Upgrading advice please

Post by **Jefftav** » Mon Aug 25, 2003 8:28 am

Hi all just need a wee bit of help to keep me right if possible.

I am changing my 948cc to a 1098 and from reading DVizzards book and OBurton Mod manual it seems that changing the standard 1098 cam to a MMetro Cam is a good idea as the engine will run more efficiently - Has anyone done this and if so is it worth doing??

I also have a MMetro cylinder head which I intend to use but has anyone else used this head if so how did you get around the lack of bypass hose and heater outlet?

Also how critical is it that I use a MMetro Distributor??

I have a water cooled inlet manifold and a MMetro carb that I would like to fit. Will I need to change the carb needle if so does anyone know what to? Also what is the best exhaust system for this arrangement?

Lastly I have the engine breather off the metro (round canister type) which went into the carb/inlet manifold but should I use this or stick with the standard MMinor breather?

Thanks in anticipation, Jeff

Post by **Cam** » Mon Aug 25, 2003 11:37 am

Personally I think it would be a lot easier to put a 1275 Ital engine in.

You could replace the head, cam, carb, inlet, exhaust but you will end up with a stage 2/3 1098 which is not going to be as powerful as a standard 1275.

To get the benifit out of the Metro cam then you would have to change (or port) the head, as it won't change a lot with the standard set-up.

You can get blanking caps that fit over the top of the water pump for when you use a bypass hose type pump with a non-bypass hose type head. Then simply take the heater tap off and replace it with a straight junction from an Ital. This will mean that your heater is on constantly but it solves the plumming problem!

If you are fitting lots of different bits then needle choice is a bit difficult, best to get it rolling road tuned, but a AAM needle (for a 1 1/2" carb) will get you going to start with. You will probably find that performance exhausts for Minors are quite difficult to obtain. The Morris Minor Centre at Birmingham do a 'performance' system that would probably be fine for your setup, but I have had no end of reliability problems with it, and it is a bit restrictive for my engine.

Don't bother with the 1275 engine breather, stick with the Minor's one.

Post by **turbominor** » Mon Aug 25, 2003 9:11 pm

I agree with Cam, the ital engine will give an easy 65bhp..... but they are like rocking horse..............

Unless you can find an ital lump tuning the 1098 is the easiest option.

You will have trouble fitting a metro cam (a+) to an older 'a' engine as the oil pump drive is different, you can fit the metro oil pump but you may need a spacer.

The metro distributor will not fit the 1098 unless you can find an 'a' to 'a+' adaptor (minispares list one but seams to be disontinued

1.5" HIF carb and heated mainfold can help.

1300 head will fit but you may need to have the block pocketed to stop the valves hitting the block.

Best is to get a properly sorted head from a mini specialist allong with a decent mainfold and exhaust. Use the 1.5" HIF and heated manifold, and get it setup well on a roaling road.

Iain

www.turbominor.co.uk

Post by **h_____** » Tue Aug 26, 2003 7:16 am

Are 1275s that hard to find? Really? Or is it just that they are gettig a bit pricey now?

I was looking at some point to get another as a spare, if they are getting harder to find, it might be a good idea I guess.

Post by **Jefftav** » Tue Aug 26, 2003 7:59 am

Hi all,

I have been trying to reply sooner but keep getting an invalid session message.

Any way the tips and pointers are great thanks for those and I will let you know how I get on.

I live in Inverness does anyone know where the nearest rolling road is?

Cheers, Jeff

Post by **turbominor** » Tue Aug 26, 2003 8:09 am

I gave up looking after 6 months, I had enough of being quoted a lot of money a scrap engine

Post by **h_____** » Tue Aug 26, 2003 11:15 am

How much does it cost to mod a 1098 to a 65bhp then? I assume that is more than the cost of a 1275cc.

Post by **Kevin** » Tue Aug 26, 2003 2:52 pm

Are 1275s that hard to find? Really? Or is it just that they are gettig a bit pricey now?

Hugh I found that they are thin on the ground because most of the breakers crush the cars as soon as they come in as they say there is so little demand and the cars only turn up occasionally (how much of it is caused by the new regs I wonder) and after trying different places I was offered a 1275cc Marina engine in running order for £75:00 complete

which seemed reasonable but then I was offered a 1275cc Midget engine out of a Minor but without carb/manifolds but everything else was there, however it does at the least require new valve guides as the guy selling it told me it smoked on start up but then settled down, he was asking £100:00

which I thought was reasonable as it has the correct backplate fitted and had an alternator, only when I pick it up and start the rebuild will I really know how good it is but Midget bits do seem to go for more so I was pleased at the price

,
I did not manage to unearth a 1275cc A+ engine at all.
What sort of prices were you quoted and for what Iain ?
Maybee scarcity is squeezing prices upwards

Post by **turbominor** » Wed Aug 27, 2003 1:34 pm

Kevin,

i have been quoted anything from £150 to £350 for unknow 1275. A MG Center wanted £350 for an old 1275 non a+ for rebuild.

I had a trip down the local scrapy and came to the conclusion that the 1098 was staying. But the tape measure said a Suziki supercary engine and box (1.3) was ideal if one had time

Post by **Kevin** » Wed Aug 27, 2003 4:31 pm

Good grief Iain that really is a lot of money no wonder you changed your mind, did you get the head you were after as another is up for grabs although I assume you already know about it, but in case

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... 27380&rd=1

Post by **turbominor** » Wed Aug 27, 2003 4:35 pm

Cheers for the link Kevin, I was going to use a metro turbo head on my 1098 so it all matched the rest of the turbo gear, but It will raise the compression ratio far to heigh, so I have a unleaded 1098 that has been ported but will wide valve seats to help disperse heat from the turbo

Iain
www.turbominor.co.uk