HOT, Hot, hot : MG Midget Forum : The MG Experience

HOT, Hot, hot #1
Spitz Matthew T PA, SK, Canada Sign in to contact 1973 MG MGB GT 1973 MG Midget	Topic Creator (OP) Jul 29, 2015 10:12 PM Joined 12 years ago 634 Posts

Just went for a quick evening drive...
Noticed the temp gauge in uncharted territories for me.
Got home as soon as I could...coasted as much as I could.
On opening the hood...the block and head are HOT....seeping at the head studs and at perimeter/base of head.
The rad is cool to the touch!? Overflow seems cool also.

I'll investigate in the a.m. when it's nice and cool....but just thought I'd throw the question out there.....Head gasket? I didn't see plumes of white.

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Re: HOT, Hot, hot #2
Spitz Matthew T PA, SK, Canada Sign in to contact 1973 MG MGB GT 1973 MG Midget	Topic Creator (OP) Jul 29, 2015 10:39 PM Joined 12 years ago 634 Posts

A quick update.

It cooled down enough to investigate a little.

When I remove the rad plug ( cross flow ), it is not bubbling like a blown headgasket might....but it did seam to "surge" and want to overflow. The engine temp gauge started rising only after a short time running.
Then water pump was put in last year....like, less than 1K miles
I tried to add fluid before I did the plug off test....and it only took a little.

......so....rad had fluid but was cool to the touch after engine got very hot. No air bubbles in fluid.

Several days ago I had gone on a long run (200 miles) with no overheating issues, this was the first drive since then

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Re: HOT, Hot, hot #3
saaboat Bill Trench South Salem, NY, USA Sign in to contact 1960 Austin-Healey Sprite 1963 Saab 96 3cyl 2stroke "2 Takt" 1964 Motovespa 150S 1965 Lambretta TV (GT) 200 Series 3 & more	Jul 30, 2015 05:24 AM Joined 16 years ago 736 Posts

stuck thermostat ?

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Re: HOT, Hot, hot #4
wizard43844 Jim J Warsaw, OH, USA Sign in to contact 1970 MG Midget MkIII "?" 1976 MG Midget MkIII	Jul 30, 2015 05:55 AM Joined 9 years ago 74 Posts

sounds like thermostat,... but don't overlook low fluid, my 70, midget, 1275 has to be burped, it has a plug at the front of the head that i had to remove to add water,..i see some places sell a bleeder that works off a garden hose,...........JIM

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Re: HOT, Hot, hot #5
wizard43844 Jim J Warsaw, OH, USA Sign in to contact 1970 MG Midget MkIII "?" 1976 MG Midget MkIII	Jul 30, 2015 07:25 AM Joined 9 years ago 74 Posts

need to recant earlier statement, there is no plug to remove,...i pulled the thermostat housing and poured water in there to fill it up, i also put water into the upper hose till it was full..my radiator was full but the head was lacking, i was getting the same thing as you describe.,

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Re: HOT, Hot, hot #6
Billm Bill Masquelier Santee, CA, USA Sign in to contact 1960 MG MGA 1600 1965 MG Midget MkII 1966 Austin-Healey Sprite "Sprite" 1966 Austin-Healey Sprite "Sprite"	Jul 30, 2015 09:55 AM Top Contributor Joined 17 years ago 4,473 Posts

Thermostat needs to be changed
BillM

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Re: HOT, Hot, hot #7
Spitz Matthew T PA, SK, Canada Sign in to contact 1973 MG MGB GT 1973 MG Midget	Topic Creator (OP) Jul 30, 2015 11:48 AM Joined 12 years ago 634 Posts

Yes, you're right.

I pulled the thermostat out
It's an 88 degree
I put it in a pot of water and brought the temp up.....went past 88 right to 100 degrees and it did not open.

So, I have an 82 degree new one sitting on the shelf....think this will be OK in my ambient air temps?....range from low 20's to low 30's...the car isn't driven in winter ( maybe late fall where temps may be 10 degrees )

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Re: HOT, Hot, hot #8
littlecars David Bassett Nashville, TN, USA Sign in to contact 1963 Chevrolet Corvair "Cheeto!" 1965 Chevrolet Corvair "Ski Team Transport SOLD!" 1965 MG Midget MkII "Buffoon --- SOLD!!!" 1966 MG Midget MkII "Swiss Cheese...SCRAPPED" & more	Jul 30, 2015 01:02 PM Top Contributor Joined 12 years ago 8,391 Posts

Didn't know they made thermostats in ratings like 88 and 82. Thought they were rated 165, 185 and 195 at most retailers.

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Re: HOT, Hot, hot #9
Crystal RX 350 Mike C Seattle, WA, USA Sign in to contact 1975 MG Midget 1500 2013 Scion FR-S	Jul 30, 2015 01:10 PM Joined 10 years ago 932 Posts

David,

He is talking in Celcius temperature while you are talking in Fahrenheit.

Mike

75' MG Midget

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Re: HOT, Hot, hot #10
Belfast Caveman Ivan M Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK Sign in to contact 1974 MG Midget MkIII 2002 Morgan 4/4	Jul 30, 2015 01:17 PM Joined 9 years ago 34 Posts

I wanted to change the thermostat on my 1974 1275cc. Took the three nuts off but can't get the thermostat housing to shift and I don't want to use extreme violence. Any suggestions?

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Re: HOT, Hot, hot #11
Spitz Matthew T PA, SK, Canada Sign in to contact 1973 MG MGB GT 1973 MG Midget	Topic Creator (OP) Jul 30, 2015 01:35 PM Joined 12 years ago 634 Posts

Belfast....I used a rubber mallet just now......light taps with a proper hammer shouldn't hurt.

OK...so the 82 is in there and problem is solved. Thanks for making my problem solving a little easier.

Took it for a good run and could only just get it to the N. Before, on the hwy when hot out, it would just barely go past N. I can sure tell when it opens because the guage moves a fair bit.

I'm sure I put my head gasket to task, the PO must have put a quality one on

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Re: HOT, Hot, hot #12
refisk Rick Fisk Frankenmuth, MI, USA Sign in to contact	Jul 30, 2015 03:02 PM Top Contributor Joined 12 years ago 14,671 Posts

Matthew,

The 82 thermostat will be just fine. Your engine will most likely run at the same temp it did before you had problems. The only difference between and 82 and an 88 thermostat is the 82 opens earlier than the 88.

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Re: HOT, Hot, hot #13
WaltMink Duncan D Seattle, WA, USA Sign in to contact	Jul 30, 2015 05:53 PM Joined 8 years ago 1 Posts

In reply to # 3050114 by Belfast Caveman I wanted to change the thermostat on my 1974 1275cc. Took the three nuts off but can't get the thermostat housing to shift and I don't want to use extreme violence. Any suggestions?

If tapping it lightly with a mallet doesn't work you can try pulling all three of the studs using doubled nuts. Once those are clear then you should be able to get the housing off pretty easily.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2015-07-30 05:54 PM by WaltMink.

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Re: HOT, Hot, hot #14
CenTexFlyer Eugene Robinson Wimberley, TX, USA Sign in to contact	Aug 3, 2015 11:22 AM Joined 9 years ago 150 Posts

Might want to re-check the torque values on the head bolts. Just to be sure.

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Re: HOT, Hot, hot #15
Sprite1956 Roger Parry-Jones Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Sign in to contact	Aug 4, 2015 02:37 AM Joined 9 years ago 683 Posts

I agree with Eugene re the head torque check but, if you have the time and money, a radiator pressure and a compression bleed down test would be good insurance to confirm the head gasket etc. is still fine.
Regards,
Roger

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