Since the radiator is much higher than the pipes that run under the car to the engine, if you pour new coolant into the header tank in the engine compartment, you will trap air in the radiator, and have difficulty removing it without following the correct procedure. Any air locks in the cooling system can cause overheating in the engine, and overheating will cause a blown head gasket at best, and a cracked cylinder head and/or seized engine at worst, so this is definitely to be avoided!
Always have the heater control set to full hot when refilling a cooling system and running it up afterwards. There is a small hose that joins the top of the radiator to the header tank, and if you use this to draw the air out of the radiator (blanking off the header tank connection whilst you carry this out) you will get rid of the largest amount of trapped air straight away. Once there is no more air coming out of this pipe, you can refit it to the header tank. There should be a bleed screw fitted into the hose connected to the thermostat housing, and you should leave this open when filling and whilst running the engine up after filling. As the thermostat opens you should get coolant out of this, and when it is 'bubble free' close it off. Be careful as the fluid will be very hot. Now give the car a run, taking some spare pre-mixed coolant with you. (Coolant should be one third anti-freeze to two thirds water). Keep a careful eye on the temperature gauge and if the temperature rises above normal, stop, switch off and re-check. At the end of the run, let the engine idle and check the cooling fan cuts in correctly. Again if the temperature rises above the cut-in point (approximately 95 degrees) and the fan has not started, switch off and find out why. Always be aware you are working with a hot pressurised system. This means that as you release the pressure the coolant will expand and probably boil since the pressure was suppressing the boiling point.
N.B. It is common that after any work done, this is the most likely time for problems, since things have been disturbed. So always keep this in mind and watch things carefully until you are sure they have settled down and there are no further problems.
The correct battery for a Murena (and probably a Bagheera) is an '049' battery. This code denotes the physical dimensions, the types and positions of the terminals, the clamping arrangements, and possibly the power level. However, it is not very common judging by the number of stockists that keep it 'on the shelf'. The '048' in fact tends to be much more common and more likely stocked. The only difference between the 048 and 049 is that the positive and negative terminals are reversed, so it will not fit without some modifications.
If you are prepared to do these modifications, you will have access to a few more batteries, and there is a common one that is better, more powerful yet fits nicely. The original battery was around 265 CCA whilst the better one is 380 CCA, so you have a better capacity within the same physical size case. It is the battery for a Mazda MX5 which I think you will agree is common enough for there to be batteries generally stocked. Since this is like the 048, you will have to make up, or have made, a slightly longer earth lead and replace the original. Then simply shorten the positive lead and fit the MX5 battery. Whilst shortening the positive lead you can replace that terminal for the lead to the circuit board and get rid of one potential problem area too.
You will also need to change the original clamping arrangement (assuming it is still there and working - which is not often in my experience!). The original battery had ridges along the bottom edge of the casing for the brackets to clamp on. The MX5 battery does not have these ridges so you will need to devise another method to clamp it down. I suggest an 'L' shaped strip along the top edge and two hooked rods to clamp it, like you see on some other cars. You can often buy these parts as a kit from parts suppliers. Batteries should always be clamped as it reduces the wear from a heavy battery moving around and helps improve their life.
The sump gasket is special on the Murena 2.2 and MUST have metal spacers in the gasket. So they are expensive for a reason. There are also many incorrect ones listed so beware that even manufacturers sometimes list the wrong type.
First of all, if you examine the installation, the engine is mounted, not on the block like most cars, but on the sump and the gearbox. So think about it. Since the engine is mounted on the sump not the block, the engine must be rigid with the sump. Especially since the gasket is cork. If you only have a soft gasket (whatever type) it will soon get damaged by the power unit movement, and it will be leaking again in no time. So don't try to use the Chrysler 180/2-litre/Tagora sump gasket.
You can't simply drop the sump off to replace it, without making alternative arrangements to suspend the engine! Since the long (RH) driveshaft runs in a bearing held in a non-removable sump casting, it has to be slid out which involves removing the RH trailing arm. If you decided to do the job, leaving the engine in and suspending it, before you drop the sump, you should remove the oil level sensor otherwise it is likely to get damaged, and they are no longer available.
However, I have usually found that not only is the sump gasket leaking, but the timing case seal is often leaking too. Taking off the lower timing case involves removing the water pump and crankshaft pulley, and the sump mounting normally gets it the way of the latter, but as you are removing the sump, you might think this is now the time to do it. But removing the water pump means tilting the engine away from the RH inner wing, which is more difficult when you have the engine suspended. You have to release the gearbox mounting and lower that end, and what you now have suspended is no longer just the engine, but the complete powertrain! And you must remove the original air box on a Prep 142 or S, if still fitted, otherwise it will foul the fuel tank. Finally, removing the crankshaft pulley and the lower timing case whilst the engine is temporarily suspended in the engine bay, is not particularly easy either. Also, while you are fixing oil leaks from the engine, you need to check and make sure it is not leaking from the rear seal behind the flywheel. This is not a lip type seal as with more modern engines, but a cord type seal set into a rear block housing cap; with a reverse scroll and thrower on the crankshaft to deflect oil away from it. (This is similar to old BMC engines if you have ever worked on them.) If you do have an excess leak at this point, then you have to remove the crankshaft to fit new cord seal halves, so you can see the job becomes one where removing the engine is definitely the easier option!
This is why I normally recommend you take the complete unit out. Yes, it becomes an even bigger job, but not by much, and you will be able to work on it much more easily, and you will be able to see ALL the things that need doing, and do them in one complete job.
The bolts are torqued up on the metal spacers, and the gasket forms the seal but does not take the load. This is why the sump gasket is special to our car and costs a little more. When the original supply of Murena 2.2 sump gaskets ran out, I had some more made up by Cooper-Payne but without the spacers - just the holes to take the spacers. You simply transfer them across from the old gasket to the new one. This is why my gaskets cost much less than others. Mine cost around 35 Euro plus post and packing, where I think you will find others cost much more, possibly twice as much. Please check them out. The choice is yours.
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