Rebuilt MG Midget 1275 engine for sale

[jagnut66]

Hi,
I have a completely rebuilt 1275 ex MG Midget engine for sale.
As most of you know these slot straight into a Minor without any welding / fabrication required, as they even sit on the same mounting towers.
The crank has been reground and it has had new rings, mains and big end bearings. The head has been skimmed and converted to use unleaded fuel.
And it now wears a fresh coat of BMC green engine paint.
So, unless you want to change the colour, it's ready to be fitted.
All that you will need to do is reset the tappets once it is installed, plus check the head bolts torque and retorque them once it has gone through it's first heat cycle.
I am looking for £2250 or near offer, which is fair for a rebuilt 1275 engine these days.
Cash on collection please.
If you are interested PM me and I will let you have my number.
(Just so you know, I am advertising this elsewhere as well.)
Best wishes,
Mike.

Rebuilt 1275 A series engine 1.JPG (782.91 KiB) Viewed 2019 times

Rebuilt 1275 A series engine 2.JPG (1.08 MiB) Viewed 2019 times

Rebuilt 1275 A series engine 3.JPG (777.09 KiB) Viewed 2019 times

Rebuilt 1275 A series engine 4.JPG (1.01 MiB) Viewed 2019 times

Rebuilt 1275 A series engine 5.JPG (948.84 KiB) Viewed 2019 times

[jagnut66]

Rebuilt 1275 A series engine 6.JPG (907.35 KiB) Viewed 2017 times

Rebuilt 1275 A series engine 7.JPG (1 MiB) Viewed 2017 times

Rebuilt 1275 A series engine 8.JPG (863.31 KiB) Viewed 2017 times

Rebuilt 1275 A series engine 9.JPG (477.96 KiB) Viewed 2017 times

Rebuilt 1275 A series engine 10.JPG (790.39 KiB) Viewed 2017 times

[jagnut66]

Rebuilt 1275 A series engine 11.JPG (488.69 KiB) Viewed 2017 times

Rebuilt 1275 A series engine 12.JPG (666.36 KiB) Viewed 2017 times

[svenedin]

Nice. Is it really a straight drop in swap for a 1098? I thought the cable operated heater valve was a problem on a 1275 (different angle and ?fouls the battery box)? Also where is the dog for the starting handle?

[les]

I think you are being rather pedantic regarding those points, true but not insurmountable, mind you the price shocked me. Consider me out of touch though!!

[jagnut66]

Is it really a straight drop in swap for a 1098? I thought the cable operated heater valve was a problem on a 1275

I never had any issues with regard to the heater valve when I had the other (this was the spare) 1275 ex Midget engine fitted in Abby, my old 1963 two door.
Mind you, I did have a brass tap fitted, rather than the cable operated version.
Regarding the straight drop in, yes.
I even had the metal fan fitted for a while, though an electric fan is better, as a 1275 is very slightly longer than the 1098 unit (but not by much though).

where is the dog for the starting handle?

There never was one on the 1275, just the nut. Though you may be able to swap one over from the 1098 engine, if the thread size is the same. I can't say for sure, as I never felt the need to try.

mind you the price shocked me. Consider me out of touch though

I had a chat with an engineer who rebuilds 'A' series engines to a really high standard / race spec. He sells his for around £3500 'plus' and he's just forked out for a container load of 1275's to rebuild, that had been hidden away until he was told about them and did the deal. So he must be making money on them. He reckoned that for a standard rebuild like mine the price I'm asking is fair and that's before anyone negotiates with me for it.................
Best wishes,
Mike.

[svenedin]

Mike,

Thank you very much for your detailed reply. I was not being awkwardly pedantic. I genuinely wanted to know how easy (or not) a straight swap is. My car has its original 1098 engine which is certainly not as spritely as it was 34 years ago when I first got the car but then again it has never had any work on it other than routine maintenance. I have 2x 1098 blocks (minus heads) on my garage floor. I had considered a 1275 transplant way back at the beginning and in those days they were plentiful but now they are definitely not. I am always torn between originality and usability and thus far have kept the car as original as possible. I would certainly want the original fan, cable-operated heater tap and to be able to use the starting handle. If that was not possible I would dismiss the idea of a 1275 as an absolute impossibility.

How does the breathing work on your 1275? I noticed it has a solid tappet chest cf, the tappet covers on my 1098. I also noticed your engine does not have a breather timing cover or rocker cover.

Stephen

[panky]

This how I got around the problem





Notice the notch in the steady bar

Heater hoses have since been replaced an a brass tap fitted

[philthehill]

The engine advertised above has absolutely no crankcase breathing capability.
The 1275cc Midget/Sprite timing chain cover should have a canister breather attached. The canister breather is then on a 1275cc Midget/Sprite engine connected to a PCV valve on the manifold or through a 'Y' connector to the carbs.
The heater valve, the radiator fan and starter dog off a Minor can be easily fitted to a 1275cc Midget/Sprite engine.
The 1275cc Midget/Sprite engine does fit straight into a Minor. The Minor or Midget/Sprite gearbox can be utilised.
The Minor mechanical clutch linkage can be used but the clutch disengagement will be heavy. A modification to the relay shaft helps.
Svenedin
You are right in that 1275cc Midget/Sprite engines are hard to come by currently - one of the reasons the 1275cc Marina/Ital/Maestro engines are used.
Unfortunately those that are in good condition do command a premium price.

