I tore just down an MGA 1500 engine in preparation for a rebuild. It's low a
mileage engine, 50-55K, small ridges in the cylinders, and standard pistons &
bearings. It was in surprisingly good shape inside, all the original
locktabs in pace and not a scratch on anything. I'm really not used to
seeing this. There was also 1/4" of solid mud in the bottom of the oil pan,
so I suppose it seldom had an oil change.
The water pump impeller had a significant amount or rust built up on it, so I
decided to yank the core plugs and check out the water jacket. Yep! Lots of
rust sediment in the bottom as well as on the walls. I stood the block on
end, front down, with the water pump opening overhanging the end of the bench
to allow the garbage to drop out. I then proceeded to thrash away at the
interior of the water jacket from all possible directions with bits of small
steel rod for about an hour.
That left quite a pile of rust on the floor, so I decided to shovel it up and
weigh and measure it. It came to 1-1/2 cups in volume and weighed in at
exactly 16 ounces. Considering how narrow the water jacket is, that seems
like a lot of junk to be clogging it up. And this from a low mileage engine!
I put that much mileage on my MGA in about three years. This one probably
never saw a drop of antifreeze, only water.
So, all you LBC lovers out there (maybe experiencing overheating problems),
how much rust do you suppose you have in your engine block?
Barney Gaylord -- 1958 MGA
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