Morris Minor Owners Club

Hi Does anyone have a diffinitive list of those engines that have been used successfully without major alterations in a moggy and the good bad points of each......ta
e-minor

Well, there are plenty!
1275 A series (and A+) these require only minor mods
FIAT twin-cam, these require some more mods
JLH's excellent K-series conversion, from 1.1 to 1,8 turbo , thse require some major modifications, depending on the size of the engine
And then there is the MAJOR modification, eg. Rover V8

There are plenty more of course, down under the Datsun RWD engines are used a lot, and some Toyota Celica or Corrolla RWD sytems. but those are a bit hard to come by overhere

Hope this helps!
Onne

Perkins Prima diesel has also been used. Doesn't require too much work I don't think.

1800 B series (rarely).

that's the MGB engine?

Talking about engines, since everyone is nicking 9" drums of Wolseley 1500s, will the engine also fit?

It's the same B-Series engine as the MGB... so I assume it would also fit. There's little point though as it hasn't got much more power and it's fairly heavy.

CHris, you mean the 1500 engine? Wasn't that also fitted to the MGA?

Yes, in several different (tuned) forms. Initially it was 1489cc (as it was in the Riley and Wolseley), then 1588, then 1622 (I think). They also did some horrid twin-cam version that broke down constantly.

It still wouldn't be worth transplanting it - it's a huge old lump and a well tuned 1275 would probably give you just as much power.

It's not (apparently) a straightforward swap, and the reason usually cited for not doing it is the weight. I think that plastic orange has done it/had one - he'll probably tell you more.

I think you have to move the radiator to the side of the engine bay - it's too long otherwise. There was an MGB-engined Minor on ebay not that long ago and it looked like a fairly tight squeeze.

Marina or preferably Sherpa diesel rad fits in B series minor - in proper position. I used to have 2 mini radiators side by side in the front - worked but a bit of a plumbers nightmare.
MGB engines can be made to perform, but really are a bit dated now, and are the same weight as a Rover V8. Mine was as fast as any RS 2000 back in the 70's, and handled surprisingly well - I was certainly never out performed by any A series minor I came up against.
I still have the engine - Powermax flat top pistons - +60, balanced, lightened fly wheel, chambers (american) race cam, now knackered Stage 3 head with biggest valves possible (nimonic exhaust), Twin 1 3/4 SU's (better than the 45 weber I had) and extractor exhaust.
I rebuilt engine and never used it - don't know what it's worth, but will be getting disposed of soon. I had the head bead blasted, and it was so much opened out, that the blasting went through the water jackets beside the valves - valves and springs are as new though.
I used a Riley 1.5 box modified to suit, and this worked really well.

Pete