[svenedin]

The engine advertised above has absolutely no crankcase breathing capability.
The 1275cc Midget/Sprite timing chain cover should have a canister breather attached. The canister breather is then on a 1275cc Midget/Sprite engine connected to a PCV valve on the manifold or through a 'Y' connector to the carbs.
The heater valve, the radiator fan and starter dog off a Minor can be easily fitted to a 1275cc Midget/Sprite engine.
The 1275cc Midget/Sprite engine does fit straight into a Minor. The Minor or Midget/Sprite gearbox can be utilised.
The Minor mechanical clutch linkage can be used but the clutch disengagement will be heavy. A modification to the relay shaft helps.
Svenedin
You are right in that 1275cc Midget/Sprite engines are hard to come by currently - one of the reasons the 1275cc Marina/Ital/Maestro engines are used.
Unfortunately those that are in good condition do command a premium price.

Phil, thank you.

So there should be a timing chain cover with canister breather. Yes I thought so. If using a Y-piece to carburettor, what goes in the other other arm of the Y? A pipe from a breather rocker cover?

Stephen

[philthehill]

The 'Y' connects to both carbs.
See attached link:-
https://www.moss-europe.co.uk/shop-by-m ... 67-79.html

The 1275cc Midget/Sprite engine has only the timing chain cover breather so it must be retained unless other arrangements for crankcase breathing are provided.

[svenedin]

The 'Y' connects to both carbs.
See attached link:-
https://www.moss-europe.co.uk/shop-by-m ... 67-79.html

The 1275cc Midget/Sprite engine has only the timing chain cover breather so it must be retained unless other arrangements for crankcase breathing are provided.

Ah two carbs! I see!

[jagnut66]

How does the breathing work on your 1275? I noticed it has a solid tappet chest cf, the tappet covers on my 1098. I also noticed your engine does not have a breather timing cover or rocker cover.

Quite correct, unfortunately the rocker cover with a breather pipe in it went with Abby, which left me (all these years later) having to use a spare that I had to hand without one in it.
The position of the breather is blanked on this cover, however it could be easily drilled out and a breather pipe attached (link below for the type of thing that I mean). Or simply swapped for another rocker cover with one already in. I believe a 1098 rocker cover will fit. Perhaps Phil can clarify this.
https://www.googleadservices.com/pagead ... EBw&adurl=

The 1275cc Midget/Sprite timing chain cover should have a canister breather attached.

All I can say to this is that this is the cover that was on the engine when I bought it. They are available and I have attached a link below.
https://www.googleadservices.com/pagead ... EB0&adurl=

To clarify, what is for sale is a rebuilt 1275 MG Midget engine.
However, it was secondhand when I bought it several years ago and things may have been 'borrowed' from it by others prior to my purchase.
It's good that the above points have been brought up for discussion.
But, in my defence, they don't detract from the engine itself and are easily corrected.
Best wishes,
Mike.

[jagnut66]

This how I got around the problem

Nicely done Panky.
Off the shelf or one you made?
Best wishes,
Mike.

[philthehill]

Any 'A' Series rocker cover with breather will fit the 1275cc 'A' Series engine.

I would be wary of fitting the type of adapter which requires a securing nut or adapter head inside the rocker cover as there is limited room already for the rockers to operate in.

The 'A' Series needs all the crankcase breathing it can get so fitting a timing chain cover with breather/oil separator would be a bonus.

[svenedin]

Any 'A' Series rocker cover with breather will fit the 1275cc 'A' Series engine.

I would be wary of fitting the type of adapter which requires a securing nut or adapter head inside the rocker cover as there is limited room already for the rockers to operate in.

The 'A' Series needs all the crankcase breathing it can get so fitting a timing chain cover with breather/oil separator would be a bonus.

Phil, does the timing chain canister mounted in front foul the standard metal fan? If it does I presume a machine shop could modify the cover to move the canister to the side. Also, can the starting handle dog be fitted instead of the pulley bolt so that a starting handle can be used?

Stephen

[panky]

This how I got around the problem

Nicely done Panky.
Off the shelf or one you made?
Best wishes,
Mike.

The flanges are available to buy, and are used on the brass tap heater valve, joined with, I think, an 1/8" BSP barrel nipple.

[philthehill]

svenedin
Ex factory the canister would foul the Minor fan.
To overcome you can use a spacer between the water pump fan mount flange which are available in 4mm, 12mm and 17mm thicknesses.
The other way to overcome the problem of the fan hitting the canister is to fit a timing chain cover with a flattened front face.
For example:-
https://www.plminishop.com/Classic_Mini ... Hand_.html

[jagnut66]

The other way to overcome the problem of the fan hitting the canister is to fit a timing chain cover with a flattened front face.

The better route in my opinion, as I don't think it would be a good idea to move the metal fan even closer to the radiator with spacers.
Best wishes,
Mike.

[millerman]

Or

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