Overbore...

[Tim-D]

It s been a nice sunny afternoon so though I'd spend an hour or two on all things mini - some time ago was given as part of a garage clearance a 1275 engine - no one wanted it as the box was shot but owner swore it was very quick - and had retained it for a future project when its home rotted around it - normally I treat such things with a large pinch of salt - the really grimy engine had therefore sat outside my garage headless & under a sheet of plastic for the last year - today was the first time I'd given it a second glance - however a) the engine number 12HC14AA115049 - (notionally came out of a metro HLE) was not affixed to the block with the normal dome rivets but instead had been put on with filed down ally rivets b) pistons once decoked a little are marked 21251 +030, - 2+2 implies has had a + 30 overbore - what does that take capacity to???? 1310?????, cam is unknown does not appear marked at all, gearbox was a goldseal with a 3.65 FD and reason for faliure very evident & an easy fix. Now reason for question other than capacity - block was painted black but underneath it's red and I had thought this colour was only on MG metro's - is it conceivable that I've got a bored out MG with an unrelated engine plate perhaps from the original donor transplanted??? If so is this legal as appears a little dodgy to me!

[Tim-D]

mmm - i think I'll take off the ID plate & see what if, anything lies beneath, fitting a 3.65 diff would seem to suggest someone at some point was aiming at a budget screamer - fitting a goldseal box with, did I mention a SC gearset, does suggest some money being spent probably some time ago as +30 overbores seem a rare thing. Am I right in thinking that the downer on the 21251 piston is down to they're being "normal" compression that could potentially be corrected by decking the block? - or would this be a generally unsatisfactory mod? - still reckon this was a budget effort as centre strapping & centre pick up pipe conspicuous by their absence - cam appears completely unmarked but will take a much closer look! - yep it was a freebie so just may be worth awaiting some tastier components to come along as bores are A+ and it's no hard store......... :-)