L-Type | Steve Baker MG

Mechanical Inspection of MG L-Type Registration “WP6239”

To whom it may concern,

I am writing with regard to the vehicle listed above, an MG L-Type registered “WP6239”.

I inspected upon the 2nd of July 2024 at Mr. Meyer & Mrs. Atkin's home address in Oasby, Lincolnshire with a view to finding any mechanical defects or items that require attention on the car.

My findings are written below without any prejudice to those involved in any prior works undertaken. I have identified several issues requiring rectification which are broadly categorised below.

Leaks:

The vehicle is leaking oil, water and brake fluid. I believe that the oil leaks to likely be due to the excessive pressure at which the engine is running (~200 PSI).

The brake reservoir is leaking fluid.

The engine is leaking excessive amounts of oil from several places.
Water is leaking from the core plugs and side plates.

Loose/Missing Fasteners:

I found over 20 fasteners which were either loose, missing or incorrectly secured. It is evident that these have not been checked prior to delivery. Several present potentially dangerous issues.

The draft excluder for the steering column is held by several loose nuts, some bolts do not have a nut at all.
The radiator support stays (from the firewall) are not tightly fastened. The rear bolts have no nuts at all.

The passenger side petrol tank strap is not tightly fastened at the top.
The three-way brake union is not tightly fastened to the rear axle.

The bolt holding the handbrake leaver to the driver-side rear backplate is not fastened at all.
Front axle bolts are too short and should be double nutted.
Rear axle bolts are oversized and should be doubled nutted.
Front shackle pins are missing their locking / tab washers. (Not Pictured)
Thread is not fully through the nut on the steering box drag link.

A bolt holding the gearbox support tubes is too short / not fully through the nut. (Not Pictured)
The split pin holding the nut which secures the rear leaf spring has not been bent over, i.e. it is not secured.
The bonnet centre hinge bracket is missing a nut.

A bolt holding the throttle mechanism is not fully through the nut.
One of the bolts holding support bracketry to the rear axle is loose
The bolts holding the inspection plate cover on the gearbox are not tight.

Lubrication Issues:

It is clear that several suspension components have not been properly lubricated and are not behaving as intended.

Front leaf springs have not been greased per vehicle maintenance instructions.
Rear leaf springs have not been greased per vehicle maintenance instructions. (Not Pictured)
The front shock absorbers have not been lubricated and as such do not function as intended.
The rear shock absorbers have not been lubricated and as such do not function as intended.
The supercharger should be fitted with an oil level sight gauge. (Not Pictured)
The oil pump is fitted with the incorrect relief valve allowing massively excessive engine pressure. (Not Pictured)

Clearance Issues:

Fuel line is fouling/rubbing upon the front axle and should be clipped in place. (Not Pictured)
There is not sufficient clearance on the propshaft tunnel for the propshaft itself.

Brake Issues:

The handbrake cables are extremely poorly made from inadequate strength material. The fittings that have been used are different left and right and the handbrake does not function as intended.

The handbrake levers are held with drilled set screws and without clevis pins. It is a poor design.
The rear brake pipe is sitting above the axle on the driver's side where it could foul the bump-stops for the axle. (Not Pictured)

Miscellaneous:

The supercharger inlet pipe has a flexible section which inflates considerably under acceleration and becomes squeezed on idle. It should either be replaced with reinforced pipe or shortened and replaced with metal tube.
The exhaust is leaking from a split weld.

Conclusion:

The car presents with a number of easily found and quick to remedy issues which should have been found prior to delivery. There are also a number of non-standard components used which I believe to be very poorly designed (handbrake, oil valve, inlet pipe). These issues would have presented very quickly if the car were road tested and setup correctly.

There is white paint indicating that several nuts and bolts have been checked in the past but a large number were not. I have no doubt that several issues would have developed over time were these not found, worryingly the bonnet would likely have worked it way loose and there are a number of mechanical items not adequately secured.

The car is not running correctly, showing excessive oil pressure and evidence of leaks which will cause problems over time. The bulging in the inlet pipe is also concerning and should be remedied. There is insufficient lubrication on the suspension components which are not working correctly and will suffer from excessive wear. This should have been done during their installation and is clear to see.

The handbrake system is in my opinion totally inadequate, using pushbike fittings which do not work. The brake only engages at the very end of the travel and does not fasten securely on the gate. i.e. it will not hold the car still unless it is being pulled upon. I believe the cables and fittings should all be replaced as a priority.

n.b. I was not able to road test the car and the engine was only started to demonstrate the issue with the inlet manifold and oil pressure. I would not be happy to drive the car in it's current condition. After the items above have been remedied I would still recommend that the braking and steering components are properly inspected and tested before the car is put on the road.

Yours Faithfully, Steve Baker

Steve Baker MG

01476 241180

steve@stevebakermg.co.uk