Engine advise needed

[extvr]

Hello people,
Need some advice for my son's Mini its his first car, its a 1993 cooper 1.3i and the engine is now knackered. What will fit back in there, will any Mini 1275 engine fit or does it have to be out of a cooper, this one is single point injection, will a multi point be the same?. Also as a long shot has anyone got an engine they want to sell cheap, he only passed his test 2 weeks ago, so is gutted having to look at on the drive. Any help and advice would be great thanks guys.

Steve.

Edited by extvr on Tuesday 2nd June 19:11

[Cooperman]

In what way is the engine 'knackered'? If it's not really bad it may be best to re-build it with new bits where needed rather than buying in an unknown engine. I've seen and had to put right some dreadful 'cons' with 2nd hand so called 'all-good' engines ready to install which then had no oil pressure or which smoked or rattled.
If you re-build it at least you know what is new and what needed changing.
As a rough guide, if the gearbox is sound, a rebuild could be done for around £400 plus parts. Private email me if you want any more help with this.

Peter

[extvr]

Its not siezed but it isn't far off, drove it on the motorway with no oil so from what he said big ends knocking won't start only just turns over, he had to be recovered by the AA. I know buying second hand is a mine field but £400 plus parts is way out his budget, when he is telling me there are engines on ebay for £150, it looks like the only option, i was just hoping somebody on here might have an engine which they could vouch for. I also need to know if they are all the same, or does it have to be from a single point injection cooper.

Steve

[Phil Hill]

I've heard of people going from SPI back to carbs, but not the other way round.

Shouldn't be a big problem, but that assumes that the flywheel assembly from your SPI fits in the right orientation on a carb model crank. I know the orientation is different between MPI and SPI but not sure about whether SPI is different to carb. Perhaps all you need is the key'd washer from the SPI ?? You would need the transfer gear housing from the SPI with the crank position sensor as well, and the dizzy from the SPI would need to be transfered along with all the injection gubbins of course, but apart from that I can't think there are any other differences which would mean it wouldn't work.

Anyone else with relevant experience shed any light ??

Phil.

[DanGT]

The change to MPI would also involve electrical changes (probably best to get the MPI loom with all the othere parts. Most mini engines compleate with gear box will fit in most minis. But the othere pats must match wiring is the main one. The closer to the origanl you go the easyer it will be.

[duncancallum]

In short yeah you can my spi ran with a mg metro lump in it, as mentioned you need the flywheel and transfer casing

a couple of coolant pipes need re routing as well but they do fit

[Cooperman]

The MPI is very different in many ways, especially the electronics and sensors. It woulod not be easy to transpose an MPI lump into a non-MPI car. The best thig is to go to carbs, ideally a single 1.75" on a decent manifold. Then you don't need all those sensors. That assumes your car is pre-cat.

[guru_1071]

ive known a few people fit mpi engines to earlier cars.

all of them have finished the job with a slightly haunted look and expressed regrets about attempting to do it!!!!

[fikus01]

if you get a carb'd 1275cc engine and fit it with your flywheel, flywheel housing, distributor and cylinder head, you shud be fine to go, i have done this several times now for friends who have destroyed spi engines, the older engines work fine! the mpi is a different kettle of fish!

[fikus01]

i should add its well worth checking everything lines up ok with the gearbox and flywheel housing by splitting the gearbox and block and putting the flywheel housing on the gearbox on its own!! (its really not hat hard to do) there are variations in the bearings and drop gears that it is well worth making sure all is the same diameter before u swap it!

[extvr]

Thanks guy's, think its sorted buying a 1275 block and gearbox, just need to put the flywheel and clutch housing off the Spi on to to it, and the head which is undamaged, to turn it into an Spi. Mpi to Spi was to much of a nightmare.

Steve.