1.8 litre 2001 petrol

carpet clips and fuel filter wrong way round :scratching_chin::boink: :lol:

The gamble with a 1.8 is - if the HG has been repaired - how well has it been repaired, is it going to go again soon ...it must be said.
Buyer beware to check it properly get it up to temp on a good test drive then check again ..if unsure get it properly checked over professionally before you buy

Their can be - yeah Ok, not always - a lot of expensive faults on a Freelander - more so on a K series. Ensure you go in with your eyes open (and prospectively deep pockets).

Nodge68 said:

The 1.8 is one of those cars that can be a gamble.
I feel prevention is better than cure. If it's had a new HG? monitor the coolant weekly. If it hasn't, it's much better to fit a new gasket before it fails. When you fit the new gasket, fit the steel dowels instead of the plastic ones. Also fit the PRT thermostat. I use the standard polymer gasket instead of the multi layer steel version.

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thanks for that sound advice nodge,will do as you suggest,
regards stan.

thanks to all other members also.

Freelaner said:

surprisingly normal MHM as are most k-series engines

the only ones we hear about are the bad ones.......anyway i'm not getting into that particular game of tennis again

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This^^^^^
I drove 100,000 trouble free miles in my old 1.8 Freelander. All that is required is some preventative maintenance.

All vehicles have problems, this includes the Freelander. It's not as bad as some would have you believe. There are many thousands of 1.8 Freelanders driving around completely free of problems.

Just to put my penny worth in keep a eye on the coolant every day.
My 1.8 runs fine and she's LPG converted (worst possible combination apparently)
102,000 MILES so far
.
and only 67p per litre

edge said:

Just to put my penny worth in keep a eye on the coolant every day.
My 1.8 runs fine and she's LPG converted (worst possible combination apparently)
102,000 MILES so far
.
and only 67p per litre

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Definitely check the coolant often. I check mine weekly.
I've no idea why some say LPG is worse than petrol. In theory the engine should take longer to warm up and demand less out of the cooling system running LPG as the gas a lower calorific value than petrol.

Warm up is on petrol, the gas only cuts in once the temp reaches a set level ,first start up in the morning on petrol , changes to gas about two miles or so depending how heavy footed you are and ambient air temp.
when the engine is warm she starts on petrol and changes to gas straight away.
The coolant is plumbed through the vaporiser to warm the gas so its a bit like a heat exchanger.
there is a slight decrease in power over petrol but I drive like a granny so its not much of a problem for me anyway the freelander is not a sports car

edge said:

Warm up is on petrol, the gas only cuts in once the temp reaches a set level ,first start up in the morning on petrol , changes to gas about two miles or so depending how heavy footed you are and ambient air temp.
when the engine is warm she starts on petrol and changes to gas straight away.
The coolant is plumbed through the vaporiser to warm the gas so its a bit like a heat exchanger.
there is a slight decrease in power over petrol but I drive like a granny so its not much of a problem for me anyway the freelander is not a sports car

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I should look into fitting LPG to my V6. It's rather thirsty but it goes like a scalded cat!!

hi nodge,where did you get that polymer
gasket from,or will a new multi steel one
suffice.
regards stan

I had a 1.8 for about 18 months before I bought my L series my dad owns my old 1.8 one and has run it for over a year, it had already had the thermostat conversion and the head gasket done and in the 2 1/2 - 3 years that I have known the car its been fine with no problems whatsoever. My dad has just toured the UK with it towing his caravan and he loves it! I think like most people have said on here as long as you are aware of the potential problems and look after it, they can be a very good motor. I love my L series BTW!!

stannswhite said:

hi nodge,where did you get that polymer
gasket from,or will a new multi steel one
suffice.
regards stan

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I got a polymer gasket last week from my local motor factors Who supply Payen gaskets.
I have used Ebay in the past too. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Rover-MGF...arts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item338dda18c6
I'm currently doing the HG on my wife's MGF ..which has failed big time!!
Not the engines fault this time though as one of the under floor coolant pipes failed at a weld, this dumped the water unnoticed causing the HG to go.
I've fitted a low coolant alarm to the MG now for safety.
The engine is a work in progress.

Re your wife's MG, What mod's has she [or you] done to that motor? I read and reread the K Engine page. I'm currently doing the oil pump mod and have begun work on the head - inlet runners. This weekend I'm planning on 'unshrouding' the valve areas in the cylinders and will explore some port matching. With luck and time I'll begin to polish up the exhaust runners.

Exhaust manifold - when you look carefully at this the circular welds right at the gasket face form a distinct lip. None are perfectly circular - are these lips meant to act as a venturi to aid exhaust flow or is that accidental in manufacture.

I'd love to know so I could do one of two things - either add some mig weld to make each lip a full ring and a decent venturi [involves a little welding, some grinding and polishing] OR weld the pipes externally , grind away that lip and carefully port match the whole thing.

Cheers,

HTR

@Htr
The MGF is a VVC model. This means it is already much more powerful than the standard Freelander K series engine.
I had already fitted it with a 52mm throttle body and cold air pickup before the HG failure.
I will be fitting the improved VVC 160 head from an MG ZR160. This has had some work around the valve seat inserts and been skimmed to increase the CR to 11 to 1.
This along with the previous mods should push power up to 165 to 170 Bhp.
I'd not was time messing with the standard Freelander exhaust manifold (header). It's primaries are far too short for good torque. You would be better off making up a manifold with primary pipes as close to 30 inches as possible. Then feed them onto 15 inch long collectors before finally joining the exhaust system. Ideally you need an exhaust system of 2.25 inches with a couple of quality straight through silencers.
Give the induction a big in line filter picking up some cold air. This should give you some extra torque.