MG camshaft?

[TomLS]

Hi all,

I'm slowly accumulating parts to breathe some life into my moggy (as part of a strip-down inspection / refurb) when she's off the road for winter. So far I have organized a 12G940 head, an HS4 carb and manifold, and will soon be acquiring a Midget LCB manifold.
I've been doing some deliberation over camshafts, between Kent 256, Kent 266, and the MG turbo camshaft, but I've finally decided to keep it BMC. The problem is that I'm unsure what part number I need, and whether it will be compatible with the oil pump drive in my 1098 engine.

Just to keep me cogitating, if anyone thinks another cam would be better with the other parts listed, let me know. I'm not really interested in changing my rocker ratios etc.

[bmcecosse]

The MG Turbo camshaft is useless - same timing as the standard 1098 cam (although it is set 4 degrees advanced). You want the MG Metro camshaft - NOT Turbo. It will need a matching 'peg' drive oil pump. The other cams you mention have higher lift - so NOT compatible with 940 head use on a small bore engine. DO NOT even think about silly 'high ratio' rockers - a good set of pressed steel rockers (maybe get a new shaft) properly aligned to operate directly on the valve stem tips are the way to go. And no fancy high rate valve springs required - you must not rev above 6000. DO look out for a crankshaft damper.....and think about an oil cooler if planning on hard running.

[mike.perry]

Check the dimensions of the Midget LCB. Make sure that when the silencer is bolted on it clears the chassis crossmember. I have an old LCB which does not

[bmcecosse]

Ahh yes -I missed that - Spridget LCB won't be a straight fit - probably won't fit at all..........

[TomLS]

Thanks for the replies chaps.
Does anyone know where I might find the MG metro camshaft? I was planning on changing the valves on the head and sinking them if necessary. As mentioned I'm not interested in the high ratio rockers because of the associated clearance issues.
Is there an LCB that will work? The Midget one is the only one I found that bends the right way!

[picky]

Maniflow make an LCB for the minor, but its expensive and very loud running. the midget and mini ones will not fit either. Some of the suppliers make their own lcb which will be cheaper than maniflow.

As for the camshaft, ebay is your best bet for a used one, or some of the mini spares places will do them.

[bmcecosse]

I'm using an MG 1100 manifold - slightly 'modified' to hold it tight against the block - then a pipe curls under the chassis leg to join a Cooper S straight through silencer under the passenger floor and then up and over the axle. I did start to try to modiify a Mini LCB for the Minor - I'm sure it can be done - but my patience ran out......

[linearaudio]

EBay for the cam, but MAKE SURE it is an MG one you are bidding on! Identified by a single 1/4"wide ring machined between number 1 and 2 cam lobes on the shaft.

[bmcecosse]

They used to sell cheaply - until somehow they became 'publicised' on Mini and Minor forums....

[TomLS]

Thanks once again!

As for ebaying camshafts, I didn't realise it was practice or even sensible to use a second hand camshaft. Any information I had previously read said that they chew through new followers as they haven't been togather since new? But that was referring to a different engine...

Spent a thoroughly enjoyable day at Bieulieu International auto-jumble today, and despite at least scanning every stall there, no-one appeared to have an MG camshaft But I've got the card of a chap who lives close-by that says he's got one - no doubt I will be able to check if it has the machined ring when I go to look at it.

Hmm I think I will give the Maniflow LCB a miss, unless one turns up good second hand! Not a sniff of one at Beaulieu either.
If one doesn't turn up over the next few months I might have a go at modifying one...

[bmcecosse]

Just use common sense when studying the 'MG' cam - check for any obvious wear/tear on the lobes or journals. And don't fret about the followers... You won't be using hard valve springs on that engine.......

[TomLS]

I've been doing more research and it seems that the MG 1275 camshafts have spider drives, and as far as I can gather, I have a 'pin drive' oil pump.
So correct me if I'm wrong, but I will also need a spider drive oil pump and a spacer, and the spacers seem to be non-existant!

Could this be a serious problem, or am I missing something?

Cheers.

[bmcecosse]

Only early 1275 engines (Cooper S etc) had the spider drive - it is a good system. Spiders are available. The MG Metro cam has the 'slot' drive, so yes - you will need a slot drive oil pump. And these come in two lengths - short shaft for the 848/948/997/998/1098 engines, and long shaft for the 970/1071/1275 engines.....

[TomLS]

Sorry, I just re-read your comment at the top and realized this!
As I'll be using a 1098 block and pump, with the 1275 cam, do you have any idea which pump I will need? I can't work out whether the cam is shorter on a 1275, or if the block is thicker?

[IslipMinor]

Tom,

I have a 'good' secondhand genuine Maniflow LCB for a MInor that I bought off this board, but didn't fit it as I repaired the one I already had. Apparently it had been on the car for <12 months, and has been dry stored since then. You do need 2 silencers to keep the exhaust at a comfortable, but very nice sounding level! It is for a 1275 engine, so would need to contact Maniflow to see if it would fit 948/1098?

PM me if you would like more details.

On the cam, the 1275 block is slightly shorter than the 948, so if the 1098 is the same as the 948 in length, then also shorter than a 1098 as well. Cams are the same length I believe for all blocks, but with 3 different pump connections - 'pin' for the early, then 'spider' (separate part, and a pain) then finally 'slot'. The pump will need to be the right 'connection' and for a 948/1098 I think?

[bmcecosse]

The 1275 /1071/970 blocks are LONGER than the other blocks - so a LONG shaft pump is needed on these engines to reach in to the cam. Note - the spider pump was only ever made LONG and so these cams that need a spider pump can only be used in long blocks (although it is possible to change the drive shaft). For a 1098 engine you need a short pump - as sold by the Mini specialists for the 998 engine. You will probably (depending on pump make) need to drill/tap an extra fixing hole for the pump - it's a two minute job. You are however getting a much better pump!

[liammonty]

Hi tomLS,

The MG Metro cams do also come with the later slot drive- it's then easy to fit as you just buy the appropriate, readily available oil pump (as said above) and it fits straight in. I think the cam is also known as a 6648- there were some NOS ones on ebay a while ago (I bought one and it's in my bored-out 948 now after terrible trouble with a Swiftune SW5 cam...).

[bmcecosse]

MG Metro cams are ONLY slot drive...... I don't know of the other version - I believe there are some copies about - but they often have higher lift and that is NO GOOD if you are fitting a 940 head.

[liammonty]

BMCE, I've only seen slot drive, but Vizard refers to spider drive ones in the Tuning the A Series book in the paragraph on the MG Metro cam- seems odd as I thought spider drive cams were pre-A+ engines, but there you go.

[linearaudio]

I expect that was a typo- the cam section gets a little jumbled in areas, due no doubt to the revisions of his book adding up.