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MG MGB Technical - Unknow eng number

Ok found this engine in a storage unit with other MG parts. 18G H WE H 41486, The H after the 18G is stamped. The block is green, part number is 12H3248, the block is missing the fuel pump cut out that is normaly below the tappet covers by the motor mount. Block has studs for the crank. any one know where this might have come from or out of?
GH VanHorn

It sounds like the engine out of an Austin Marina. It is an 1800 cc engine and is pretty much the same as a B engine. RAY
rjm RAY

Ray, thought Marina had 18V's
GH VanHorn

Clausager in the Original MGB states
MGB Engines 18GH WE-H 101-43548 (number sequence shared with GJ engines from ~22647)is North American market engine with carburettor ventilation instead of closed circuit breathing supplied on a non-overdrive gearbox. It would have a R between GH and WE if supplied with overdrive. In use from Oct 68 to Aug 70.
George
G R Wilder

I have Clausager's book, and agree, but the block looks just like a 18GB, but as I stated, the H is stamped, ie added after the plate was factory stamped. I belive this might be a factory replacement motor, but not sure. Also there is not a 101 preceding the 41486, anyone know how the Goldseal or factory motors where numbered?
GH VanHorn

Gold Seal engines had a completely different prefix - 48G followed by a 3-digit number in most cases. The 18 GF/GH would have been either 539 or 704, the latter being the same as for the 18GJ/GK.

I had a Marina when they had just come out, and that was in 73, so in theory they should all have had 18Vs as the MGB had them from Aug 71.

101 is the first engine number in the series, 43548 the last, only one of the series of numbers between those two extremes would be on the plate.

As the difference between 18GH and 18GJ after engine number 22646 is whether it had full evaporative control for California (18GJ) or carb ventilation for the rest of North America (18GH) and that engine would receive its number plate in the engine factory, it probably just means it could be used for either application.
PaulH Solihull

There's no way of knowing if the engine ID plate is the original. Many times these have been removed or destroyed, when the head is dipped in an acid bath during a valve job. RAY
rjm RAY

Agree it could be a non-original stamping, but BMIHT will tell you what the original engine number was.
PaulH Solihull

I have a 1970 roadster manufactured in January of 1970, and sold new by a Dealer in Modesto, California. I have the bill of sale and British Leyland Pre-Delivery Inspection Form. They both list the car number(GHN5UA197942G) and the engine number (18GJ-WE-H 30358), so I know the engine is original from the factory. The J on the engine number plate is stamped; I assume that the factory did it this way when they assembled cars for sale in California with evaporative emissions controls and stamped an H on the number plates of cars that were to be sold in other states or provinces in North America that did not require evaporative emissions control. Starting with the 1971 model year, the factory put evaporative emissions control on all cars to be sold in North America.

I think that Clausager's statement MGB Engines 18GH WE-H 101-43548 indicates a range of engine numbers starting with 18GH WE-H 101 and ending with 18GH WE-H 43548.

Jim
J Brownell

My conclusion: You have a 1970 MGB engine sold originaly in North America, outside of California.
J Brownell

All sounds good, only one question left, when did the cut out for the macanical fuel pump show up on the 1800 block? its not on my 67 B but is on a 70 that I am working on.

The engine plate is original, but could have been added to an older block at the factory?

Thanks for all the feed back


GH VanHorn

Does your 67 block have any tapped holes in that area?

It's certainly on my 73 18V (the 18V in the MGB dates from Aug 71), and the Marina from 72/73 had the mechanical pump. Moss has a drawing that shows the blanking plate with the open-circuit breathing system used in 62 and 63, but that could be incorrect. The Parts catalogue shows the pre-18V carb overflows being supported by a bracket attached to the block. The shape of the bracket (NLA) implies that it was held by one bolt and stepped round the breather pipe which was held by another bolt close by. If these weren't holding a blanking plate as well maybe they are two separate tapped bosses.
PaulH Solihull

GH, I'm sorry I took so long to get back to you. My block also is part number 12H3248 and is missing the fuel pump cut out. I don't think that the original engine number tag was removed and put on an older block because I have many repair receipts from the orignal owner and the second owner (I'm the third) and none of the receipts were for major engine work.

Jim
J Brownell

GH, you got me thinking. When I tore down the engine in 1997, it had the angled connecting rods; Moss shows that angled rods are correct for 18GB through 18GF. I wonder if the factory used an old block when assembling my engine?
J Brownell

This thread was discussed between 11/07/2011 and 23/07/2011

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