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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Blown 1500 Engine - Best way forward.

Hi,

I recently bought a 1500 1977 midget but on the way home having covered 200 of the 330 miles the engine failed.

I've had it stripped and have been told that there's a hole in the block wall!

As I'm a novice I'm not really sure which is the best and most economic way of going about replacing the engine.

I can buy a used donor engine from Ebay for around £150.00 but then I would think that I would have to strip that to recondition it prior to fitting it.

A supplier has offered a reconditioned engine for £995.00 but on top will be cylinder head, oil and water pump etc.

Is there anything else I would need to buy whilst I'm there - i.e a new clutch maybe, crankshaft, camshaft (these may be included in the engine sale?).

Can anybody offer me some advice before I committ (one way or another). Bit of a nightmare this to be honest.

Thanks.
Dave Rhine ('78 1500)

Actually I didn't...Lance did:

http://www.mgexperience.net/phorum/read.php?3,1476937
Dave Rhine ('78 1500)

dave point him in this direction.http://www.affordablewebs.co.uk/mikerolls/ mike REALLY knows his stuff when it comes to midgets and is very helpfull over the phone. its also only about 40 miles from lance in somerset.hes MGOC 5 star and 5 spanner recommended as well.
roy j

Dave i think you have alot of options.

you could just drop the $150 dollar engine in and call it a day, maybe a little preventive re-pairs such as thrust washers... certanly nothing wrong with that idea fast and simple, might get 10 miles or 225,000 before it goes

or do a hi performance rebuild, get a little more bang for the buck, I doulbt it would cost that much more for a mild hot engine

BUT ... certianly think outside the box, maybe a suskie swift transplant ... do the engine and 5 speed tranny...certianly a nice set up and not a bad complexity conversion

check out bugzuki... I saw this car at lake ozark at spridget 50, it really is the cats meow, I think it would be a do-able transplant into a midget. plus suzuki swifts are fairly common in salvage yards and they are Jap made so little issues to deal with once you get it set up and running just gas and oil changes

http://www.ado13.com/dohczuke/dohc.htm

Prop
Prop

It is a tad unclear as to whether this car is in the UK or the USA???????

If he wants to stay with the 1500, which is a perfectly acceptable choice, then, it depends on how much of a mechanic he is - and how much time he has to spare. Taking advise from Prop on engine changes is .... dubious!

IF he wants to change to the Kseries, and is in the States, then, sadly, he must consider the trouble of getting parts - but there are other options for similar exchanges.

If he's in the UK and an ok mechanic, then getting the extra engine is by far the best way to go, as it will increase his "spare parts" by alot in one easy move!

Either way - bum deal - and I would be tempted to take it back and demand the return of my money .....
rachmacb

Dave:

If it were me I would wait for a 1500 complete car to come on the market with a (verifiable) reasonably fresh engine. Although it will not be brand new you can often find a newish engine that comes with a whole car for far less than a fresh rebuild. Plus you get the spares.

Richard
Richard Reeves

Actually the car is in the UK, Somerset, Lance posted on that other board & I steered him to this one.

I don't know how the this thread came up with my name, but that's OK, he still needs help!
Dave Rhine ('78 1500)

Thanks for clarifying.

In this case - he should take it back and get his money returned.
rachmacb

Or buy the 1500 engine that's under a tarp in my gerden :-) Good runner, on-the-button when I took it out.

Dave, the identity problem comes when you give someone a BBS URL when you're logged in...it contains your user name and password somehow. Been there, done it, got the T-shirt!
Max max-at-midgetmax-dot-com

Ah yes, I was wondering how that happened!

Thanks Max, I'll be more careful!
Dave Rhine ('78 1500)

If you look at the URL for the page, you need to delete the 14 digit number after 'access=&p-ing the URL or clicking the link will be logged in as you!
Dave O'Neill 2

I don't know what happened there...it should have said

'otherwise anyone c&p-ing the URL or clicking the link...blah, blah, blah.
Dave O'Neill 2

More discussion on the (lack of) security for this BBS

http://www2.mgcars.org.uk/cgi-bin/gen5?runprog=mgbbs&mode=archiveth&subject=110&subjectar=110&thread=20090216125743978
Dean Smith ('73 RWA)

This thread was discussed between 26/06/2010 and 28/06/2010

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

This thread is from the archive. The Live MG Midget and Sprite Technical BBS is active now.