mg zr 1.8 160 vvc

jayp1983

yes i know its a rover 'k' sreies engine but aside from that not bad little motors (its the other halfs), i was wondering if anyone has had any expierence with these engines as we have had the must do's done ie head gasket and cambelt inc w/p and tensioner, after 1500+ miles we now have another problem as the car is lacking power and is making a loud ticking noise from the top end, it was never this noisy before it almost sounds if its running dry or little oil, fresh oil change done but problem still persists, any help would be very much appreciated

jay

Gary14

Just make sure the coolant is ok, correct levels etc, prone to leak from inlet manifold gasket and looks like head gasket failure but isnt, overheating problems, make sure theromostat is working ok? and electric fan cuts in when it should, Ive worked on a couple of these cars, cheap on parts, if you can get them and easy to work on. My friend deals with damaged but repairable MG Rovers, the slightest damage and insurance companies write then off. So if your wanting to keep be careful :thumbup:

jayp1983

i know to look for head gasket etc, ours hads t/stat housing leak (look to be head gasket) so we did a full rebuild on the head, well ivor searle did at a cost (i didnt fancy taking aprt the vvc) so thats all good its just this loss of power and loud tapping noise from top end, the head was rebuilt 1.5k ago so cant be a fault from the rebuild. could it be that the timing is out on the vvc side of things??? notsure.gif

jay

Gary14

Its sounds like a noisy hydraulic lifter or restricted oil way? also check the purge valve these can make a loud ticking noise.
a blowing exhaust manifold gasket can also produce tapping noise. Try using some engine flush and fresh oil aswell :thumbup:

jayp1983

could the lack of oil explain the lack of power? also i forgot to mention it has irratic idling as if its going to stall

could an oil blockage be causing this grief?

jay

Gary14

jayp1983 said:
could the lack of oil explain the lack of power? also i forgot to mention it has irratic idling as if its going to stall

could an oil blockage be causing this grief?

jay

I would take check the timing belt and make sure everything lines up ie belt may have jumped a tooth or two? i wouldnt have thought a lack of oil would cause erratic idle, lack of power could again be the belt / tension? also check manifold bolts are tight and not loose as per my previous post.

Was the car running ok before the repair work carried out? if so, there lies the problem.

jayp1983

i have found the cause, its the belt slipping (poss due to tensioner not being tightened enough) and then deciding to shred itself in the cams etc, i hope it hasnt caused any major damage but would it be worth checking the head by taking it off or can i turn the engine by hand to clisten for and abnormal sounds??