Not being allowed to go anywhere has meant more work on my MGF this weekend.
I didn't take pictures, but I've replaced the seized engine bay cooling fan (it needed painting and actually looked worse than the one on my car originally - but looks perfect now
![Laughing :lol:](./images/smilies/icon_lol.gif)
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I also got this - the first time I've ever ordered a part for a Ford!!!
It's a remarkably good facsimile of the MG version of the airbag warning sticker that I could not find on line. Unfortuantely, I need to de-wax the dashboard where I cleaned it. Ford stickers are rubbish...
I have also now replaced the RH side differential driveshaft seal (see technical thread on details of this):
As described in other thread, it looks quite different from the later, so-called "Type-B" seal shown on the right. Replace your seal like-for-like.
I also took the opportunity to take off the original rear bumper crush cans. These should have an L-shaped bracket to enable you to attach to the bumper in the rear exhaust apertures. Unfortunately the retaining screws invariably seize in their captive nuts, shearing off the brackets from the crush cans... this had happened to mine some while ago. Now is the time to sort these out with a pair of semi-decent second hand versions that I painted to make look presentable...
However, removing the crush cans revealed YET MORE PERFORATING RUST!!!! AAAAGGGGGHHHHH!
The problem, I think, stems from an accident over 20 years ago, when I was rear ended in stationary traffic at a traffic light. The Saab and Mercedes behind me were written off, and my car was bumped into a Honda in front. The boot was stoved in. The accident repair shop must have replaced rear panels, including (and especially?) the boot floor. The seam sealer they used appears to have completely failed with age - hence the emerging rust everywhere in a pattern that I've never seen on an MGF or TF before.
Should I get compensation???
![Laughing :lol:](./images/smilies/icon_lol.gif)
I guess not: 20 years for an accident repair is probably considered a "win"...
Back to suspension, with the OSR now all buttoned up, time to start on the other side.
Removing the displacer cone from the reconditioned unit revealed this discolouration:
This doesn't look like the usual aluminium oxidation (white). The thing it made me think of was dried hydragas fluid (as seen when one of my spheres failed previously):
Is this replacement sphere faulty? Only thing against it being a fluid seal failure being that there is no discernable discolouration/marking on the dust seal... I'll drop Ian a line, but will probably try this one out and see whether there is any loss of ride height over time...