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MG MGA - Best Engine Components

I am thinking about having a rebuilt 1600 engine and lightened flywheel installed on my A. Can you experts recommend the ideal components for rebuilding a 1600 engine for road use?

Regards,
M.D.
'57 Coupe
M. D.

Hi MD. For normal road use, mainly stock parts are probably your best bet. For a moderate performance increase, a street grind camshaft would likely give you a bit more oomph. Same for lightening the flywheel. For longevity, I would recommend an MGB clutch assembly, and MGB front timing cover with rubber seal. Regarding cylinder head mods, I would go with a full no lead head. This involves installing and reaming out bronze valve guides, installing stellite valve seats, and installing stellite exhaust valves. A 3 angle valve grind is also recommended. You could also have your head ported and polished to increase performance. An exhaust header might buy you a small HP increase. A high output ignition coil would provide better spark. When the engine is being rebuilt, I would have both the head and block surfaces milled so they are absolutely flat, to prevent coolant leakage. You can do lots more to an MGA engine, but cost goes up dramatically with only small improvements in performance. just my 2 cents worth. Glenn
Glenn

I agree with Glen 100%. I ave done all these mods, they make a much mre drivable car without departing from the original engine.
dominic

Good advice Glenn. The little discussed truth of the matter is that nearly all performance mods reduce an engine's life. I was stunned to learn Indy racers pay hundreds of thou for their car's engine and expect about 4 tours outta one engine! For a DD, with an acceptance that best case is 4-5 years or 60-80k miles, there's a number of performods available: On rebuild, blueprint the engine ( recreate every single original spec and tolerance fastidiously). Use the best ( read expensive) parts you can find.Get your squish around 13 thou. The stock cam is purt good with a P 270 or Elgin grind a slightly better top end performer. Bore to 40-60 and use forged with a measured CR around 9.5:1 ( unless you are going alum head). Lighten all the recipro-mass including pushrods, conrods, etc. Recurve the dizzy. Rebush and rebuild the SU's. Buy a "street" head from Peter Burgess and use single springs, or from the Sean Bros in Oregon, and accept about 6k as your top redline. Go to an OD or a Ford Sierra 5 speed, unless you are originality challenged ( you did ask for DD mods). Or shorten a MGB rear axle to fit the MGA for better hiway. Personally I'm a pertronix fan for the dizzy which should have a NEW $50 drive from the block. Make sure to do the cam bake at startup and retorgue the head and readjust the valves at least 3 times within the 1st 150 miles.
vem myers

Vem, "...NEW $50 drive from the block." ??? Would you please explain. Thanks Steve
Steve Meline

I'd also highly recommend a rebuilt distributor - don't just put electronic ignition in the old one.

I had Aldon rebuild one for me with electronic ignition and a new curve for the Judson, and it cost £130 total (about $200). The distributor cost £5 from a breaker in the UK, who sent it direct to Aldon in Birmingham (UK, not AL.) I fully expect this to match the performance of a Mallory Dual with none of the setup aggravation, and appearance that is very close to original.

Aldon can also rebuild to standard spec with or without their ignitor electronic ignition module. The electronic unit sits inside the distributor, without any external box. It's also not an optical unit, so no issues there. It cannot be used with a sport coil, but that should be no issue for a standard car anyway.
dominic clancy

Get peter Burgess book on building a MGB engine, most of it applies to an A as well. Use B cast iron rocker pedestal in place of the aluminum A's. Also use late B followers and push rods, the are lighter and less money. Use a B timing cover, it uses a real lip seal, (not a felt lke the A's) or a 1622 cover, but they are haerd to find. u can braze your timing mark on the B cover. Have your engine properly balanced. happy holidays, bill.
w.g cook

This thread was discussed between 03/12/2004 and 15/12/2004

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