Engine replacement options ?

Post by **iambiggles** » Sun Feb 20, 2005 10:38 pm

Not wanting to sound like a complete idiot, but am I right in assuming that you can take pretty much ANY A-series engine and put in in a MM?

Reason for the question is that I'm just in the process of buying another (our third) MM - this time an early 50's split screen. But this time its already had quite a few mods done. Brakes, suspension, 5 speed ford gearbox and Marina 1300 engine.

Now this is going to be both a fun car and a wee summer project for me so one of the first things I want to do is get the engine nicely sorted. I'd like to do this by using a second engine rather than take out the 1300 unit (well 1275 to be honest) so I can continue to use the car.

The question is broadly as above - can I get hold of, say, a 1275 A+ engine from a cooper etc and do the work on it that I want then simply swap it with the Marina engine, or should I only be looking at Non-transverse engines?

If not can anyone tell me what, if any modifications I would need to do to fit a mini engine into the current setup ( the gearbox and bellhousing has obviously already been modified to fit and connect to the Marina 1300).

Many thanks all - this will no doubt be the first of MANY questions of the coming months

Post by **bigginger** » Sun Feb 20, 2005 10:51 pm

Nope - an enormous amount of work to make a transverse A series fit, as I recall the crank etc are different and not a straight swap, and that's just the beginning of it. Someone'll be along in a minute and tell you more, but I think I'm right in saying it can't be done practically.

Post by **iambiggles** » Sun Feb 20, 2005 10:57 pm

Hmmm with a bit of digging in here (that I should have done BEFORE posting this - DOH!!) I can see thats the case.

It looks like the best bet is to get an Ital or Midget 1275 A+ engine ? and work on that.

I *could* take the marina one I have out - but I'd prefer to keep the car running as its a fun car for the summer

(and I'm a slow worker... )

Post by **bigginger** » Sun Feb 20, 2005 11:01 pm

I'm on the lookout for one too - fight you for it! I'm in the same boat, have taken out a 1275 to go in another Minor and downsized (hopefully temporarily) to a 1098.

Post by **iambiggles** » Sun Feb 20, 2005 11:06 pm

You can scour the South West - I'll do the South East then

Post by **bigginger** » Sun Feb 20, 2005 11:08 pm

Done!

Post by **iambiggles** » Mon Feb 21, 2005 1:04 pm

Its nearer me than you - but this might be useful to you!

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... 89925&rd=1

Looks to be a 1300 marina gold seal engine - unused. Sitting at £50 at the moment. I'm not in a position to but right now (as I've just paid out for the car) but might be what you're looking for ?

Post by **Matt** » Mon Feb 21, 2005 1:54 pm

Midgets don't have A+ engines....

Post by **bigginger** » Mon Feb 21, 2005 2:06 pm

iambiggles wrote:Its nearer me than you - but this might be useful to you!

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... 89925&rd=1

Looks to be a 1300 marina gold seal engine - unused. Sitting at £50 at the moment. I'm not in a position to but right now (as I've just paid out for the car) but might be what you're looking for ?

Cheers - I will be bidding...

Post by **iambiggles** » Mon Feb 21, 2005 2:25 pm

Matt wrote:Midgets don't have A+ engines....

So what ARE the options then?

I've seen Midget engines for sale in highly tuned states on MG sites so I'm guessing the basic engine wth some work can be pretty usefull without it being an A+.

I'm not planning on going mental with it - more to get around 100hp and a good wide torque curve for ease of driving and tractability. So I'm probably looking for one of the bored/stroked engines. We'll see.......

Post by **Matt** » Mon Feb 21, 2005 2:27 pm

You should be able to get a reliable 100hp out of a 1275 midget engine, or a 1275 A+ (marina/ital) engine...

Post by **Kevin** » Mon Feb 21, 2005 3:13 pm

You should be able to get a reliable 100hp out of a 1275

But the Axle will need some changes for that sort of power.

Post by **iambiggles** » Mon Feb 21, 2005 3:24 pm

Kevin wrote:
You should be able to get a reliable 100hp out of a 1275
But the Axle will need some changes for that sort of power.

Cheers chaps - Yeah I had planned on changing the axle and probably the ratio if I go for a tuned engine. Its already got a ford 5 speed box and servo assisted disc brakes all round so that should be OK. I'll no doubt need to check the Propshaft too and I plan to have a good look at/replace all the suspension - at the very least I'll renew all the bushes.

Thanks again.

Post by **rayofleamington** » Mon Feb 21, 2005 3:26 pm

One of the bst A+ engines was the Maestro. This also has a rear crank seal (a lip seal rather than a wish and a prayer seal).
These can be converted for RWD applications - JLH has done this so shouldould be able to advise how it is done and how much conversion parts will be. You'll find JLH website with a search engine.

Post by **Kevin** » Mon Feb 21, 2005 3:39 pm

assisted disc brakes all round so that should be OK.

Well if its got discs all round it must have an axle change already done to it already.

Post by **turbominor** » Mon Feb 21, 2005 4:28 pm

The gold seal engine looks like an ital lump to me as it seems to have an oil filter above the distributor drive?

No sure if i missed something, but your car seems to have a 1300 already fitted? upgrading to a 1275a+ will give you (according to the specs) max 1bhp more and hardly seems worth it??

Or have i miss read

Post by **iambiggles** » Mon Feb 21, 2005 4:30 pm

rayofleamington wrote:One of the bst A+ engines was the Maestro. This also has a rear crank seal (a lip seal rather than a wish and a prayer seal).
These can be converted for RWD applications - JLH has done this so shouldould be able to advise how it is done and how much conversion parts will be. You'll find JLH website with a search engine.

Cheers - I'll bear that in mind when I'm engine hunting.

Post by **iambiggles** » Mon Feb 21, 2005 4:31 pm

Kevin wrote:
assisted disc brakes all round so that should be OK.
Well if its got discs all round it must have an axle change already done to it already.

Good point - I guess I'll find out early next week when I take delivery and give it a good look over

Post by **iambiggles** » Mon Feb 21, 2005 4:37 pm

turbominor wrote:The gold seal engine looks like an ital lump to me as it seems to have an oil filter above the distributor drive?

No sure if i missed something, but your car seems to have a 1300 already fitted? upgrading to a 1275a+ will give you (according to the specs) max 1bhp more and hardly seems worth it??

Or have i miss read

LOL - yes and no.. What I want to do is get an A/A+ series engine that I can swap directly with the exisiting 1300. I'll leave the 1300 in there throught the summer whilst working on the replacement. I expect I'll end up with a bored/stroked engine (anything up to around 1500cc) tuned for torque and reliability and about 100hp. Then I'll swap them over.

This cunning plan is of course open to all sorts of changes and I reserve the right to completley change my mind at any point

Post by **Kevin** » Mon Feb 21, 2005 4:56 pm

Well Cams is bored out to 1380cc and I dont thing its advised to go beyond that and I think he puts out 120-130bhp which is beyond your requirements.