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MG MGA - engine number

Gathering dust in my garage is a 1622 B series non MGA engine painted green with engine number 16AA-A-H 28655 that I intended to use in an emergency if my MGA engine gave up the ghost and had to go off for R&R. It looks the same as the MGA in most respects(other than non mech tacho) and the valves are smaller. Can anyone fill in the meaning of the engine numbers, I've got this far: - 16 for 1622, A is for Austin but why 2 other A's? H I'm assuming is for High compression. Is there any clue what car it came from?
J H Cole

Hi

I think the second A (usually A-Z) is a type letter and the third A is for automatic. Could be Morris Oxford S6 or Austin A60 engine. I stand to be corrected.

Barry
B Bridgens

Hi
Try this useful link. http://www.mgcars.org.uk/mgccz/technic/codeseng.pdf
(See page 3)
Looks like its a Morris Oxford series 6 (page 3)
Thats the later 1960s style Farina with smaller rear fins.
David
David Marklew

Change the head and the cam and you will have a 1622 MkII MGA engine.
Art Pearse

As long as you machine out the hole for the tach.
Larry Wheeler

Well yes. I have an A60 block but I will use an electronic Tach.
Art Pearse

Art, I've read somewhere that the MGA crank was in forged steel and stronger than the cast crank of the A60. This may have been because the MGA engine was expected to be more highly stressed than the A60. Apart from the differences already mentioned I wouldn't mind betting that there are a few more specific to the MGA but you'd need an A60 parts manual to compare.
J H Cole

I haven't fired it up yet. And I'm not going to race it so it should be OK for me. I fitted MGA 1622 pistons, cam and a head from a B.
Art Pearse

JHC-
Any evidence that A60 HAD a cast crank?
BMC used all forged cranks generally, until cast technology caught up, and then BL caught up with that. That was early 70's on the MGB, possible that lower power versions were a bit sooner, but not much.
See my post and link in the MGB general thread "Crank".

I would expect that A60 possibly had lower compression than the MGA version, which was anomalously high for BMC, so different pistons.
I reckon Art has it covered.

FRM
FR Millmore

In a similar situation with a 1500 block that I am replacing in my MGA. I still have not determined the origin of this motor, other than a comment by the owner from whom I bought the car, who told me it came from a Magnette. I had some useful comments on a thread here before. Anyone who might elucidate more on this mysterious motor, the engine number reads 15K 926. It shall be memorialized with an excellent video of the car running courtesy of my dear friend, Steven Kingsbury. Sometime I will look to see if we can post video.

P.S. The clearing of the engine bay is moving apace. Pictures will follow, soon I hope.

Best,
Stephen Lofaro
Simi Valley, CA
Stephen Lofaro

Stephen, is that a casting No or the engine No stamped on the tag?
Art Pearse

FR, not sure of the dates but Neil Cairns wrote an article many years ago on the differences of Morris engines (and therefore probably not the A60) compared with the MGB. The article explained that the morris crankshaft was '..made with flow cast spheroidal cast iron, at half the price of a forged crank..'and were not as strong as EN16 carbon steels used in the MG's. This is because it was it was to be used in cheap family saloons.
I think this must be the 'catching up' that you refer to.
Like you I'm sure the A60 will be up to the job.
J H Cole

I have found that MGA cranks have double drilled holes on the main bearings, whereas the cooking model BMC engines had single drilling. The double drilling i assume was to ensure plenty of oil got to the conrod bearings.

cheers John
John Lambie

This thread was discussed between 06/03/2013 and 12/03/2013

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