Engine excavation

 Getting ready to pull the engine, I wanted to clean the sludge covering the left side so I could find some of the bolts.

Here's what came off just with a scraper:

Hey, there's a blue engine under there! (who paints an MG engine blue?!)



Here's where most of the oil leakage was probably coming from. See the tappet cover gasket squished out of position? This is why I never use those fat silicone rubber gaskets on the front tappet cover. This is what always happens.