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MG MGB Technical - O-series Engine?

Have any North American owners considered an O-series conversion? Having heard Don Haytor speak at MG2006, I'm rather inspired to build the car Abingdon never had a chance to sell.

' Have studied http://web.mac.com/stevenshack/iWeb/Steves%20website/MGB%20journal/55CBF20F-82BA-4B4B-9D68-CBE5F2146E1E.html
I presume I'd have to import at least the engine. Any comments?

Thanks!
Allen
Allen Bachelder

Allen,

Over here in the UK several of the "O" series development cars were sold by the factory to Syd Beer, whether they had engines in or not I do not know. Syd converted them to V8 roadsters and made a very nice job of it too, he showed me one and was very proud of the job he and his son Malcolm had done. Malcolm knows everything there is to know about MGBs and is one of the most effective MGB V8 racers on the planet.

Syd is, alas, no longer with us but I would suggest that Malcolm Beer could be very helpful (telephone +44 1480 462034). Syd built up his business by selling MGBs to USAF people stationed at Alconbury airbase, so I would imagine that they are happy to take calls from the USA.

John.
John Prewer

John - As an aside, a friend of ours here in Bremerton, USA has a mgb roadster with a V8 conversion done for him by Syd Beer. Seems that when our friend was in England many years ago, he visited the Syd Beer collection and in the course of a conversation with Syd, wound up contracting for him to build him a V8 roadster ans ship it to him in the US. Our friend is in his mid 80s now ans still drives the V8 (along with several other MGs that he owns - his only vehicles). There are numerous V8 conversions here in the US, but to my knowledge, our friend's V8 is the only one built by Syd Beer. Cheers - Dave
David DuBois

Allen In an old copy of the M.G.O.C mag, Enjoying M.G., Roger Parker wrote a series about this conversion and the different options. A mate of mine gave me a bundle of old EMGs and its in these. If you want I could scan and e-mail to you.
Bob
R Etches

Here is the link for that article.

http://www.mgcars.org.uk/cgi-bin/gen5?runprog=mgoc&p=emg/000802.htm

The M16 twin cam 16 valve looks an interesting conversion 140BHP and cruise economy of 45MPG an virtually a bolt in once you fabricate some new engine mountings.

Kevin.
Kevin Jackson

Thanks for all the help. I have seen Roger Parker's article and I'd really like to go for the O series four-cylinder engine conversion, but the seemingly impossible problem will probably be sourcing one in North America. I too am an MGOC member - I might even have the issue of EMG that contains the article, but since an O series conversion was not on my mind at the time, I may not have noticed it.

Does anybody know of a source for these engines in North America, and failing that can somebody recommend a UK source from whom I can calculate the cost including shipping? It's probably prohibitive, but the idea of a 100+ hp MGB capable of 50 mpg certainly has its appeal.

Thanks again, all...

Allen
Allen Bachelder

Allen-
The O Series engine was used in other cars, such as the Austin Princess and some Rover SD1 models as well. I suppose that at least some of these models may have been exported to Canada. It would be much easier and cheaper to source there, especially sine youlive resonably close to the border. Perhaps one of our Canadian bretheren would like to advise if this is so?
Steve S.

Why not the T16 engine? I know the turbo might not be "period", but its an easy 200bhp and mates up to the R380 gearbox quite easily I've understood(?)
N.C. Nielsen

Steve, and N.C.,

Thanks to both of you. Certainly I would also be interested in the T-16. I didn't mean to exclude it, rather I was exposing my ignorance.

I have some Canadian friends in the hobby. ' Will pursue those contacts.

Allen
Allen Bachelder

Allen,

I gave an O-seies away last year. It came from a Rover sd1 2000. I found it easier and chaper to persue the common and simpler 3.5 V8 route.

If you use the t16, you will have to get rid of the heater since the distributor fouls. Itīs rearmounted. Is that a option in Michigan??

If you decide on the o-series, note that thare are two series of them. Series one has the ditibutor mounted at ninety dgrs from the camshaft and that is the on for the B.

Erik
Erik

A member of this bbs, Ollie Stephenson, has installed a T16 (from a Rover 620 Ti) in his GT.
His website is http://www.funkster.org .
Alexander M

Erik - would the heater need to be removed if you do wasted spark distributorless ignition and remove the distributor altogether? I'm looking into doing an engine swap but haven't yet decided which engine to go for. The list is currently this:

Rover V8
MG/Rover K-series
Alfa Romeo V6
Rover T16
N.C. Nielsen

A friend of mine is currently fitting a Rover 620 TI engine into his BGT.(T16)

IIRC there were quite a few "sterling" versions of the Rover 800 sold across the pond, which would make good donors for such a conversion by our "American cousins".
Im not sure how many where exported over there, or to what year, but the earlier models are fitted with the M16 engine, which like its younger brother the T16 is based on the 'O' series block.

Mal.
malcolm watson

Malcolm,

I believe you've got it! A friend of mine back in Virginia usa has a Rover Sterling which he bought for US $1200 and plans to drive until it drops. I might talk him out of the car just for the engine. When I last saw it - about six weeks ago - it showed no signs of "dropping" any time in the near future.

Thanks!
Allen
Allen Bachelder

Allen - Unfortunately, all Sterlings were fitted with the Honda V6 of either 2.5 or 2.7L displacement. No wimpy four cylinders for us!

That engine was 90 degree and used pushrods in the head to operate the exhausts. This arrangement (I believe similar to the BMW/Bristol engine) provided for a low engine to fit under the hood and narrowed the width to permit it to fit in back of the rad support. I don't know if it, like many Honda motors, rotates "backward". Probably does.

If you want an "O", or "T" or "M", you're talking to a breakers in the UK.
John Z

N.C Nielsen,

Canīt say, but I believe it will solve the problem since you can use the crank pulley to indicate top tdc.
I strongly recomend the Rover v8. I drove from Sundsvall to Pajala (north of the arctic circle on the Finnish border)during the midsummer weekend. I hardrly touched the gearlever for the whole trip. Beautiful torque.

Erik
Erik

I'm not 100% sure but I thought that the canadians got the M16 version of the Sterling as well as the honda powered version?


Mal.
malcolm watson

I forgot to add, that a friend of mine has good contacts on you're side of the pond, so if needs be could possible arrange shipping of the required block and ancilleries if it came to it.

His mate over there makes parabolic springs and other mods for MG's.


Mal.
malcolm watson

Wow - you guys just keep impressing me with all your help. Malcolm - I may be in touch off-board to find out how to contact your friend.

Thanks, all!
Allen
Allen Bachelder

This thread was discussed between 28/06/2006 and 07/07/2006

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