Is it worth the gamble?
 

Not even got the car yet and i'm consider what to do... it has the Ticking noise from the inlet so do I

1. get it running breaks pads and parts and go racing...

or

2. as above and replace the inlet?

still a little confused about the VIS... is VIS just terminology and another way of saying inlet manifold or is it a part that of the inlet that I can interchange?

found this aswell http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MG-ZS-180-...#ht_3358wt_919

good buy?

VIS just stands for Variable inlet system. The manifold is made up of a number of chambers with butterfly valves. The VIS motors control the opening and closing of these valves changing the volume of the plenum.

There are two VIS motors a Balance and a Power. These can often fail causing the car to burn more fuel and feel flat at certain revs.

The manifold itself has an internal arm that is connects each of the butterfly valves to the VIS motor. This arm attaches to the butterfly valves using ball joints that can wear overtime and become very slack and even, in some cases, disconnect from some of the valves completely . Obviously this will reduce the power of the car and sounds like a bag of spanner rattling.

You can pick up second hand manifolds on the cheap now and then. Worth fixing regardless of track use or not as ifs its knackered you will be seriously down on power :)

Vis can be changed they are only small motors that operate actuators in the inlet.four screws hold them in. have a quick search here for info on it and imo I wouldn't pay that for a second hand one.

The VIS motors fail often due to hairline cracks in the solder on the circuit boards. A very simple fix if this is the case.

cheers that's the info I needed.. so replacing the VIS motors wont kill the rattle as possibly the damage has been done and its easier to replace the whole inlet?

what do we class as cheep? £150?

Well I wouldn't pay that for a part that may start rattling after fifty miles I would hunt the scrappies for one.just my opinion mind.not sure what others have or would pay.

One here for £100 but as grimmy said you have no knowing when it may fail http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MG-ZT-FREE...#ht_500wt_1180

If you keep for eyes open you can pick them up cheap. There was one on for £30 the other week.

Will find them on Freelanders, ZT and ZS. Dunno if they ever put the KV6 in the 45 or 75 maybe someone will confirm either way.

deffo the butterflies/linkage that are rattling, say goldie zred assured he could get one around £80, if you keep an eye out they do pop up around that price, i mean itll still run like that as said may be a bit down on power, or it may just be noisy, not looked into testing it as i was just going to replace the lot, then put a catch tank on

This your yellow one Ritchy?

so it is possible that replacing just the motors can kill the rattle? can you disconnect them individually to see what one makes the difference? i ask as I have not had a chance to play about with it.. due to not actually having it yet ha