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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Head gasket issue

My engine leaked oil at the rear of the engine at the head gasket.
So whilst the engine is out i’m Replacing the head gasket.

Head is off and both mating surfaces have been cleaned.

At the rear of the block on the mating surface is ‘020’ stamped on it. This has left the edges of the stamping slightly proud of the mating surface and it’s in the same area as the leak.

Is it how trying to dress this back? And what’s the best way?


C MADGE

If you get a real fine flat file and place it flat on there and just use your thumb lightly dead above the area to work the file it will dress it down, just keep checking to see when it's level-usually the file will stop cutting when it's level and it will just slide---
Bit worried about the look of that block looks nasty near that hole up the top of the pic.
willy
William Revit

..looks like the block has been bored out and fitted with a liner...
David Cox

Question to others rather than Chris.

IIRC it is a Triumph Gold Seal engine so would that explain anything or has later work been done on it by others?
Nigel Atkins

It’s a Triumph 1500 engine, with the step around each cylinder. The engine number suggests it started life in a Trumph Spitfire.

Although the engine is painted gold, I’m led to believe that Triumph didnt do the gold seal replacement scheme, but I haven’t had a definitive answer. The gold seal engines also had a replacement engine number plate attached. Mine doesn’t. So I suspect it’s just a reconditioned +020 engine to replace the original engine at some point in the past. The log book still shows the original engine number as it was never updated.

I have had a go at the stamped area with a file and some 600 wet and dry. It seems better with no noticeable ridge now. So fingers crossed....
C MADGE

I thought all 1500's had recessed bores for a 'firering' in the gasket.

ISTR Deborah (Priestess Engines ?)who built Triumph engines commented on this in the past - check the archives.

R.
richard b

More of my poor memory, wasn't Gold Seal also done through Unipart?

I don't know about Triumph but MG, at times at least, done Gold Seal engines and you see Triumph Gold Seal engines for sales that's not to say they're genuine or ever existed though as I don't know (or can't remember).

From Practical Classics, February 1984 by Chris Graham via MGA Guru -
Gold Seal engines are (were) applicable to vehicles up to five years old and contain a higher percentage of new parts.

But these engines could be swapped out of vehicles. Many midget 1500s could have engines originally fitted to Spitfires.
Nigel Atkins

Coincidently I was cleaning the engine and removing thick layers of gunk off the engine and found what looks like a replacement engine number attached with silicon sealant. Still has some of the gold paint on it.

RTC2459R 137588

Anyone know anything about Triumph exchange engines?


C MADGE

David
It does look like a liner/sleeve to me as well-which in itself isn't an issue
My concern was that crosswise mark just to the left of the hole and also the top of the 'liner' appears ,in the pic, to be lower than the rest near the hole--probably just the pic but it would pay to have a good inspection of that area and of the old gasket in that area to check if it was sealing ok there
The raised 020 wouldn't really cause an issue unless it was a metal shim style gasket, any other gasket would do what gaskets are there for and swallow it up, but having said that i would probably have dressed it off as well
willy
William Revit

William I think its the picture, in reality it looks ok to me.


I posted my reconditioned engine question on another forum and got this response:


RTC2459R is the factory designation for a stripped engine unit. The fact it's painted gold means it's probably a factory reconditioned 'Gold Seal' engine - if it was originally in Midget, that would explain the BMC connection. The engine number FM38556HE means it was originally fitted to UK/Euro Spit 1500, and the serial number indicates it's a fairly early one, maybe from around 1976.
C MADGE

Chris,
I thought you'd got all (or most) of that information before, in an email or in post on here, it all sounds very familiar to me and you know what my memory's usually like, certainly the FM38556HE bit.
Nigel Atkins

Nigel I knew the original engine came from a 1975 Spitfire originally, but the newly discovered tag shows that the engine was indeed a factory reconditioned unit.


From the number I'm trying to find out the date when the engine was reconditioned.

C MADGE

Right, have you got the code definition for R T C and perhaps the end R.

Been on to Truimph Torque and such places/forums, try Triumph Sports Six Club, Lubenham (nr Market Harborough) might have the records give them a ring.
Nigel Atkins

This thread was discussed between 07/03/2019 and 08/03/2019

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

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