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MG MGF Technical - In the spotlight

Folks,

Offhand, does anyone know what fixing mechanism is used to connect the front spotlights to a TF bumper? A colleague in work just noticed that one of my spots is missing... fortunately it turned out to be caught inside the bumper (still wired and working).

Now, it's a lousy wet day in Dublin and the last thing I want to be doing is clambering about underneath the car. At the same time, I don't want to be driving home if the spot works its way out from the bumper, gets caught up in the wheel, and tears half the front-end wiring loom out!

Ta,
Col

FAO JohnP, from a recent thread, I'll be trying the unwind-the-blipper-aerial-trick... I've been blaming my two-year-old for draining the battery all along ;-)
Colin McIlwaine

Don't transfer the blame to me if you get no improvement.

Good Luck
JohnP

Okay, I reposed, I investigated, I groaned. The front spots on a TF are held on with three bolts... and they're all gone. Dammit. Anyhow, actual light unit safely removed and stowed in boot.

In breaking news, I was showing off my K&N to a colleague with a K&Ned Elise. We hunkered down to check out the air intakes which hang precariously below the car...

... shredded K&N intakes pipes are not a pretty sight. Cable ties my ar*e.

Tomorrow's another day,
Col
Colin McIlwaine

Col

I've seen stainless steel cable ties somewhere. No idea where but a good motor factor should have them. Obviously stronger than the normal placcie jobs and a talking point in the pub.
JohnP

Time to invest in one of Tom's K&N brackets perhaps Col?
Rob Bell

Rob,

Yup, been in contact with Tom, cheque almost in the post. Just need to source the intake pipes on their own...?

Here's a thing, the guy who owns the Elise didn't bother with the intakes since the filter was catching air coming from where the airbox used to be. Doesn't the same apply to the F? Are the K&N intakes used to simply augment this existing air for more efficiency? Only asking because my intakes are well and truly shagged.

Col
Colin McIlwaine

afaik, the air intakes are to source cool air away from the engine, as it increases the engines performance.
Mike
Mike (Mersea Office)

Airflow through the F and Elise engine bays is different and comparisons shouldn't be made.

The Elise side air intakes actually provide air into the engine bay when the car is in motion, the F ones do not (well, not to any significant degree anyway - note TF ones are better in this regard).

This is why the K+N air intake pipes are situated under the car, because the pipes are separate from the filter, there is no 'draw' on them and so they rely upon fast moving air under the car entering the pipes and being ducted to the area that the filter sits in - this is to provide a large 'pool' of cool (external ambient) air for the filter to draw primarily from.

Enclosed filter systems are different, they are designed to make use of the 'draw' from the filter and therefore do not benefit from the intake being positioned in a fast moving (turbulent) air stream. In the case of an enclosed system you are after a stable (laminar) pool of high pressure external air and in this case the passenger side air intake is a good location for the intake pipe.

It ultimately boils down to a quantity (K+N 57i) verses quality (enclosed intake system) debate. The K+N works because the pipes deliver a lot of air and this overcomes (along with the filter design) much of the turbulence and ambient engine bay heat issues. An enclosed system draws from a smaller source, but ensures the flow is laminar and isolates it from the hot engine bay, thus it becomes more useable.

In practice this means that ultimately there is little difference in the headline power figures, but an enclosed system will perform better at other points along the rev range, when the speed of the car limits the amount of air that can be channelled up the K+N pipes and the air 'pool' is too small to feed the filter 100%.

SF
Scarlet Fever

Andrew, Thanks for clarifying that ;-)

All, so, where to buy K&N pipes on their tod?

Ta,
Col
Colin McIlwaine

You can get expandable aluminium tubing similar to the K&N ones from Halfords :o)
Steve White

This thread was discussed between 09/11/2004 and 16/11/2004

MG MGF Technical index

This thread is from the archive. The Live MG MGF Technical BBS is active now.