MG-Cars.net

Welcome to our resource for MG Car Information.

Recommendations

Parts

MG parts spares and accessories are available for MG T Series (TA, MG TB, MG TC, MG TD, MG TF), Magnette, MGA, Twin cam, MGB, MGBGT, MGC, MGC GT, MG Midget, Sprite and other MG models from British car spares company LBCarCo.

MG MGA - Help identify engine MGA?

I recently bought a TD with a non XPAG engine. I was initially told it was from a Magnette but now others say it's MGA. There is a 1500 cast into the block at the left front side, an aluminum tag stamped BP15GA 4076 above the oil filter housing, a castes # 1712Z on the right front of the block ahead of the dipstick and what appears to be a __021321 cast behind the dipstick.

The head has a Pat. No 565394 at the front an a 15 at the rear. The engine is complete from the air breather manifold to the oil pan with starts and Dynamo What also has me confused is that the carbs are SU H2s. I thought MGAs all had H4s. The engine turns freely but I have no history other than the PO bought the car with this engine and had the car 7 yrs as a project. He never tried to start it. I want to sell it as a core since I have no interest in it or part it out. But I need to know what I have and what it may be worth as a core

Thanks in advance

Bill Chasser
TD-4834


W. A. Chasser

Bill - I can say confidently that it isn't from a Magnette. The Magnette engine (essentially the same as the MGA engine) has a sump where the deep section is toward the front of the engine (easy enough to swap out with a sump from a MGA engine. Cheers - Dave
DW DuBois

Hi Bill, I'm sure others will jump in here but I believe your engine is an early MGA 1500, and yes, it should have had H4's on it.
Regards, Don TF 4887 "Figaro' TC1736 "Sibelius'
Don Walker

Bill - Well, so much about my confidence - the BP15GA was the engine in the ZA Magnette. I got this from Neil Cairns booklet Engines For M.G's. E-mail me at SUfuelpumps@donobi.net and I can send you some scanned pages from the booklet. Cheers - Dave
PS. it could be that the H2 carbs is correct for the ZA Magnette, but I haven' found any information in the booklet yet.
DW DuBois

Oops, maybe the MGA started with the BP15GB series.
Regards, Don TF etc.
Don Walker

The engine tag in your picture does not look original. All of the ones I've seen have the letters and numbers stamped from the back side so they are raised on the front.

Jim
JL Cheatham

BMC 'B' Series, 1947 to 1981.( First real 'B' series was in 1953.)

With the arrival of Austin based 'A' & 'B' series amongst those used, a system of engine 'cc' was added.

It basically followed the post 1956 system, but put 'BP' in front to denote 'B' series, 'P'ush rod ohv.

The first car to use the 'B' series was the M.G.
Magnette ZA, in 1489cc form, in 1953. The earlier Austin A40 Devon 1200cc unit was that developed into this later 1489cc and 1200cc 'B'.


ie.
BP15M was a 1489cc Morris Oxford.
BP15GA was the ZA Magnette of 1489cc.
BP15GC an improved ZA Magnette, with full flow oil filter.
BP15GB was the first MGA 1489cc engine,
BP 15GD followed it.
A Bowie

I have a set of H2's from an early Magnette. They dffer from the T-type H2 in having an airhole in the airfilter flange.
Willem van der Veer

It seems that the brain trust for MG engines have been commenting on this engine, I'd like to ask --what do I have setting in my coupe--only thing I know its not for an MGA but is it a early or late MGB engine-----16GA U19280 ? any help would be great--thanks, jim
james guilfoyle

16GA/U/H xxxx is the correct engine series for an MGA 1600 with center gear change and high compression.
Barney Gaylord

thank you
james guilfoyle

This thread was discussed between 06/09/2016 and 04/10/2016

MG MGA index

This thread is from the archive. The Live MG MGA BBS is active now.