Lund's MG Metro 1275 Engine Build

[Mini_Lund]

Hi all, brief update;

The engine is in the machine shop now. It is a fresh block and has never been rebored. I'll find out by how much it has been bored-out by, sometime soon. I have opted for 'high compression' pistons. It's costing me in the region of £320 + VAT. Which is'nt too bad I don't suppose?

Edited by Mini_Lund on Thursday 12th March 16:52

[Mini_Lund]

Not too much to report, but bring on saturday! I'll be collecting the rest of the MG engine, hopefully as complete as possible inc. Carb, inlet, filter etc & I'll also be picking up the engine from the machiners! I, cleaned up the timing cover, its just in primer at the moment until I buy some gloss black VHT paint. The finish on the primer isn't all that brilliant, it could do with a light sand as the flies took a liking to the freshly sprayed paint, but I'm not that bothered as once its in, I wont be seeing much of the timing cover;

Primered:




The selector on the gearbox has become loose, from me playing around with it selecting gears! Is this a 'gears out' job? Im reluctant to rebuild the box, because it scares me, and I can't really afford a rebuild with having to buy S disc brakes also



Tom

Edited by Mini_Lund on Thursday 12th March 16:53

[guru_1071]

lund

it just goes back in when you rotate it, you may have to jiggle the selectors a little just to line it all up.

from memory there is one bad spot where it will jam if you try and force it, but the tounge has to be pointing down for that to happen

[Cooperman]

If you are going to fit a duplex timing chain you need to make sure that the timing cover won't hit the chain. In particular, from the picture of your cover, you'll notice that at about 30 degrees up and to the right of the crank aperture, there is a small detent which you should gently hammer out to ensure chain clearance. Also, inside the cover there may be a semi-circular flange about 3/8" high. This needs to be ground off to get chain clearance. I've just posted this on another thread then I noticed your photos.

[Mini_Lund]

Cooperman said:

If you are going to fit a duplex timing chain you need to make sure that the timing cover won't hit the chain. In particular, from the picture of your cover, you'll notice that at about 30 degrees up and to the right of the crank aperture, there is a small detent which you should gently hammer out to ensure chain clearance. Also, inside the cover there may be a semi-circular flange about 3/8" high. This needs to be ground off to get chain clearance. I've just posted this on another thread then I noticed your photos.

Thanks Pete, you're quite right; Any excuse to get the hammer out I'll hammer that dent, and have a look on the inside for the potential snagging areas. Am I right In thinking that I should buy the duplex chain, set up the DTI, time it best I can and then decide what offset keys I need to get it more or less spot on? Is it worth buying the lightened chain? i.e would you buy the lightened or non lightened for your engine build?

guru_1071 said:

lund

it just goes back in when you rotate it, you may have to jiggle the selectors a little just to line it all up.

from memory there is one bad spot where it will jam if you try and force it, but the tounge has to be pointing down for that to happen

Okay thanks, I'll have to have another fiddle to see if I can miraculously fix it back into place!

Edited by Mini_Lund on Thursday 12th March 19:15

[robminiman]

in the first pic it looks like youve taped up the oil seal please tell me im wrong

[Mini_Lund]

robminiman said:

in the first pic it looks like youve taped up the oil seal please tell me im wrong

[Cooperman]

You could get a set of offset keys from Mini Spares, say 2 deg, 4 deg, 6 deg amd 8 deg. That will get you close enough for a good result.
I would just get a standard chain.
Call me if you need to. Email me and I'll reply with my numbers.
Peter

[Mini_Lund]

Cooperman said:

You could get a set of offset keys from Mini Spares, say 2 deg, 4 deg, 6 deg amd 8 deg. That will get you close enough for a good result.
I would just get a standard chain.
Call me if you need to. Email me and I'll reply with my numbers.
Peter

Thanks Pete, I Have purchased the 'Duplex Gears/Chain Set; Genuine Ae Cast Kit,OE Quality'

I have the engine back now, its a 1293 with a 0.020" overbore.

Work done:

• Engine Rebore
• High Compression Oversize pistons
• Polished crank
• Re-shelled

I have noticed a worn tooth on one of the gears, here's a pic:



1293:







Tom

[Mini_Lund]

Been busy cleaning up the flywheel housing and cover. I used a Paint & Rust remover poly wheel, along with a wire drill bit - works really well, stripping the corrosion off of the alluminium. As you can see from the photo, part of the flywheel housing has broken off, (the part the breather bolts too). I have the other bit, can it be welded back on? It looked like it had been previously liquid metalled on, but came off when I clenaed it with the wire brush. There's always something!







I'll get some Etch primer from halfrauds. I plan to spray the end cover black, and have the housing a metallic silver.

Tom

[Mini_Lund]

Cleaned up the engine front plate today & also cleaned/sprayed the crank pulley wheel. The Crank Damper rubber seal is a little worse for wear, can the rubber be replaced?

Edited by Mini_Lund on Wednesday 18th March 16:53

[Cooperman]

You could get the transfer gear casing welded, but if it were me I think I would put a breather in another place, like a tapping into the top of an alloy rocker cover, and just repair the damage by aralditing a cover plate on with the bolt in the damaged end also secured by 'slow-set' Araldite. If you file back the Araldite when it's hard and paint the casing it'll not notice. It takes no loads, so no structural issues there.

