Improving a standard MGB GT engine - best bang for my buck?

[savski]

I'm going to have my MGB GT engine rebuilt and I'm wondering if it might be an opportunity to give it a little performance boost at the same time. I don't need it to be a racing car but some more power would be nice, especially up the hills! And any idea on costs? If it costs a lot just to get a little more power then probably I wouldn't bother. I guess I would pay around £1000 for the performance improvement part(if it was worth it!)

Thanks!

[OldGermanHeaps]

How original do you want it? Megasquirt mappable efi and ignition make a big difference, or for buttons when you are stripping it anyway you could skim the head for more compression, open up the ports a bit and machine the flywheel.

[Grumbly]

Ask Peter Burgess to do you one of his fast road cylinder heads, which will flow much better than the original and give a useful increase in compression.

[TheSurveyor]

+1 for Peter Burgess.

I collected my new Econotune spec head and 270 cam from him yesterday, this should give 95 bhp at the wheels and a more than decent increase in torque.

Very knowledgeable chap with bags of experience.

[Riley Blue]

TheSurveyor said:

+1 for Peter Burgess.

I collected my new Econotune spec head and 270 cam from him yesterday, this should give 95 bhp at the wheels and a more than decent increase in torque.

Very knowledgeable chap with bags of experience.

Great bloke! I have one of his Econotune heads in my 'standard' Riley 1.5. My other one is going to have a bored out MGB three-main bearing engine (a straight swap) + one of his fast road heads and cam. Have a read: http://www.peterburgessshop.co.uk/index.html

[fatjon]

This all may be of interest but if not then good luck with tuning the B engine

I found the right sherpa backplate, clutch and flywheel to put a T series injection or even turbo (a'la Rover 820 turbo) in long ways and mate up to your gearbox or a later SD1 5 speed. I also found the rare Discovery 200MPI inlet manifold that has the throttle body on the other end so when you do this conversion the throttle body is not stuck in the bulkhead. In fact I still have the complete engine and box joined together with forged low compression pistons but it's seen some use (read that as knackered).

The O, M and T series were just a development of the B even the engine mounts are in the same place, they just tweaked the casting here and there like for example removing the chest for the pushrods. It's still a biggish job though with the layout of the water pump etc being designed for transverse fitting but the basic engine and box drop straight in on original mounts/prop with not too much pain. Don't quote me on the gearbox mount and prop spline but I'm 75% sure on that. If you go turbo the exhaust manifold will need to be custom as the 820 turbo one ends up with the turbo inlet pointing right at the bulkhead with no room for a bend to get to an air filter.

Pretty good write up on doing the job on an MGB here:

http://www.mginfo.co.uk/upgrades4mgs/Engines/t16_t...

[MGHammer]

i just finished a rebuild with +60, hr285 cam and a FRBV head from Burgess. 94 at the wheels.

best bang for buck has to be the head. stick to a 270 cam for road use.

[Mr Teddy Bear]

I would get a insurance quote for what ever modifications I was considering before going ahead.

I ended up paying more to insure a 2 litre 16 valve Corrado with a stainless steel exhaust fitted, than I would have paid for a VR6! with 40 odd more BHP.