Need to do an MGF air filter replacement? This article is about the 1.8 MPi engine with a standard/stock air filter.
Getting Access #
To do an MGF air filter replacement you will, as with many things, need to remove the engine cover. This is in addition to access through the boot (trunk). If you are not already familiar with this process it is fairly simple but a bit fiddly.
Undo the 5 catches that hold the rear of the soft top to the rear of the cockpit. Once done you will flip the back of the soft top up towards the front of the car. I use a bungee cord to hold this in place. You can then remove the carpet and sound deadening material from the area above the engine. Now you will have access to the engine cover panel and need to remove all the 10mm bolts that secure the cover panel. Some of these on the front edge may be hard to access if you have speakers in the T-bar. Lift the engine access cover out of the way to get the access you need.
New Filter #
I have not found a suitable air filter available in the USA. I have investigated using part numbers and doing cross references and not found anything. You can order these from any of the usual suppliers in the UK. If you happen to be visiting the UK, these are available from the high street car parts store Halfords. Halfords has several options. I picked up a Mann filter on a trip but also have a spare on hand that I bought from Rimmer Bros. The Mann brand has a good reputation in Europe although it is less well known in USA.
Obviously, make sure you get the right filter for your specific car. The ones I got are for a 1997 Mark1 car with the 1.8 MPi MEMS 1.9 engine. No you are ready to do the MGF air filter replacement.
Open the Filter Box #
There are 4 wire clips/catches that secure the top of the filter box to the lower body part. Access may be easier if you disconnect the hose from the filter to the throttle body. I found this wasn’t necessary.
The rear two are quite easy to access from the engine bay area. The left side (looking to the rear of the car) lifts up to release. The right side clip is the opposite and releases downwards towards the floor.
On the front of the air filter box, nearest the rear of the car, are two clips. As you can see there isn’t much room to access them between the fuel line and the air filter box. I also noticed there was some sensor wiring in close proximity. Be careful getting your hands to the clips. These release by bringing the bottom of the clip upwards.
Once all four clips have been released, the top of the air filter box can be lifted and moved. There isn’t much clearance. I found I could move the cover enough to get access to the filter element at the rear. Then I pulled the filter element towards the front of the car to fully remove it.
Install New Air Filter #
This is quite literally the reverse of the removal process. The picture shows a bit of how you will need to maneuver the air filter box top.
Be sure the new filter is sitting flat and squarely on the rim of the lower part of the air filter box. If the top will not fit on easily there’s a problem. You may need to work the air filter element a bit from each end of the air filter box.
Once the top sits properly in place and flat it is time for the clips. Doesn’t matter which order they are done. Just make sure you get all four of them secured. You may need to work them around to get the catch piece in place before you press down to set the tension to secure each one.
Other Materials #
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