MG Midget Forum

Hey folks!

This past weekend while in line here in Milwaukee at Miller park waiting to park. A fellow Midget owner told me he saw a little white smoke from my exhaust pipe. I finally looked this morning while starting it and noticed a bit while it was warm. Drove it 20 miles and back home and didn't really notice it then. The day at the ball park in line the engine was getting warmer than normal but I am attributing that to not moving, about 80 degrees and no air flow. It got to around 200 degrees but once started moving it cooled right back down to 160.

Is this possibly a head gasket issue? I know the car is running a little rich at the moment so perhaps its just a bit to much gas? I have not noticed an coolant loss, the oil is perfectly clean with no mayo look to it at all. But I have noticed a slight weep of what appears to be oil on the car side of the engine. Its possible it could just be a little sepage from the valve cover.


If this is a head gasket, from everything I read it looks relatively straight forward and not much of a pain.

Any insight from you awesome folks would be fantastic

Rob

If it only appears when the car is warming up, don't worry! It's condensation. If it continues, then you can worry a bit. Have you done a compression check yet? Are there bubbles in the radiator, larger than normal?
Even if it is a head gasket, r&R ing a head is straight forward, but you would want to check for flatness.

Chris,

The reason I was concerned was that someone else saw some while we were parked and siting in line with the engines running.

Yet I didn't see any today. I just went out and looked in the exspanation tank and there was just a tad in the bottom. When I opened it I heard a gurgle which I assumed was the coolant level in the radiator coming down due to pressure in the system. I opened up the radiator and looked in and saw it was a wee bit low. Which could have been it gurgling and settling. And honestly the last time I checked the coolant level was before the clutch was done so I can't even speak to that. Annnnnd I know there is a super tiny little drip from where the temp sender is sometimes.

I added a little coolant to the radiator which may have been less an a cup worth and filled the exspantion tank about half full.

I have not done a compression. Test. I've thought of going to harbor freight and getting one. I also didn't notice and bubbles in the radiator but I didn't which it while it was running.

Maybe I am a little paranoid about it. Or maybe I just really want to do a head gasket myself to say I did it

We are taking it on a trip in late august and just want to make sure it's ok. We took it last year on the same trip. Approx 700 miles in 4 days and she was fine.

Was it Sunday? I was there, and it rained a bit exiting...

... or were those God's tears.

Peter

It was Saturday Peter. It may have been gods tears. I am pretty sure it was actually

Where I live you see droplets of water coming out of lots of cars exhaust. It's condensation that builds up in the exhaust. If you are not using any coolant you should be ok.

Rob, check the radiator with the engine running for evidence of compression leaking into the coolant. Look for brown slime on the oil filler cap as well.
Have had time to get a compression gauge yet and if so how did each cylinder read?
Add coolant to the radiator and skip adding it to the expansion tank.
Let us know what you find.
Like your fellow LBC owner mentioned about the puff of white smoke or condensation may occur right after startup but should stop once the engine is warmed up.
If you don't notice any further white smoke, keep an eye on the coolant level as adding a cup of coolant should alert you that a problem might be approaching.
Drive it a lot!


Ice

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Iceman

Atlanta GA

71 MG Midget

62 AH MKII
67 Midget
71 Midget

There is this stuff called "Block Check" that tests the radiator fluid for combustion gases. That could give you a chemical analysis if something is going on. There are other brands people use. They do work, they won't fix the problem, but they will react to the gases.

Link = http://www.blockchek.com/instructions.htm

Ice,

The oil looks good. I have checked that, nothing out of the ordinary. The Cap is free of slime.


As for needing to add the coolant , the need for adding may be related to a slight drip where the temp sender goes into the block. I filled her up and will check and see whats going on. I was just hoping I'd find something definitive to tell me yes or no.

Well last night I took her out for a ride. Drove it pretty hard, freeway, stop and go in traffic and no signs of any white smoke, coolant levels fine, and no bubbling in the radiator.

I think I may have been worried about nothing but I guess it's better to be over cautious than let things get by.

I thank all you fine folks for the advice and help.

hello
Im with Philip as water is a byproduct of combustion and accumulated in muffler/ex system.
If your not losing coolant probably nothing but to be sure buy an engine block test kit
from tools truck maybe harbor freight this way you will be sure.Very easy test to perform,regards Moondog

NAPA also sells a test kit.