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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 - MGA Twin Cam 1600 Engine

I noticed that there is a mga twin cam 1600 engine on EBAY with no bids at all ......It appears to be in good shape but is quite expensive but if $4000 is expected for a Alloy Hood ....$5000 for a Twin Cam Engine should have somebody interested......

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=33615&item=7964133946&rd=1

Thats all one string.
Thomas Koch

I am not a Twin Cam person, but what are the red markings under the cams by the valve seats? Or is this some slung sealant?? It is on both sides.
/ gil
gil

Gil, the red stains are likely dried blood from PO's hands for even trying to work on a Twin Cam with the engine in the car!

Seriously, since I have zero Twin Cam parts for my car, and if I had five grand, I might be interested in something like this but a.) I don't have a spare 5 g's sitting around and b.) I wouldn't trust that thing for anything more than a bucket of spent parts bolted back together. Most MGA restoration books will tell you just that. With zero history of whether parts are in spec or who built the thing, one would be taking an very big chance. The head could be overskimmed, rings shot, valve guides bad, required mods not performed, etc., etc. You'd could potentialy be into another few to 5 grand just to get it running. Caviat Emptor.
Paul Hanley

If its as bad as Paul thinks you could always polish up those beautiful valve covers and sick a slab of 3/4" glass on top and have a lovely coffee table.
Thomas Koch

That'd be one expensive coffee table! I have heard, as Paul said, that you really have to watch Twin Cam engines, as they may be hashed together from unusable parts. If I spend that kind of money on an engine, it had better have a 12000 mile guarantee on it.
mike parker

Paul,

That cannot be dried blood on that Twin Cam cylinder head as I do not see any sweat and tears.
I notice that he has a genuine Twin Cam clutch with a spider fitted, the only clutch that I have ever seen that has one.

Mick
Mick Anderson

Actually, what I was wondering is if those red marks could be some mechanics indicators of problem areas.. they seem to be around the valve seat areas.
gil

Gil,

Your explanation that those red marks were put there to clearly identify the position of cracks seems to be the only reason offered so far.
When a head is crack tested by the magnaflux method or the dye method it is always difficult to go back and find the cracks later.
However, any cracks would not be related to the valve seats, such cracks would show in the combustion chamber. Cracks on the head top surface are too far away from the valve seats, with water spaces in between.
Maybe cracks from a frozen head?
To show the position of the valve seats in the head go to:

http://www.angelfire.com/amiga/mga/Drawings/X_Sect.pdf

I have received some offline questions on what is a clutch "spider" on a MGA Twin Cam, mentioned in an earlier post.
An explanation is at:

http://www.angelfire.com/amiga/mga/Clutch/index.html

Mick
Mick Anderson

That engine has an opening bid of $5000 plus a reserve which means that the seller wants more than $5k to meet the reserve. That is average price for a rebuildable twin cam engine, especially since this one doesn't have a hole in the side of the block and does have the water pump and exhaust manifolds included. Unfortunately the carbs, air cleaners, thermostat housing and header tank are missing or you would have a $6,500+ engine. A complete rebuilt engine ready to install is a deal at $10-12,000, because you normally can't buy one and rebuild it for less than that.

Frank
(multiple twin cam owner)
Frank Graham

For the first time in my life I'm starting to not want to own a twin cam!
Steve Simmons

There was a twin cam engine (condition and completeness unknown) for sale at Silverstone last year. It had sold for £4000 ($7000) by Saturday morning.
Dan Smithers

Since twin cams (or at least the engines) are being dicussed, I thought that I would jump in with another request for anyone who knows of a LHD twin cam steering rack for sale to please contact me. I would much prefer to use an original than to splice and extend the pinion shaft on a pushrod style rack.

Thanks,
Steve Brandt
Steve Brandt

Re - the twin cam engine at Silverstone, I nearly bought it! I bought some air cleaners instead!
Terry Drinkwater

Steve,

If you are a Twin Cam owner why not join the Twin Cam owners BBS?
The many Twin Cam members may be able to assist you.

http://www.mgatwincam.homestead.com/membership.html

Mick
Mick Anderson

Mick,

Thanks for the suggestion. However, I'm the owner of only a TC frame that I am using for my present pushrod rebuild. Several of the twin cam owners that I have been in contact with during this parts quest have not been particularly helpful, perhaps because I don't have a complete car. Unfortunately, membership to the TC owners' site requires vehicle information that I don't have.

Thanks again for the post,
Steve
Steve Brandt

Steve,

Many Twin Cam car owners have pushrod engines fitted, and are members of the group.
Does your chassis frame have a Twin Cam number? May be visible on the chassis rail cross member which is just forward of where the front edge of the passenger seat would be on a LHD car. It is about six inches to the right of the gearbox rear mounting bracket. It is a very faint, hard to see number.

Mick
Mick Anderson

Steve,
By all means join the twin cam group, you don't have to have a complete twin cam to join. I know at least one member has a car that is missing it's ID plate and we have been trying to figure out what chassis number it might have been and have narrowed it down to just a handful of possibilities. We also have a few members, like Barney Gaylord, who just would like to own a twin cam. BTW, I have found my spare LHD twin cam steering rack that you have been looking for, so contact me off list.

Frank
Frank Graham

Adn Steve,
You don't have to have a complete TC to join the T-ABC group either.
Gene
Gene Gillam

Thanks for the encouragement. I'll try again to get on the TC BBS. The TC frame that I have was powder coated before I obtained it, so reading the S/N will be problematic since the stamping is very superficial, I was told. However, I plan to replace some of the floor rails, so I will have to have it repainted before I install the body. Before I do, I'll use a chemical stripper to expose the S/N and post for the TC records.

Steve
Steve Brandt

Strange! That Twin Cam engine is back on Ebay. It closed with a bid of $5,401.00 (reserve not met) and now is back on with no reseverve but a seller's opening bid of $5,400.00
Item 7966298279

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7966298279&sspagename=ADME%3AB%3ASS%3AAU%3A1

Mick
Mick Anderson

The seller doesn't have to do this. He can still offer it to the high bidder.
mike parker

Speaking of Twin Cams... my brother in Maryland is just about finished his rebuild... Redone from the frame....
http://vaxxine.com/gblawson/tc/tc.html
gordon lawson - TD 27667

This thread was discussed between 29/03/2005 and 13/04/2005

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