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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 MGB Technical - Econotune cylinder head

I had a slight leakage of cooling liquid into the engine last season, and on dismantling the head I found a small crack in the head between cyl no 2 and 3. Luckily I had another - uncracked - head on the shelf that was sent off to Peter Burgess in England for his Econotune job, including skimming, porting , lead free seats, new valves, guides and springs. I also bought a pair of SU HS4 carbs complete with manifold and heat shield from a Welsh car breaker through Ebay, and overhauled them with new bushes, floats and float valves, AAA needles and K&N air filters. (The old Weber DGV is now for sale :-))

I now have approx 60 miles on the car with the Burgess head and the rebuilt carbs. What more can I say than WOW! Smoothness, performance, bottom end get-up-and -go, everything is better! Some of it can probably be atributed to the carb swap, but I would guess that the Econotune head is a major reason for the much stronger engine.

Dealing with Peter Burgess was easy and pleasant through e-mail, turn-around time about one month, and I am just a very satisfied customer, and without any mayonnaise in the oil so far..

Jan
Jan Emil Kristoffersen

A pic of the revised engine bay

Jan


Jan Emil Kristoffersen

Sounds great, Jan. I've heard good things about the Econotune head. The spec sounds like a good compromise for real world road conditions.
P A Allen

Yes, it has really become a more flexible engine. High revs are not my driving style, I love engines with loads of torque. Probably why I preferred Indian Chiefs in my motorcycling days..
Jan Emil Kristoffersen

I had a PB Econotune head when I had an 1800 MGB and it was marvellous. Ran happily on ordinary unleaded without pinking or running-on, and gave a nice flexible engine. I was so impressed that when I changed to my current V8 I bought Econotune heads for that too. Just as happy. I don't think anyone knows MG cylinder heads better than Mr Burgess.
Mike Howlett

The B head, in stock form, is in dire need of cleaning up. The cost of doing this procedure, at the foundry, would have been very cost prohibitive. Fortunately, Peter has done so many of these heads that he could probably do the work in his sleep. His work is consistently excellent and his prices are more than fair. I essentially did this procedure, to a '64 head that I picked up at a breakers yard, back in the early '80s. Stainless steel valves, hardened nickel seats on both the intake and exhaust ports, silicone bronze guides and new dual valve springs. I then spent 13 hours porting and polishing the head. It has resided on three different engines, in the same car, and the performance increase was quite impressive. I can only imagine what it would have been like if I had sent it off to Peter who has access to such high tech equipment and his expertise. RAY
rjm RAY

Peter's Econotune cylinder head is the best-bang-for-the-buck investment that you can put on a B Series engine. Easiest of all, you don't have to rework the ignition curve of the distributor as you would have to when installing a hotter camshaft!
Stephen Strange

Another fan here. Reconditioned my engine and went for econotune head with HR270 cam. Transformed the driving experience.
I have been investigating a supercharger and it seems that everyone who installs one says - best ever mod.
But my car drives so well i am in fear of upsetting that lovely revvy engine.
G
Graham Moore

Graham, a supercharger is merely the icing on the cake that is your great running engine. It only comes into play when required to do so. I've had one on my '67 B since '02 and consider it to be the best thing since sliced bread! RAY
rjm RAY

I also have PB Econotune Cylinder and the Moss M45 Supercharger, they both work very well together on and off boost. Peter's work is exceptional! Ray
Ray 1977mgb

Hoping Peter will chime in here. Read comments elsewhere that the Econotune head, in conjunction with a +60 overbore, a standard cam and K&N's makes for a nice tractable, but more powerful engine for day to day use.

Two questions about this though.
What pistons are recommended for the +60 and is this with the standard exhaust/manifoled or some sort of upgrade to three branch?

Just pulled the engine and about to strip to get it rebored and cleaned locally before rebuilding and will supply the pistons to the local company, but what type or make?
Neckieman

For a NA engine build, County cast aluminum pistons are more than suitable for the application. Stick with standard the cast iron exhaust manifold. Aftermarket headers rarely last more than a year before they rust out. They also emit a lot heat under the hood. Most of the time, they only increase engine performance in a very limited RPM range. RAY
rjm RAY

Sounds about right Ray. The addition of a Piper HR270 stretches the power band very nicely too.
We do get a really good mid range improvement from the Moss Tourist Trophy exhaust system. I am not a lover of stainless manifolds but the system does work well.

