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MG MGA - 1800 engine brackets for 'A'

For those who have put an 1800 engine in a MGA I need to figure out what engine mounting brackets are needed . I'm putting in an 18V block and have noticed that Moss lists in their MGB parts catalog a bunch of different engine mounts . Fronts , rears, (different by serial #'s) packing plates , recoil brackets, and buffers for an engine stay rod.
Any help would be appreciated.
Chris Velardi

Chris

You will need to put the MGA front plate on the engine and then install the MGA engine mounts. You cannot satisfactory mount the MGA mounts on the MGB front plate. Tried it, not very successful. Reverted to the MGA front plate

Steve
Steve Gyles

So I can use the stock MGA mounts bolted to the 1800V block and it should mount up fine?
Chris Velardi

Chris

No. As I said in my post, you should put an MGA front plate on the 18V block. The MGA engine mounts will then fit ok. The 1800 front plate is a slightly different shape and is drilled for the MGB engine mounts. The MGA engine mount holes do not line up with this plate, so the better solution is to take off the 1800 front plate and fit the MGA version.

Cheers

Steve
Steve Gyles

sacre bleu

What about originality!!! good job some of us keep our cars accurate!! not!! :-))
Robert (Bob) Midget Turbo

Another thing to think about here. Are you planning on using the MGA transmission with your "B" engine. If so, I believe that you will need to change the engine back plate also as the "A" and "B" bell housings are not the same and, of course, the starter that goes with the back plate of your choice. If you are using the full sycro "B" transmission you will have to make modifications to the transmission tunnel and frame for the Trans mount as the "B" transmission is wider than the "A" and uses a different rear mount.
Keith Lowman

After 28 years of owning my "A" I decided to make it perform ;-) This is what I have done . First an 18V 5 main bearing engine tweaked by Dave Hedley of Fab- Tek. Then I had a custom aluminum lightweight back plate that was the size of the smaller 3 main bearing engine, then I had a lightened 3 main bearing aluminum flywheel made up. I also used an early "B" / "A" front plate, and used a "B" water pump. This will be mated to a 5 speed Ford Sierra fully synchroed gear box, other than that she is pretty much stock ;-) Even the most trained eye will not be able to tell it's been modified (especaily if I grind off the 1800 engine cast ;-) The only dead giveaway is when I blow by most stock "A"s on the highway with a wave. Not that I would not slow down, signal an appropriate gesture then throttle it down .
Anyone who would like to see some photos of my restoration in progress. :
http://picasaweb.google.com/chrisvelardi/MGARebuild#
I swear I'm a purest ;-) with a need for speed ;-O
Chris Velardi

Chris

...and then you will find a supercharged MGA with a 3.9 diff blow past you.......! Modifications won't stop!

Steve
Steve Gyles

excuse my ignorance here but i assume the the 18V engine must be the 5 bearing mgb engine and not some exotic new "18" valve twin cam head that someone has managed to squeeze in 2 extra valves somewhere?
colyn
c firth

Chris

Don't forget the other dead giveaway of no mechanical tach drive. You will probably end up with a Smiths tachometer, unless you fit a Jaegar face.

Steve
Steve Gyles

Colyn

You are right. The 18V is a later MGB 5-bearing variant. Still a 'standard' B-Series engine.

Steve
Steve Gyles

It's just a standard bolt in MGB engine with more displacement. Steve if you glance through the photos you can see my Tac fix, I took my original Jaegar face and mounted it in place of the smiths (although the Smiths was almost identical) The Supercharger was out of my budget (according to the wife) luckily she will never know the true rebuild cost ;-)
Chris Velardi

I just dropped late MGB 5-brg engine with the 4-speed synchromesh trans in my 59 MGA. I used MGA front plate & MGA motor mounts and altered the rear crossmember and installed the MGB rear mount I took from the 1976 donor car. The clutch slave cylinder is striking the curved tubular crossmember at the rear of the engine. Do I shim the engine mounts, alter the crossmember or what? I know the MGB engine is suppose to be same dimensions as the MGA. Thanks for any help.
G. E. Brazil

This thread was discussed between 09/07/2009 and 16/07/2009

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