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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - SU HIF44


Hello all.

I have been keen to try a HIF44 for a while but been waiting to find A Titan manifold. Well, I have now got one care of Fleabay.

Apart from the Carb itself can someone advise what other bits I'm going to need to complete the job?

1 other thing I note the manifold has a bore through the body for coolant. Can someone tell me why an HIF44 needs this plumbing but HS2's don't?

Thank you
GN Rowles

Gavin,
email me I will come over and show you mine, I may have a few bits you can have

Mike
M J Pearson

The hiff does not need the heating line attached.
Yes I said heating because that is what it does it heats the inlet manifold for increased economy.
It however also costs power ad to that the fact that these lines have the tendency to corrode and leak I would just leave it allone.
Onno Könemann

There are, I believe, two versions of the Titan manifold for A series. The version for the Sprite has a slightly lower angle. If yours has the correct angle, then the standard HIF44 will fit fine with no further modifications. But if your Titan is the standard (mini?) version just be careful that the top of the Dashpot doesn't touch the bonnet. There are modifications that will correct this if needed.
Guy Oneandahalf Sprites

I used the pipe through the manifold instead of the usual additional one that ran above the manifold to carry the heater feed as simply as possible.

It does warm the manifold too of course, never caused heat soak or vaporisation and I get 45 to 55 mpg according to the weight of my right foot.

The car starts happily in hot or cold weather and I've no intention of taking it out of the system.

I'm running a Metro head anyway without a bypass hose.



:-)
Bill 1

I have the heater plumbed via the manifold as per Bill...and I dont beleive anyone has ever got a picture of the alleged 2 angles together to compare. Mine was from a mini via Ebay and fits perfectly.

Details here....
http://www.eatworms.org.uk/mg-midget/projects/75-midget-frontsuspension
Dean Smith ('73 RWA)


Thanks all.

Mike - thanks for the offer. Will email you.

The trader I purchased the manifold from mentioned the lower angle specifically for Spridgets & even posted a photo showing Spridget versus Mini so am pretty confident this is the pukka one.

Thanks for other comments - will plumb mine with the 'heater' in I think.

Nice website Dean - will save on my 'favourites'.

Gavin Rowles

I have the HIF 44 and Titan intake also in my '74. You will note that the water pipe is steel and of course the manifold is aluminum, which means different rates of heat expansion. At any rate, mine leaked, into the inlet tracts, and wasn't caught until I discovered rust colored plugs.

I had to cap off both ends of the pipe and smear sealant around all the aluminum/steel junctures.

I'm wondering if this may be one of the reasons that this manifold is no longer made.

--Jack
JM Morris

The advantage of heating the manifold is that it reduces the time you need to run on choke or part-choke when cold. The disadvantage is potential small loss of power at WOT when hot (manifolds are best when warm).

A
Anthony Cutler

I ran the crankcase breather through the pipe on my Titan manifold (this works because the breather connects to the HIF44 towards the rear of the carb). This only cosmetic but it means a slightly neater arrangement of pipes.
Chris H (1970 Midget 1275)

As I have an HIF44 for use on my Midget, this is all very interesting. I bought the car in pieces and the PO had sourced a Metro carb and a manifold, I don't know which one. Dean, your pictures are worth a thousand words, as they say, and I have Bookmarked it too. I am a long way from using these bits yet, but collecting the information is part of the fascination for me.

Is there any way to tell whether my manifold will allow the carb to fit under the bonnet once I have the engine in the car?



Mike Howlett

Hi, I believe that there were 3 angles, one which was Midget specific approx 20*, another for the Mini approx 30* and a halfway house as a one size fits all.

As to whether it will fit could depend on how the bonnet is adjusted, if you have new engine mounting rubbers etc.

Like Chris I put the crankcase breather through the manifold and left the copper water pipe from the heater as standard.

Thanks
Mark
Mark Whitmore

Mike. The only way to be certain about whether the carb will fit is to fit it, put a pyramid of bluetak on top of the dash pot and close the bonnet and see if it squashed the bluetak! It is not only the inlet manifold that affects the amount of clearance but things like the condition/position of the engine mounts (is the engine slightly high or low in the engine bay) and the specific HIF44 that you are fitting (some have different dashpots to others). I was convinced that mine would not fit but the clearance was substantial. I'm just refitting the engine now with new engine mounts and keeping my fingers crossed that there is still enough clearance.
Chris H (1970 Midget 1275)

I did the same as Chris; ran the crankcase breather through the water pipe, as he says it makes the pipework much neater.
Ian
Ian Webb '73 GAN5

It's purely suck it and see, yes there are three different angles available, one for the mini, one for the midget and a later one made to fit both. Sometimes the mini one will fit if there is enough clearance available. Every car is different, and as already mentioned, the easy way to check is stick a lump of modelling clay on top of the dashpot and slowly lower the bonnet to see if there is enough clearance. Also required is the spacer, gaskets, plate that holds the cables, longer accelerator cable and modified choke cable, and suitable air filter, K&N do a few different ones that fit ok. According to Vizard, the heater pipe should not be used. Getting the accelerator cable to fit can be a bit tricky, I used a bike brake cable, using an adjuster fitted to the plate. You may be lucky using the standard needle, but lots of people have one fitted and will advise you if you have problems trying to get it to run smoothly
Cheers John
HALL JOHN


Thanks for extra comments folks. Still hunting for the Carb but will update as I go. There may even be an article in it for MASCOT assuming Gary L can find some space!

GN Rowles

Gavin

Have a look at the article 'wot I wrote' at this address:

http://www.bcmgoc.co.uk/article.html

This lists all of the parts you need.

Chris
Chris H (1970 Midget 1275)

Thanks Chris, that's very useful.
Mike Howlett

This thread was discussed between 23/01/2011 and 26/01/2011

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

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