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MG MGA - MGA Cylinder head inside numbers

I just bought two used good condition cylinder heads and I need help identifying them. The numbers on the inside of the heads are as follows:

One has the casting 15 on the right rear of the head with the inside numbers 1H967 and AFI below that number. It's hard to get a dial mike in there but the intake measures approx 1.49" and intake approx 1.3. The combustion chambers are about 25% bigger than the following head. Cast part number 565394.

One has no casting on the outside corner but has 14B8 and 11 G216 on the inside. It has no valves but the seats look smaller than the above. Cast part number 565384 the cast numbers on this one are not very clear.

I have an MGA 1500 with a crack between 3 and 4 exhaust, hopefully one of these can be used to replace it. It is running right now and I don't want to take it apart now due to the high fire season where we live.

Ideas?
Thanks,
Russ
Russ Carnes

Ok, so it's been awhile. The 565394 is PAT or patent number, nothing to do with identifying the heads. The 565384 is due to a distortion in the numbers cast on the head. SB 565394.
Russ
Russ Carnes

The Casting number 1H967 per Barney's site is for a 16GA 1600cc engine. Good news!
Now to find out what 11G216 or 14B8 means.
Russ
Russ Carnes

From the The MG Experience ~ MGA Forum ~ Archives
Basil Adams Mar 15, 2011 Says:

"11G216 is an MGA 1500 head - if there's no "15" on the back of the head where the "15" or "18" usually is, it was from a Nash Metropolitan."

The ports and valves are tiny compared to the 1600 head!

Of course I've had all afternoon to web search this, so in closing...

"Never mind"

Russ
Russ Carnes

I also have an 11G216 head and according to Peter Burgess: "it is basically a 1200 Cowley van head" and is of no use (in terms of reworking for an MGA).
N McGurk

There are some people who claim to be able to prove that very small ports are better in cars than big ones, despite flow bench numbers. Somewhere there is a site all about that - they actually fill ports with good results; primarily motorcycle aluminum heads where they use epoxy in the inlets. I think Basil has some trick heads that he never quite discloses the facts about, but I have the impression that they have small ports and big valves. Those must be made from this or similar pre 1500 heads, and possibly including early ZA Magnette heads.
There are also some 1800 heads without the "18" marking, and there are 1622 heads with "16" on them.

FRM
FR Millmore

For details on what FRM is talking about, go to
http://mototuneusa.com/thanx.htm and start with article #18.

--Jack
JM Morris

I'm sitting on a gold mine!! Well, maybe. The ports are small but the valves, seats and bowls are even smaller... Very interesting articles though. One never knows.
Hopefully someday I'll just find a Metro or Cowley owner who needs another cylinder head and that will be that.
The really good news is that I probably can use the 1600 head to fix my MGA. Thanks for the input!
Russ
Russ Carnes

MGA 1500 and 1600 used the same "15" head.
MGA 1622 used the "16" head.

There were a few hundred early production 1622 engines with "15" on top, specially machined out to the proper dimensions in chamber and valves to meet the "16" specification for the MK-II engine. Speculation is that the "16" casting was not ready in time, so the first few hundred pieces were made by machining the "15" head to suit.

Metropolitan used a "15" with the "15" number on it, but a different casting number with smaller valves, definitely not suitable for MGA.

There are lots of different head castings with "15" on top. There are also lots of head castings that are blank on top where the "15" normally found. These can also have various size valves and porting. Any head may have been reworked for larger valves and better porting (or not). In the end, the only sure way to know what you have is to inspect and measure valve sizes and ports.
Barney Gaylord

Hi Russ

I think I provided Barney with thw 1H967 casting number for the 1600. This was on my car which had a factory replacement 1600 engine in 1961. This was recorded in the orginal log book. I bought the car in 1975.

I managed to obtain another head with the same casting number from Peter Wood but interestingly the 15 cast on the top surface is on opposite sides. My orginal had the 15 cast on the same side as the exhaust manifold. The one from Peter had the 15 cast on the spark plug side.

As I was curious I have asked before what side the 15 is cast on other 1600's but didn't get much reponse.

John
John Francis

The Nash Metropolitan was introduced with the Austin 1200cc pre-B Series engine; the cylinder head, tho' visually similar, doesn't fit any B Series engine. Easy to check - the water temperature gauge drilling is on the opposite, right-hand, side of the head casting, viewed from the front. Hope this helps.

Alex
A W Risk

Alex,

I believe the 1956 Metropolitan that I drove 40 years ago had a 1500.

Ken
k v morton

Hello Ken:

The 1489 cc B Series Metropolitan replaced the 1200 in late '56 in the US and was also available here in the UK as an Austin just a little later. The pre-B series 1200 sold in the US only - as a Nash; it was introduced in October 1953.

Quite a nippy little car, the 1500, with much more torque than the 1200. I remember it well, you must have had fun with yours. Nonetheless, we did find them quite hard to sell through our Austin dealership, both new and secondhand. An acquired taste, perhaps?

Cheers
Alex
A W Risk

Alex,

It was a fun little car, though in '71 it was just an old beater. Should have kept it.

Ken
k v morton

Ken:

Know what you mean - looking at what I've kept, and remembering what got given away - doh!

Alex
A W Risk

I remember the '60 Nash 1500 Metropolitan as a neat little car, definetly a unique car. My wife had one given to her by her Dad, green and white, her school colors. She loved it! The story from her is that she was zipping around in it and went fast around a corner, and the car wouldn't go anymore. She broke an axel. Her Dad sold the car for $75.00 in 1968! Yup, we still look for one laying about today.
Lets not talk too much about what we let slip through our fingers. Like chapters in the book, situations and treasures are for that time only.
Russ
Russ Carnes

My father also gave me my Metropolitan. I eventually gave it back to him, somewhat worse for wear. He sold it to a friend, who sold it on. Many years later, I received a phone call from a guy who had bought it from the guy who bought it from a guy, etc. He hadn't received a title, and found it was still registered to me. I told him that I would come collect my car. There was absolute silence at the other end of the line. I'm sure he was regretting making the call until I could no longer restrain a chuckle. I saw a beautiful black & white Metropolitan on the street here in Anchorage recently.
k v morton

This thread was discussed between 03/06/2012 and 13/06/2012

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