[Mini_Lund]

Cooperman said:

You could get the transfer gear casing welded, but if it were me I think I would put a breather in another place, like a tapping into the top of an alloy rocker cover, and just repair the damage by aralditing a cover plate on with the bolt in the damaged end also secured by 'slow-set' Araldite. If you file back the Araldite when it's hard and paint the casing it'll not notice. It takes no loads, so no structural issues there.

Hi Pete, I have made enquiries and I am having it welded sometime this week. As for painting the block, I have opted for using gloss black enamel. I was concidering using VHT, but it is not necessary to do so.

The Cam followers look to be in good condition, am I able to re-use them again? I did not take note of which follower came from where as they fell into the gearbox! One other question; what is used to seal the diff to the gearbox, is it a gasket?

[guru_1071]

id say the end cover is scrap, for the cost of another is easier just to swop it now than try and repair it, whatever you do its bound to start leaking oil, and its going to be a bigger pain to swop later.

ditto that laygear, its shagged, what ever caused the tooth to break off is probably rattling around (along with the tooth) in the bottom of the box. all that will happen with that laygear is the next tooth along will break etc etc, its only a matter of time. when it next happens though it will probably take the 1st motion with it as well, though i suspect that if you inspected that with a spyglass it will show signs of distress from when the laygear broke

i personally wouldnt use a delaminated from pulley either, but as they are now nla your probably stuck with it unless you either find a better one or swop to the two piece cooper s one.

bad news i know, but thats engines!

also, you cant use the cam followers again if you have mixed them up as the bed into the lodes on the cam.

the diff uses gaskets, some people use rtv only, but this closes all the tolorances up and will not let the diff bearings settle correctly - a bad practice unless the case has been machined with this practice in mind (expensive!)

Edited by guru_1071 on Wednesday 18th March 18:11

[Mini_Lund]

guru_1071 said:

id say the end cover is scrap, for the cost of another is easier just to swop it now than try and repair it, whatever you do its bound to start leaking oil, and its going to be a bigger pain to swop later.

ditto that laygear, its shagged, what ever caused the tooth to break off is probably rattling around (along with the tooth) in the bottom of the box. all that will happen with that laygear is the next tooth along will break etc etc, its only a matter of time. when it next happens though it will probably take the 1st motion with it as well, though i suspect that if you inspected that with a spyglass it will show signs of distress from when the laygear broke

i personally wouldnt use a delaminated from pulley either, but as they are now nla your probably stuck with it unless you either find a better one or swop to the two piece cooper s one.

bad news i know, but thats engines!

also, you cant use the cam followers again if you have mixed them up as the bed into the lodes on the cam.

the diff uses gaskets, some people use rtv only, but this closes all the tolorances up and will not let the diff bearings settle correctly - a bad practice unless the case has been machined with this practice in mind (expensive!)

Edited by guru_1071 on Wednesday 18th March 18:11

bks.

Okay, I'll take the box off the spare 1275 and have a look at that one. I might end up swapping parts over to make one good gearbox unit. I have a 2 spare Hosuing's however, one is 998 and is ever so slightly different on one bolt, and the other is on the spare 1275 but doesnt have a breather in the correct place. Is it essential to have a breather on the fly cover?

I'll purchase a new set of followers - are the ones with the oil holes in necessary?

Thanks once again. Tom

[guru_1071]

there is no difference between either a 998 or a 1275 end cover bar the drilled breather. its fairly easy to drill the blocked off bit out and drill and tap the holes for the bolts.

[Mini_Lund]

guru_1071 said:

there is no difference between either a 998 or a 1275 end cover bar the drilled breather. its fairly easy to drill the blocked off bit out and drill and tap the holes for the bolts.

Last time I looked there was a slight difference, I'll have another look tomorrow and we can play spot the difference

ETA: spelling errors, too much Stella Artois ... off to find the wife!

Edited by Mini_Lund on Wednesday 18th March 23:27

Edited by Mini_Lund on Wednesday 18th March 23:28

[FWDRacer]

Do not re-use the followers. New ones required, and as it is a road engine - nowt fancy. I'd ditch the crank damper and try any find one that hasn't delaminated.

[Mini_Lund]

Can't get the flywheel off the other 1275 and I have just managed to strip the bolts of their thread - it wasn't my flywheel to ruin either I'm starting to think am I really good at anything? I have also just spent another £130 at minispares, bought some cam followers, flywheel puller, and a full set of HILO's. I shouldn't have, but I did.

This engine build is really starting to get me down. Bad times!

[robminiman]

Mini_Lund said:

Can't get the flywheel off the other 1275 and I have just managed to strip the bolts of their thread - it wasn't my flywheel to ruin either I'm starting to think am I really good at anything? I have also just spent another £130 at minispares, bought some cam followers, flywheel puller, and a full set of HILO's. I shouldn't have, but I did.

This engine build is really starting to get me down. Bad times!

think thats bad i owe my dad a lot of money and broke my mini then tryed to fix my scooter and failed then broke it even more im about ready to push them both into the middle of the yard and set them on fire anoyed is not the word