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MG MGF Technical - Metallic grinding crunching noise

Hi, Need some help/advice about problem with my daughters 97' MGF.
Yesterday morning, when my daughter was starting her car, she heard a horrible metallic grindng noise from the engine area, only for a second and then started OK and drove OK. That night, same thing happened with the same horrible noise but then it would not start at all. Would only make a loud horrible grinding metallic noise when trying to start. Sounds like the ring gear or starter motor or something worse? Could it be cam belt? I've taken off the engine cover and removed the spark plugs and can see the pistons going up and down in the cylinders on tick-over.
How can I tell if it is not the cam belt?



Branko

Branko,
The engines obviously still working and your daughter was driving it even with the noises so the timing etc. is probably alright. when she last drove it what was it like, performance wise.
If you can roll it down a slope and bump start it and it then drives OK that would point away from the cam belt.

Then I'd look at the starter gear, It could be the pinion chewed out or the little actuation solenoid not throwing the pinion into the starter ring or even the starter motor loose.
Is the battery fully charged and the earths clean ?.

Regards,
GramH
G N HUGHES

GramH,

Thanks for your response.
Still have not had a chance to even look at this as yet. (I'm just completing replacing a head gasket and turbo on my wifes Saab 9000).
The battery is very new and charged etc, but this is not the problem. It is definitely mechanical failure.
Will check it all out as soon as I get some time.

Cheers
Branko
Branko

If you are lucky it is just the the starter motor's gear assembly that is breaking down.
It is a fairly easy job to remove the starter and once removed it should be possible to wiew/feel the starter gear on the flywheel for damage (you may need a mirror to get a good view).
I had trouble with my starter not engaging through this summer but after I replaced the starter gear it works perfectly.
Jon F

Had a quick look at it. Took the spark plugs out and cranked the engine. Horrible noise. I can see the pistons going up and down. Should get a chance on the weekend to get at the starter motor, but I don't have a good feeling about this. If the starter motor was shot, why is it still cranking the engine? I thought if the pinion was gone that it would not engage and crank over.
Branko

Hooray!
Thankfully it was not the engine.
It was indeed the starter motor, but what happend is the pinion gear housing itself had actually snapped off. Luckily it was only sitting loose in the fly wheel area and I could retreive it easily. Thank God I didn't test drive the car using the push start method. That would have done far more damage as the loose piece could have been wedged in there and caused other damage. (See picture)

Now I am on the hunt for a low cost replacement.
Anyone got one they want to sell? Please email me.




Cheers,
Branko

Branko

Forgot to mention that the starter motor is part number NAD10050. It is the 1.4KW version. Type M78R (1.4)

Do any other cars share this same unit? Rover, Freelander etc?

Cheers.
Branko
Branko

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Electrostart2006 has a large inventory of starters and parts. They supplied my starter gear very fast at about half the OE MG Rover price.
Jon F

Hi Branko, good news about less serious problem causing engine noise. There is a guy from South Australia advertising on ebay that he is wrecking MGF, could be a source of cheap starter motor. Cheers
A.J. Mackew

Yes, good news it was only a starter motor.

Also, Thanks for the links guys, I'll check em out..
Branko

This thread was discussed between 25/09/2008 and 05/10/2008

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