while im at it

 

alot off people change them too because the inlet gasket goes and uses water

 

As everyone else in the trade, done dozens of the things but they do pay the bills !!! Just one thing to add to all the good advice on this subject, If your having to replace one that's already been fitted with a shim gasket! make 100% sure that you not looking at a sunken liner ??? Done at least 3 that had gaskets fitted at other garages and have failed due to a low liner, simple straight edge on the block and a quick check with the feeler gauges job done . Im not a rover fan to be honest but they do shift when there on song and like I say they are a good little earner
Cheers Paul

 

good advice mate, i also only ever clean the block up with grey scotch brite and wd40 and not sandpaper as you dont want to put any scratches on the block same with the cam carrier

 

best way to do it, get a pressure test done too as they do sometimes crack the heads not always but sometimes

 

For those who asked...



Looks will change pretty dramatically soon.

 

Is it getting tangoed Mike?

 

worth mentioning to anybody thats doing 1 of these by themselves,
when the head off DO NOT turn the botom end over(crankshaft),
as it can and probably will dislodge a liner, then your fooked

 

Maybe.

It's getting bare metalled anyway. I don't wanna tempt fate, but apart from the slam panel which is shot, the roof which is rusted quite badly at the front (want to lose the sunroof anyway) and some superficial rust on the one front wing it seems pretty rust free.

Orange is looking like my preference as I very nearly had my Escort sprayed orange, I chose Bayside Blue at the last minute over Lamborghini Arancio pearl orange, which I think I made the right choice, but have always wanted an orange car too ever since.

We'll see though. Only bought it as I'm into hillclimbing, but want to start competing properly next year and wanted to start in the under 1400cc production class and these are the most powerful NA 1.4 and easily the most tuneable.

 

true mate , but as i usually change rings at same time of course i need to turn it over, i get a mate to hold tightly a piece of 3x2 over all 4 liners while i turn it ive affectionatley named it k ha ha failing that if you do bump one up , then take them out and seal them with a bit of this

http://classicandspeedparts.com/inde...mart&Itemid=53

i use this instead of silicone on the cam carrier too its brilliant for metal to metal parts, just make sure you only use it on the outside of the cam carrier up to where the 4 cam seals are and around where the plug lead holes are, anywhere else in the carrier near the middle except horizontilly between the cam seals requires no sealant as this is were the cams get there oil from! silicone will work but curil is fit and forget and is similar to what is used from standard

 

Bloody hell this brings back memories I absolutely loved mine it was a multi point injection and it went like fook lol infact it was so good I got a straight swap for a mint rover 220 gti at the time. I only paid £250 for my metro aswell with 10 months mot and that was 7 years ago!!

 

A mate had a white MG metro turbo, I always said when I was able to drive I'd buy one.
Can't bloody find one now

 

Don't forget to buy the proper sealant for the cam carrier, as for the prefetic water system i dissagree as I never had that prob once the head gasket once done and in the winter I had to put card in front of the rad as the car runs to cold ,
How ever I did once meet a man that was involved in reworking the mgf water system as the rad hose were the wrong way round on the first one so I was told

 

Things have changed a bit now!

The Metro seems to have a relatively small, but enthusiastic following now and the GTi is pretty thin on the ground. I was looking for one for a couple of months and found absolutely nothing. There was one for sale in Belfast, but it was an SPi and I was set on an MPi and didn't want to travel to NI, then a near-mint example came up on eBay, but reached over £2k

In the end I contacted another guy on eBay who was advertising this one for breaking to ask what was wrong with it and had it been broken yet. He said he'd been meaning to break it for weeks and not got round to it, but was going to break it last Sunday unless I wanted it. I picked it up on Saturday for £700. It'd break for a lot more, but I don't think he could be bothered. He ran a mini and metro parts place which was stocked floor to ceiling, but he'd had the car over 3 years, but it for track days as he lived 2 miles from Oulton Park, but never got round to it. Was a one-owner car, guy in his 80s from North Wales. Under 50k, never seen a motorway.

Got it home, stuck some petrol in it and jump started it and it was fine. Since stuck a new battery on it and it starts first turn of the key, no hesitation. Runs like a dream, no smoke, nothing.

 

I've never read about cooling system issues with the K-Series either to be honest. I do want to uprate before tuning one up to 160bhp+ though. I like to be as safe as possible.

 

just helped my mate take the head off his supercharged elise after it dropped a valve. Had same advice with gaskets, dowels, liners etc.

 

whenever i change them using shim plate and multilayer i always use wellseal on the shim plate both sides, never had one come back

 

the land rover mls gasket fits 1.4 k series as they are the same head/block, i did the ls upgrade along with uprated bolts back when i had my mgzr and never had a problem

 

My Rovers done 52k so expecting trouble around 60k. As these cars are worth £20 for a pack of 6 my solution is to throw it in the bin & buy another one.

 

IMe 52k is right on time lol