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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - engine - sh***t

I have stripped the block of my 948 cc.
Now I know why it was smoking.
the cylinder's walls are worn. And as the bore is +0,060 already, I now need a secondhand block.

laurent
ld derancourt

Laurent - the 948 block will overbore successfully to larger sizes, to take the 998 Mini/Metro pistons, which at standard bore are +0.066" on the 948. You need to use 998 conrods, but they are readily available.

Tom
Tom Coulthard

As a spelling expert...Im confused,

Isnt Sh***T, ...Suppossed to be spelled SH*T. 8 ~ P

Prop
Prop

I ran my racing A35 on standard size 998 pistons.

If you get hold of some A+ Metro 998 rods which use the interference fit gudgeon pin, even better. You will obviously need the A+ pistons to match.
D O'Neill

Laurent. If, for some reason, you want to keep the engine at the original bore size, you can sleeve the cylinder bores back to the original size. In fact, some of the factory engines were sleeved as originally sent out. Although all of the ones I know about were B series engines, I suspect the practice was also done with the A series. When I built up my last "big bore" B series engine, I contacted several noted engine builders for some advice. All agreed that they would use cylinder sleeves with such an engine, noting that the quality of the available cylinder sleeves is better than the quality of the original cast iron used to make the block.

Les
Les Bengtson

My old Goldseal A series engine came out of the factory sleeved (or re-sleeved)
Gary Lazarus

Laurent this is THE moment to decide on a 1275! Imagine how that would feel going uphill in the St. Etienne region. And it will solve the 5 speed question too:-)

Bas
Bas Timmermans

The 948cc block will bore well past +.060". As mentioned above the 998cc pistons and rods are a direct replacement, but you can also use the 998 over sizes too.... :-)

Mark.
M T Boldry

Someone in Paris is selling a 948cc standard bore. I am trying to keep in touch with him.
The cheapest way could be to buy this one and rebore to 993.
It is for sale at 70 euro (in the sale, there are a head, a cam, a sump , a starter motor and a radiator-cooler).
Certainly less than a set of pistons and conrods.

Bas, a 1275 in a GAN1 is not road legal in France. Perhaps stupide, but it is the law.
ld derancourt

Laurent, Forgot about that. But do they check? What if you do an overbore on a 948? That will make it a bigger engine too. Externally they wont notice if you remove the tags from a 1275. Or is it insurance inspection after a crash thats worrying you?

Bas
Bas Timmermans

Is it OK to fit a 5-speed?
Dave O'Neill 2

I got to agree with bas, how would they possiably know, I mean the odds of an inspector being well versed on 998s and 1275, would have to be "beyond Vagas"

then agian, this is a popualr website, so they might catch you that way.


Prop
Prop

Laurent. My maternal grandfather was one half French. Thus, we Frenchmen know what needs to be done and can communicate with each other. You need to install a 1275 engine in your car and, as a sign of respect, install the current block's aluminum tag on it. It will honor the heritage of the automobile, which it should, while providing increased performance. And, it will hurt no one when you do so. Vive la France!

(Did I spell that right? My younger daughter speaks French, but I only speak a moderate amount of American English, some GI German and some GI Spanish. When my younger daughter went over to Europe to visit a German exchange student who had attended her high school. He invited Maria to come over that summer and visit.

He, and his girl friend, borrowed one of their father's cars and spend a week taking Maria around and showing her Germany. But, not being able to communicate with people in their language--although many Germans spoke excellent English, she left and went to Paris to see if her French was acceptable. This was back when George II was invading Iraq to complete his father's mission. Back when the "French did not like Americans". Maria had a wonderful time. The French people treated her like an American Queen--an attractive young American woman who had taken the trouble to try to learn their language and had come over to visit and improve her French?

She went into a wine shop and told the owner that she wanted to take back some good examples of French wine to illustrate to her family, who had lived in Spain and Germany and had visited France, what a good wine was. The owner handed off the cash register to his assistant and took her on a tour of his wine shop. He took the time to explain to her the difference between a good wine and an expensive wine--as only a Frenchman can do, and to suggest the wines that he, should he be so unfortunate to have a family in America, would want them to share with him. Joking about the "unfortunate" part. All excellent wines, some quite moderate in cost.

The following year, she went with some friends to Australia where she almost died when diving on the Great Barrier reef. Another boat, she was beyond visual range of the one she had come out on, saw her distress when she started swimming towards them, struggling, and pulled her out of the water. Then, they figured out where she probably came from and drove back in that direction until they found her boat and her worried friends.

Confusion to our enemies--mostly Official, and full support to our friends--who drive sport cars.)

A man does what a man must do. And a 1275+ in a Sprite sounds like something a man must do.

Do they do a tear down inspection of the bore and stroke of the engine with each annual inspection or do they note the tag attached to the engine? As fellow Frenchman (may I claim such an honor with only 1/8th French blood--the same amount as I have of English blood?) I would suggest it should be a point of honor to install the largest engine I could afford in my sports car while maintaining, in honor of the maker, the original engine specification tag.

Les
Les Bengtson

I doubt if most inspectors at the department of motor vehicles would know the difference, but the lack of a tappet cover on the side of the 1275 block might be a give away to someone more knowledgeable. Even so I'd be very tempted to give it a try.
Bill Young

Laurent.
One give away with identifying the 948 engine is that it has 950 cast in big numbers on the block under the tappet chest covers. A 948 will go +120 with 998 oversize pistons using 998 conrods.
I have answers to your questions on your 5 speed thread.
Alan.
Alan Anstead

Laurent - stick with your 948! I know that Sprites and midgets were born to be modified, but it's also nice if some of them remain original, with their original performance and 'feel'.

I may not be 125 thou French like Les, but I appeal to you - ignore the power-crazy faction here, and go slower with pride!
Nick

use the 948

there are enough power mad spridgets around.

Says
Onno (1380 in my MKII) Könemann
Onno Könemann

I have negociate the secondhand 948 block in Paris to keep as original condition.
good price: 40 euro for a standard bore with a lot of potential for next rebores.

thanks a lot for your answers, very different indeed.

laurent
ld derancourt

some would say overboring your original block would keep it more - well - original.
Shawn

Put a 1380 in it, no one will ever check & even if they do just blame some mad english person.
Brad (Sprite IV 1380)

If I had a 948, I wouldn't dink with it and would keep the numbers original... apart from the biggest rebore (less one size) possible, that is...

A
Anthony Cutler

This thread was discussed between 17/05/2009 and 20/05/2009

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