Peter
Peter Burgess Tuning

Peter, how's your hearing? Those Tourist Trophy exhaust systems are very, very loud. I've only installed them to the stock exhaust manifold and it was no picnic geting those 6 nuts and washers into place. RAY
rjm RAY

Hiya Ray

To be honest the ones we have had in don't seem too loud. Maybe I am getting deaf :) It could be it takes a little time for carbon deposits to damp the sound?
What we do find loud are some of the midget 1275 systems!

We have only fitted complete systems and they seem to go on really easily. We do not have lifting facilities, just a trolley jack and axle stands.

Peter
Peter Burgess Tuning

Peter, the owner of the first GT that I fitted a TT system to, lives just down the street from me. I can always tell when he's going to town by the sound of his noisy exhaust system. At first, he also thought that it was a bit too loud, but after a while, he seems to have gotten used to it. However, it still makes me cringe whenever I hear it. Must be old age. RAY
rjm RAY

That's just guilt thinking it is that loud Ray :)

Peter
Peter Burgess Tuning

Peter, Do you use the Payen Head Gasket with the Econotune Cylinder Head to arrive at the 9.75 CR?
Ray 1977mgb

Yes, allowing 3.8cc compressed.

Peter
Peter Burgess Tuning

Peter, I have the Falcon Big Bore stainless steel exhaust system fitted to my '67 supercharged B. I installed it back in '93 and it still performs, as well as sounds, like it did the day that I installed it. It also hasn't aged in appearance a bit. I wish I could say the same for myself. RAY
rjm RAY

Childs play. come on over to mgexp dot com and ask old Ernie your questions. I know everything, and am only selling my book. While there, please tell Rob to shut his mouth.
Ernie Yuck

? Prop2?
d brenchley

Peter, that's interesting about the results from the TT manifold. How is bottom end?

We use the TT silencer here, quite a few customers' cars fitted with them now and they are popular for their not-too loud tone ... on standard or fast road camshafts. Haven't tried one on anything more than 270 deg, but if it follows the usual pattern they'd be noisier with a 280-290 deg cam and barky with something racy.

For 1275s, we use the standard MGB silencer, reasnoable size for a fast road engine still the right type of sound but much more subdued than some of the raspy ones that have made Peter deaf!
Paul Walbran

Hi Paul

The TT manifold is much smaller id than the original one. It may be for that reason it gives a massive plug of mid and low rpm grunt. After 5000 I think it loses out to the standard one. However, with a 270 type cam and modded head it is a very good setup.

Peter
Peter Burgess Tuning

The stock cast iron exhaust manifold is difficult to beat at almost any rpm up to 5,500. Above that, you enter a special area where the manifold only gives you increased performance in a very limited band. And Ernie, stop feuding with Rob, he can't help being the way he is. RAY
rjm RAY

All I can say is that both the cast iron or TT manifold are not pooping out at 5000 or even at 5500 or 6000 feet for all that it matters. Where you guys get these numbers I wonder often sometimes. When the old stumble hits it time to pull over and drop down that needle. Don't bother playing around with your dumb little SU wrench keychain wrench snd idle mix flats, you got to move that needle. How simple is that? You guys far overextending the difficulty index here.
Rob Canook

Err, Rob, how do you drop the needle, as it's held in by a screw to the piston? I've done it on Amals, but the needles there have different settings and are held in by a clip.
P A Allen

I think 'Rob' is talking about effects of altitude making engine run rich so have to weaken mixture to compensate. I was talking about restrictions to exhaust flow at higher rpms but improvement at lower rpms.
here is a link to DTEC discoursing on relative air density.
http://www.dtec.net.au/Air%20Density%20&%20Tuning.htm

Peter
Peter Burgess Tuning

This thread was discussed between 20/04/2016 and 26/05/2016

MG MGB Technical index

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