Morris Minor Owners Club

This is going to sound really daft - but my wife has the knack of asking questions to which I don't know the answer, and in the end I have to find out!

I've been on the lookout for a Marina or Ital to provide a donor engine for a switch - which I'm hoping to do myself with the help of a couple of friends and the grace of God, since I'm clueless, mechanically - but I've also asked a couple of people for quotes to do the job for me if I think it's truly beyond my capability to learn as I go.

I was quoted £500+ to do a 1275 conversion. My wife then asks this question, "If you get a pro to do a 1275 conversion, at that price does it include the engine itself, or have you got to find one yourself, or do they find one for you and lump the cost on on top of the conversion?"

Then the next question, "Say you find a Marina or Ital, how do you know the engine is any good, without buying it and driving the donor car for a while?"

Don't you just hate being asked questions you know are going to make you feel a right dope when you ask someone else?

Anyone like to give me the answers I really ought to know, but don't?

Firstly, if you want an engine thats in good order either buy one you can see/hear working in the car before it is taken out.

I think the quote would probably be for fitting only - you would have to source the engine yourself. Mechanic/garage prices vary. Shop around. Ask what they would do for the price quoted.

MG Midget engines fit easiest, as the mountings are all the same (Indeed the Midget gearbox even has the steering rack cut out). I suspect you may find more of these for sale than Marinas, as Midgets/Sprites have been collectable for a long time.

There is no substitute for hearing an engine running and doing a compression test etc. Up to a point, fitting any non rebuilt engine is a gamble and in an ideal world, you fit a freshly (Properly) built engine.

A 1275 engine in KNOWN GOOD running order will be worth ~ £500 itself. The fitting is only a day's work at most. You either see the engine running beforehand (and not just for two minutes!) - or you buy it, strip it and rebuild it where necessary. If it needs boring/grinding etc that would come close to £500 anyway - but at least you then KNOW it is 'like new'.
Spridget engines are scarce - and more expensive.
Marina/Ital engines are much more common - and slightly less expensive.

Just an add on to the above my midget 1275 re-build came in at £488 and that was for an engine that was basically sound. Some parts for these engines are getting a bit scarce according to the re-builder, crank thrust washers being an example, And oil control rings all the way from America (engine fitted with American made pistons sometime in the past with funny width ring grooves) those alone cost £66 after shipping and tax.

Thrusts should be no problem - same as Mini 1275 - readily available on ebay and many other places. Funny pistons - well that's always the way for anything non-standard. But many new pistons in all shapes and sizes are available - sometimes it's best just to rebore and fit next standard size up. Special 'overbore' pistons are always much more expensive - but standards are not too bad. Again -check ebay !

I'm already at +60 thou giving me 1330cc I dont think you can go much bigger with out liners.

Oh yes, it can go bigger - but it does involve offset boring. Many blocks have liners from new! And they are the lucky ones - because the liner wears far less than bare cast bores.

You see, it is at this point I say to myself "*****y hell, what are they talking about?" and I frighten myself into thinking that not only do I not know enough to do anything like switching engines, but I don't even know what it is that I don't know, if you get my drift, and more to the point will never learn, because I don't have the capacity - my brain doesn't work that way...

Just ask - all will be explained as you go along! We are here to help!

and more to the point will never learn, because I don't have the capacity - my brain doesn't work that way...

I think you may have answered your own question there.
The people who find it 'easy' do occassionally forget that it's not easy for everyone, and assume that those who don't are just lacking motivation or encouragement...
Doing DIY and learning along the way is fun - doing DIY and floundering every time is not!

Ahh -but we all learn from our mistakes! The advantage of having this Forum is that we can all learn from other's mistakes - and hopefully be pre-warned to avoid making them ourselves .

bmcecosse wrote:Ahh -but we all learn from our mistakes! The advantage of having this Forum is that we can all learn from other's mistakes - and hopefully be pre-warned to avoid making them ourselves .

The problem there is that I can't afford to make the mistakes I might learn from - especially as they might prove that ignorance can be fatal!

I might not even know that I have made a mistake until it's too late or very expensive to do something about it!

Hi Mate, for what it's worth. The minor is very easy to work on, you just need decent quality tools a manual helps and set aside time to complete a job but don't always expect it to go to plan. If you can make contact with a local car club you might find some assistance forth coming for plenty of tea & biscuits and a few beer tokens and you will be learning from others. If you can install the engine yourself then you have saved £500 which is a good incentive to learn.

An engine swap is fairly straight forward and £500 sounds like just the installation but don't just take the first quote ask around and ask the right questions any hounest garage will be happy to answer them. The harder job will be finding a known good 1275 engine but they do crop up you just have to keep your ear to the ground. If you can't hear it running assume the worst and have it re-conditioned as this saves a lot of hassle once the engine is installed in the car.

Okay, changing the subject slightly - if I've been offered an Ital engine and running gear for about £200-£300, and it was in situ and running until three months ago, should I bite the bloke's hand off?

Depends why it was removed! (you won't be able to test it properly now,) but if you could get it at nearer the £200 you probably won't go too far wrong! (Make sure it's complete with the carb, which is different to the Minor - and the first section of exhaust has an extra branch... (I know because I changed back to a 1098 from a 1275 on the van!)

I agree, 300 is steep if you can't hear it running and depending on what comes with it (starter, carb, dizzy, alternator, exhaust manifold, head converted to run unleaded) then I wouldn't pay over 200. If you are getting all of the above then 250 at a stretch - but then this is only my opinion and I am Scottish!!

The 'running gear' will not be much use to you - so discount that completely. You will need to fit a front plate from a Minor engine - and modify the Minor flywheel and backplate to fit to the Ital engine - but it's all very 'do-able'. Try for £200 - and probaly be prepared to settle in between at £250 - but only if ASSURED the engine is in decent running order - with 'money back' promise if it proves otherwise.