right, thought I would update here,
just wanted to say a big thanks for the bit of info Ralph gave me over the phone a few weeks back, he actually said the job can be done fine with the standard metal gasket (red beading) ect,
it would seem the way the repair is done plays the biggest part in if the problem will ever happen again!
the car has been repaired and it would seem I have in the past been ripped off!!!
the first time the gasket went it was taken in to a place in Hull, I wont name any names, but basically this guys garage is just off 'Hedon Road' and claims to be a Mini/Rover/MG specialist,
when he repaired the car there was an issue with the thermostat after picking the car up, the temp was reading cold all the time, took it back and he explained he had 'opened the thermostat' to keep the water flowing around the system to prevent overheating again, I wasnt happy so took it to a local honda garage who took on the MG Staff and tools from a real MG dealer/Service center that used to be nextdoor when MG went bust,
these mechanics new the k-series so much better and 'guessed' the problem correct within second (before I even got chance to tell the whole story)
the thermostat had been cut in half and was useless....!!
they repaired it, and refilled the coolant and all was working well for a few weeks, untill the manifold gasket went (bare in mind when the idiot did the head gasket repair he was meant to have changed all the gaskets)
so to cut a very long story a bit shorter, I was there to witness the whole repair this time, once stripped my mechanic friend couldnt find a real 'problem' with the gasket!!
due to the reading up although im no expert actually been able to see the head gasket I could see how simple it was to understand the way things work, and there was no signs of wear or failure at all..!!!
on inspection of the head itself it was pretty 'original' looking and didn't show any signs of ever been skimmed!! (no shiny new looking metal anywhere)
before we started the repair due to various mixed opinions I decided to get the head skimmed to make sure it was flat,
once taken in to my local skimming center (who specialise in K-series head problems) the guy said he couldn't be 100% sure but he would say he's 99% sure its NEVER been skimmed before,
so it would seem the first time it was done it was not done properly, and the idiot obviously cut some corners to save some cash, possibly leaving me with a slightly warped head,
looks like all he changed was the head gasket itself as it was still looking new,
just shows don't trust anyone you dont know!!
since its been repaired properly and had everything changed the coolant loss has now stopped, and it drives superb, seems to have actually gained a little more response, sadly its still going up for sale soon, I need a van for my business as its growing faster then I ever imagined, and my piggy bank is now been filled for a V6 ZS!!
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