Engine Rebuild Tips

General Engine Rebuild or Replacement Preparation Information
… you are about to decide to rebuild the engine on your MG. Should you buy a MG exchange engine, have yours rebuilt, or do it yourself?
 
 

The decision to buy a MG exchange engine or to rebuild your own, you need to consider the costs involved.

To make an informed decision you need to make an assessment on the condition of your MG engine. This can be done fairly accurately, provided the engine has been disassembled

Make a list of all the major parts you will need. (Do you really need a new MG crankshaft at considerable cost, or the MG exchange crankshaft or can the crankshaft be reground … Similarly, the connecting rods, camshaft, etc.

Get a MG Workshop manual for your model MG, it will offer basic steps and tips to make the job easier. Such as to loosen the dog nut (the nut at the end of the crankshaft) before removing the engine. If you try to loosen it after the engine is out you will have to jam the flywheel with a screwdriver to stop the crank from turning). Photocopy the pages of the manual you need. This will save getting grease and oil on your MG workshop manual.

Buy a packet of lunch bags, a pencil, not a pen, as your hands will be greasy, pieces of paper in addition to a large sheet. (its wise to label and bag the parts as soon as they have been removed, and make notes on what is needed.  

A good way to keep these bolts in order is to put a number with pencil right next to the bolt, directly on the plate. Then after making a series of holes in a stiff piece of cardboard put a corresponding number below each hole. Each bolt that gets removed gets put into the hole in the cardboard. This will leave no question as to where the bolt goes when assembly time comes.

As you are disassembling the engine, keep track of what may be missing or incorrect.

When you order engine parts be sure to include a MG clutch alignment tool, and unless your clutch is like new … replace it!

Before removing the MG pistons be sure to make a note of which way is ‘front’. If the pistons aren’t marked, simply note on paper, which side of the connecting rod the bolts are, using the camshaft as a reference. Leave the MG camshaft bearings alone unless they absolutely need replacing.

Write down the MG torque requirements for your particular model and hang them on the wall for easy reference. (more torque is not better. It’s easy to break a bolt or strip a nut by tightening it too much. If you happen to strip the bolts that hold the MG flywheel be prepared to dismantle the whole MG crankshaft assembly and wait for another parts shipment.

Finally....Once the engine has been installed be sure that it is correctly earthed. If you find that the starter turns slowly, or that small wires such as the throttle cable are getting hot, that’s a sure sign to check the earth.