Part of the family - a newbies tale

Hello all,

First off have to say from what I’ve read already this is a great source of knowledge on MG cars.

My story goes like this in June 2003 FCN was delivered to me brand new from Premier group in Romford. An MG TF 135 with chrome pack, twin fog lamps, part leather sports and alcantara seats with sports pack 2 and interior colour way ( what ever that maybe ) metallic paint (LQW) and a windstop.

Over time kids come along and she gets driven less and less and eventually in 2015 the MOT runs out and she’s pushed right to the back of the garage.

Now out of requiring the space for a pending house extension, and a certain amount of guilt. The time is right for her to see the world again.

She’s been turned over from time to time and moved so we don’t flat spot the tires to much, but I’m looking for any advice on where to start to re-commission her.... or am better off just taking her for an MOT and starting there ?

All advice greatly received.

Well I think it depends on your views with regards spending money on items that won't necessarily fail the test . If you see how it fairs with the MOT you can then think about other items ie changing the brake fluid, deciding if the cam belt and associated ancillaries need to be changed and changing the coolant . The list of items depends on how well it coped while of the road and how dry your garage is .
John

Cheers for that, will start with an MOT, found it’s last one this evening and the only advisory was the wiper blades so will change them.

Then like you say can draw up a list to start working through.

Hi and welcome to the forum

It depends on how far you want to go, I would start with a full fluids service, a good look around and then a MOT.

Also are the belts due?

James

:welcome2:

Gents thanks for the welcome, have booked the MOT for Monday will spend the weekend going through an MOT checklist and giving her a clean.

Will then start with a service, the belts definitely need doing they've been done twice that i can remember and not in the last 4 (read as maybe 6 or 7 years)

Will let you know how we get on...

:welcome: :welcome: :welcome:

welcome aboard!

Please keep us updated!

Welcome in and good luck with re-commissioning your TF! Brake fluid change should be up there somewhere on top of the list and of course the coolant would be renewed when you do the belts along with the water pump. Something a lot of people miss when servicing a car is the lubrication of all the hinges and I would definitely squirt a bit of oil in all the door lock keyholes, especially the locking petrol cap. Grease the nipples on the front suspension arms. Lubricate the bonnet release cable and catch - both ends.

Sundance

Welcome to the fun of MG ownership.
While you have the oil can out don't forget the windscreen wiper pivots underneath the scuttle, the bonnet and boot hinges, and anything else you come across that moves.
I would recommend the use of PTFE spray for lock cylinders, graphite's the best, but the old WD40 has served the purpose as well. Too much oil in lock cylinders attracts muck and bungs up the pins, levers and tumblers, this applies to any lock.
Also get yourself a couple of duplicate keys and use them for every day use. I always recommend to keep at least one original key unused if possible; so an accurate duplicate can be cut from that and not a worn key.

So Monday arrived and the old girl failed on the reasons below:

Repair immediately (major defects):

Rear Registration plate inscription illegible (0.1 (b))
Nearside Rear Service brake grabbing severely (1.2.1 (c))
Exhaust Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits (8.2.1.2 (c))

Registration plate one seems a bit of over kill if i'm honest as we checked they were clean and readable before taking it in. but i can get a new number plate.

Rear brake grabbing - a caliper rebuild was already on the cards so this is actually where i thought it would fail.

It's the last one that concerns me most he mentioned the butterfly in the back box being seized would this make any difference at all ?

Do i just get it back change the exhaust, the cat and 2 lambda sensors and hope that that does it ?

hibbda wrote: So Monday arrived and the old girl failed on the reasons below:

Repair immediately (major defects):
....
Exhaust Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits (8.2.1.2 (c))
....
It's the last one that concerns me most he mentioned the butterfly in the backbox being seized would this make any difference at all ?

Do i just get it back change the exhaust, the cat and 2 lambda sensors and hope that that does it ?

The valve thingy on the RHS tailpipe on mine seized up, although it passed an MOT like this. I freed mine up with some Plus Gas and a bit of working with a spanner. It freed up nicely but I'm not convinced it worked properly. I would at least ensure that it is open.

The classic way of optimising the exhaust emissions is to get the catalytic converter hot by giving the car a good thrashing immediately before the test.

Could it be old petrol in the tank causing the problem?

Others will probably have more useful advice but my MOT man usually needs to check it a couple of times to get a satisfactory reading.