Morris Minor Owners Club

hi guys, (yet another post by me) is it ok to do an engine conversion? my friend has just finished rebuilding a 1.1 ford fiesta engine, with gearbox! im thinking of buying it off him and putting it in my morris rag top!? what do you all think? the fiesta will only cost me 500quid, but i could also use the washer bottle, and alternator and so on, whats everyone elses advice! i do have a 1098 engine+gearbox sitting on my bench ready for rebuilding but i could put that in my other project which im restoring to original cond. any ideas, anything! anything at all would be greatly appreciated, cheers, charly

I'm not sure exactly what you'd gain by putting a 1.1 ford engine in.... really. I'd've thought for the hastle it'd be more sensible to look through the message boards and pick up a bog standard 1098cc engine and just slap that in....

I don't think there's any conversion kits for a 1.1 fiesta engine, and isn't the fiesta front wheel drive? I'd've thought it'd be a lot of work for very little gain... [very negative, sorry!]

You'd be mad to use the Fiesta engine as you'd spend longer sorting the gearbox than it would take to rebuild your own.
As mentioned before - find a cheap rotten donor car with good engine and box, or buy second hand (also cheap).
You could even get a proper rebuilt 1098 engine for around the price of that Fiesta (when I talked to JLH 6 months ago, he had a fresh one one taken out of a customer car that had been upgraded to a larger engine, so you may get it for a few hundred - a fraction of what the owner paid for it)

You will probably find that the 1100 Fiesta Kent engine is either equal or slower than the Morris 1098 anyway!

If you were hell-bent on the Ford unit then it would be probably best to get one (and gearbox) from a mk1 or mk2 escort (RWD) then chop the moggy about to get it to fit. Oh and you would also need a custom propshaft making up to mate the Ford 'box to the moggy diff.

Cam wrote:You will probably find that the 1100 Fiesta Kent engine is either equal or slower than the Morris 1098 anyway!

If you were hell-bent on the Ford unit then it would be probably best to get one (and gearbox) from a mk1 or mk2 escort (RWD) then chop the moggy about to get it to fit. Oh and you would also need a custom propshaft making up to mate the Ford 'box to the moggy diff.

The only Ford lump I'd put in mine would be a Zetec with a type 9 box.

Chap localy had a 1600cvh rs turbo engine fitted using bits from a 1600cvh sierra to make it in line with a type 6 in his moggie van.. Never saw it run as he move before it was finished

The only Ford lump I'd put in mine would be a Zetec with a type 9 box.

Oh I don't know........ an RS Turbo CVH would not go amiss especially if you used an 1800 CVH and tuned it! Might have to go for the MT-75 gearbox though......

Might have to go for the MT-75 gearbox though......

Well I've never dealt with the bigger Ford boxes but I would hope that an engine that fits an MTX-75 (FWD version of the MT-75) would also fit an MT75. That would make choice of donor engine much easier.
It might be a longshot though as they have to mess about with bellhousings on FWD to make it fit a smaller space - and quite often the starter motor is moved about between applications, which would add complication.

Well the 1800 CVH was fitted in-line to the Sierra and could be used as a base for an RS turbo type application. I think the MT-75 was fitted to the same engine too.

I know the RS Turbo was a FWD 1600, but the bits should swap over easy enough and the remapping chips etc are easily available.

Why not just go down the Cosworth route as seen at the National last year I am sure Cam has a photo.

Bigger engine though I think. I think the Cosworth lump was based on a Cortina 2L Pinto with a fancy head.

Here is the Cosworth (from Stoke of course!! ):


http://potteries.mmoc.org.uk/RallyPics/ ... 03_395.JPG

http://potteries.mmoc.org.uk/RallyPics/ ... rth_p4.htm

but i could also use the washer bottle,

thats a good idea

I'm not a great one for engine spotting - whats that in the lovely red P/U with the Ford wheels?
a

I see, to remeber reading that the cossy was a competition car?

bigginger wrote:I'm not a great one for engine spotting - whats that in the lovely red P/U with the Ford wheels?
a

V8 (Ford I think). And I don't think they are Ford wheels on the front (centerlines I think) but the rears are for a Ford stud pattern as the rear axle is a shortened Ford 9"

Sorry Andrew.............. I thought you meant the radical pickup on the other page!!

http://potteries.mmoc.org.uk/RallyPics/ ... rth_p5.htm

The one with white wheels has a Lotus twin-cam in it (130 BHP). My dad had one of those engines in the '70s (with a Lotus wrapped round it!! ).

the sierras only used the mt75 box on the 2l dohc cars 2x4 and 4x4. the CVH and pinto's were mated the the type 9

Just check a k plate 1.6 lx in carpark and has a type 9 ( rev by 1st)

Lotus eh? I think I'll be keeping the 1275 and saving for the 1380 rebuild then...
a

turbominor wrote:the sierras only used the mt75 box on the 2l dohc cars 2x4 and 4x4. the CVH and pinto's were mated the the type 9

Right. Just concerned that the type 9 would not stand 200 BHP +

Just check a k plate 1.6 lx in carpark and has a type 9 ( rev by 1st)

Yes, my mum has a K plate 1.6 SOHC Sierra and it has a 5-speed type 9 (same as my Moggy!).

Right. Just concerned that the type 9 would not stand 200 BHP +

I was once told that there was a higher torque version of the type 9 - used on some of the Ford 2.8 engines. The same guy told me that these could be discerned by the longer input shaft.
I hope that's correct in case anyone is interested, but I'm not sure as it's nothing I've dealt with myself.