Morris Minor Owners Club

It's true then!!

well oil filter is in teh same place as the 1098 but a spin off one ,the breather is on the timming cover ,it has a plate were you can put a manule fuel pump on
dose this help but the engine could be going in teh bin 3 head gaskit 2 head and still leaking in number 3 piston a drip of coolant getting in there

Sounds like you need to check the block face is flat. Two warped heads are unlikely, though not impossible. Looking back at this thread I'm wondering what made you set the valve clearances at 25 thou!! You need a A series manual big time!

yes got one today and did the tappets at 12 thou and no more tapping

Water in the cylinder could be cracked block. But check the block face with a good straight edge first.

Breather on the timing cover, spin-on oil filter in the same place as the Minor - sounds exactly like the engine in my Sprite. Maybe early Midget/Sprites had the Minor-style replaceable element filter but all the 1275's I've seen have the spin-on.
Getting the block skimmed shouldn't be too expensive and a tad higher compression is no bad thing.

But it does mean a complete engine strip down !! So don't do it unless there is good reason.

good enough reason if it isn't straight I guess

well found out the head is o.k and the blok is o.k and also have found out the big problem on the head of the 1098 and unleaded one it has water holes on both sides of the piston now on the block there only one side so when you put the head on top of the gasgit the holes show about 1/2 a mm in to the pistons , there is no way of welding them shut so i now have to take the 1275 out and try and make good a engine with the 3 i have in bits in the garage (dont think it will happern ) so dose any one know if the mg Midget/Sprites are diffrent heads if some has one and coulp do a photo of the bottom please this will help me in trying to get the right head
thanks all for the help
mm16

Well I thought that the water ways were the same on all the heads, but if you send me a pm with your direct email I will take a photo of a spare 1275cc Midget head I have.
Dont know if its of use but I have a 1275cc Midget engine with agood unleaded head on it that is a bit low on compession (it smokes a bit) and would probably need a rebore although you may get away with new rings that might be available.

Ehhh? This is all very confused.
Are you trying to put a 1098 head on a 1275 block ?? Or vice versa ?? It is very possible to use 1275 head on a 1098 block (caveat re exhaust valves hitting block) - but you must use 1275 gasket - there is one water way in the 1098 block which has no matching hole in the 1275 head (or gasket) - I put silicone sealer in this - but in the past have just left it as is. ALL 1275 heads can be used on ALL 1275 blocks. Some 1275 heads have extra holes for extra studs(ex Cooper S) - just don't use them. If someone has drilled and tapped your block for these extra studs - and now the head you have does not have the extra holes - either bore the head and use extra studs - or plug off the extra holes in the block !! Pheww.

that is it i have been trying a 1098 head and another one which is unleaded but unknown engine size thought it was 1275 but i hopefuly will get the right head sat if not i will be coming back to find out the best way to blok the 3 holes which have givern me the truble

You cannot fit a 1098 head on a 1275 engine. Well, anything is possible - but this is not a good way to go. Easy to tell if it's a 1275 engine - look down the side - are there removable tappet chest covers ? If NO - then it's a 1275. To identify head - look at the top surface - and read the casting number. 12G 940 is 1275 head. 12G202 is normal 1098 head. 12G206 is better head (fitted to some 997 Cooper and some 1098 Spridgets) and of course 12G295 is the famous head from MG1100 and most 1098 Spridgets.