Morris Minor Owners Club

Am upgrading 1098 moggie, now have 12g940 head with unleaded exhaust seats, sintered rockers( 1.27), new rocker shaft. Maniflow exhaust plus LBB and one and a half inch SU on minisport manifold. A few questions:
What needle to use with this set up?
If I upgrade the cam at some future time along with the oil pump - which one should I use and will it require any further machining on head cos of greater valve lift?
Suggested I didn't use a MG Metro Turbo head gasket - why is that and what would you suggest to use?
Where can I get a flexible upper rad hose as I'm using a 1300 thermostat housing?

Looking forward to bolting it together..... Thanks

I've got an AAA needle on a pretty much identical setup. Runs pretty well and that's what the oracle seems to recommend too.

Just use a good payen copper 1275 headgasket. No idea why the turbo one isn't suitable.

You can buy special thermostat housings to put the angle right, or you could use an early (948) minor bottom hose as that is just like a longer top hose (no heater take-off like the later minor bottom hose). Minor parts suppliers should have the 948 bottom hoses in stock.

As far as cams, if you use an MG Metro one, i believe the lift is no higher, but the duration is better, so no issues there with valve lift.

The turbo gasket is stupidly expensive - and no need for it. Any copper faced 1275 gasket is fine. Have you made sure you have 320thou clearance on the exhaust valves? And yes - DO NOT attempt to use a high lift cam with that head on a 1098. The MG cam is fine - but so is the standard 1098 cam. No point going for a fancy cam - the 1098 must not go above 6000 rpm anyway....... DO fit a crankshaft damper! Yes the AAA needle is certainly a good starting point.