Morris Minor Owners Club

This is probably a realy silly question but here goes anyway. Marinas had a 1.8TC option, as my car has the 1275 marina engine and box does this mean that the 1800 will go in on the same bolt holes? my dad used to have an 1800tc while i was growing up and he claims to have had 130 out of it, so that engine in a lighter mog should realy go!

I'm not 100% sure about bolt holes, but the standard answer whenever this is asked is "There's no point fitting it, your Minor won't go round corners if you do." It's a fair bit heavier.
I've owned 8 Marinas, none of them TC, but I find the 130 claim a little hard to believe - they were all old and tired though...
a

i know this one was his baby and wasn't standard but i was 8 at the time so i'm a bit sketchy on the details, it was lowered though. Would the weight distribution problem be any better bearign in mind the weight of the wood on the back of the traveller?

The 1800 B series (MGB engine) is MUCH heavier and it's not recommended to fit them into the Minor... If you REALLY want to then you have to do a fair bit of modification as they don't just 'slot-in' as they are physically bigger than the A-series engines.

so there is a major difference between the 1275 marina and an 1800, not just engine mountings then?

I have read an article about a white traveller with 1800 MGB engine, but I think it was completely modified. If only I could remeber where I read it.... I think it was an english car, but in a dutch magazine. I'll try and look it up, no garantees though. Not sure either that it was a traveller...

I got this from ebay: http://us.share.geocities.com/hardware_ ... gminor.jpg along with the rest of the mag. shows a minor with it done. Unless its a straight swap / realy easy for the 1275 marina lump then i wont bother as i may as well put a decent engine in if i'm going to start hacking the car about. If its a relativly easy job then i'll think about getting my socket set out

I'd have thought it would involve moving the engine/bulkhead back, some serious suspension and 'chassis' mods and a lot of thought re. brakes, plus I'd be worried about the steering with a lot more weight there. I could be wildly wrong, but I don't think so! Give a thought or two to getting the 1275 and the drivetrain sorted, and if that doesn't appeal research the Rover K series options (JLH Minors is the place for that http://www.jlhmorrisminors.co.uk/ , or the boss logs in here as 'jonathan', but isn't allowed to offer professional advice which could be construed as advertising! If you don't fancy/can't afford that, the Rover V8 is alloy, but you'd be looking at creating a proper chassis.

Hello all,
the weight is not as much a problem as people currently make out, remember the Riley 1.5 raced in it's day. For those unfamiliar with it, it was a revamped Minor 'chassis' with a different style body, totally Minor supension with a 'B' series albeit 1500cc engine.
Putting 'B' series engines in Minors was a common 60's modification but entails fitting a radiator with a hole for the water pump boss.
Certainly, today, for it's weight the 'B' series engine is not that powerful.

Alec

hmm............. there goes another idea for an "easy" upgrade. Do you think he would swap my traveller for the one on his web site?

I asked about this before but also put across the fact that Wo' and Ri' 1.5s were built on Minor chassis' and used B-Series':

B-Series Engine, Eh?
http://www.morrisminoroc.co.uk/index.ph ... pic&t=5843

ok, my link doesnt appear to work, try this one: http://geocities.com/hardware_man_2k3/i ... gminor.jpg I was only interested in fitting one if it could be done easily. I can do most things that just invlove a spanner and a haynes manuel but when it comes to fabricating parts i wouldnt know where to begin.

Best not go the 1800 route then! Go for a tuned 1275 or a Fiat Twin-cam. Fiat's are getting thin on the ground and you have to modify the front crossmember, cut the bell-housing, fabriacte engine mounts and get a custom propshaft made. If you just want a spanner job with no cutting and welding then perhaps a tuned 1275 engine is the best bet.

Hello Cam,

just to make the point that you need to buy certain parts to fit a 1275, as a 1275 Marina engine and gearbox is not a 'slot in job'

Alec

but the 1275 marina is already slotted in, i assumed (wrongly) that as the 1275 was from a marina that the 1800 would just bolt in and make the car go up hills over 30mph

As I say, the 1275 should power you uphill at more than 30 - something there needs sorting.
a

muttering something rude about ebay and cars that i shant repeat here. somebody needs to invent a bolt on kit to get a 2l engine into the minor in less than 20 mins with no mechanical expertise at all and cost less than £50

You should ask Swiss Tony then, he sells the 2.0 litre kit by 'Bodgit and Leggit' for £50

Lee

And the Midget engine & box is easier to fit than the Marina.

Putting 'B' series engines in Minors was a common 60's modification

But the handling was often very iffy, and I suspect the stronger brakes and axle would also have been used.
I used to have a Riley 1.5 and to say the cornering and braking was minorish is a fair assesment when pushed along so putting the heavier lump in a lighter car with borderline suspension is not something I would fancy as the Rileys bodywork was a bit more substatial.

i have more faith in minor bodywork than most other cars. It has saved my life before! but as tim allen would say "MORE POWER!" I will be investigating the potential problems on friday, so until then the car can sit on my parents driveway