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MG MG Y Type - How to remove the rear plate on the cylinderhead

The plate on the rear of the cylinderhead has sprung a leak. Mine is a non standard alloy item with a water take-off and was so much corroded that when I prodded it, I pushed a hole in it!

Unfortunately the clearance between the bulkhead and cylinderhead is not enough to remove the bolts. Any suggestions, apart from removing the cylinderhead? Will removing the front engine mount create enough clearance?

Willem
W. van der Veer

Hi Willem

Unless you uncouple the gearbox from its cross member, and the drive shaft you will not be able to move the engine one iota (or cm in meteric terms :-) ).

You will need to remove the head ... or use a ratchet wrench to get the bolts out as far as you can and then cut them off leaving enough stud remaining so that you can still get an adjustable vice grip on them to work them out the rest of the way.

You will then have only a small amount of room to work to clean up the gasket face before putting a new cover and gasket on and you may still have clearance problems with the new bolts too when refitting them.

Sorry for the bad news!

Paul
Paul Barrow

Hi Paul,

When I remove the front engine mount I hope the engine will tilt enough downwards (so not forwards) to provide clearance. I will try this weekend and will report back
W. van der Veer

Good luck - I cannot see how you will do it though!

How about the translations and proof reading you were doing for me - any chance of them please?

Thanks

Paul
Paul Barrow

This weekend succeeded in removing the rotten rearplate, with the cylinderhead in place!

I removed the front engine mount completely, so the rubber and the big V-shaped metal plate. After loosening the top radiatorhose, lowering the engine made it tilt enough to remove the bolts. The bolts shouldn't have been a thou' longer.

I've now fitted a locally produced stainless steel plate which should outlast the car.
Willem vd Veer

You should consider moving that water take-off to the front. It will give you much more heat, Check Heater in the TD/TF section.
Sandy
SANDY SANDERS

Sandy,
The water take off wasn't used on my car. I even thought it could be used for a return hose, but I doubt the circulation would be at it's best.
Willem
Willem vd Veer

As a post-mortem here's a picture of the heavily corroded alloy backplate.

Any ideas where it came from (which XPAG/XPAW?) or is it an accessory item?

Willem vd Veer

and another picture

Willem vd Veer

Am over from the TD forum... Your rear plate must be really constricted...the TD is as well, but I managed to get the bolts(which have large slotted heads) off with a 'dime' held in the jaws of a pair of pliers...took a long time, but worked...
Just changed my heater intake over from that plate to the elbow below the thermostat.....the casting was thick enough to drill and tap for a pipe fitting...

gblawson

I fitted a heater a few years back and drilled and tapped the casting but when I recently had the head converted to non leaded my engineer disapproved and welded a pipe in. "Not enough threads only needs a small knock to break the seal" he said. Best of luck though mine lasted a while.
Peter
P W Vielvoye

Regarding tapping in to the elbow below the thermostat, I agree that the pipe is too thin to tap in to reliably. I did this to fit a sender for a temperature gauge and it always wept, despite being screwed in with silicone sealant.

I intended to refit it with epoxy resin when I next drained the radiator, but sadly, I sold my Y in June.

As you can see I'm still sad enough to look at the website regularly.

Michael
j m nicholson

This thread was discussed between 17/10/2009 and 27/12/2009

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