I have bought a 1275 engine for my Mini that began life in a Metro.
It comes with all ancilleries apart from the carb and manifold.
What I need to know is will the manifold be ok for the bigger engine and are the carbs the same apart from the jet size; ie, can I rejet my existing carb or will I have to source one from a 1275 mini/metro?
All help gratefully received!
Thanks,
Stuart
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Where are all those former Students who owned Minis then???!!!! : o )
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Stuart
Maybe they're all waiting for you to tell them what your existing carb is - there were several dozen fitted to the various engine sizes/transmission variants over the years.
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This takes me back but I would guess that it is an MG Metro 1275 engine, and if I remember right it should have a red block. Presumably it is a normally aspirated 1275 engine and not one that was originally a 1275 turbo MG Metro engine block.
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Simon, as far as I have been told, this engine is from a 1300 metr and certainly isnt sporting a red block in the photos. Wish it was though!
Makes me want to spit as 10 years ago I had an MG Metro that I 'gave away' for £50 as it was prone to overheating.
Could have got ten times that on ebay these days : o (
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I live 200 yards from an SU specialist. He does parts and rebuilds and prefers the latter. However if you give me plenty of information he will probably find the right page in his vast parts catalogue and let me scan it and e mail it to you. Contact me thru the e mail address in my profile if you wish
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Armitage, many thanks!
I shall remove the carb from the car in the next day or so and report back. When I get the engine on Tuesday I shall try and get as much info from that as possible,
Cheers
Stuart
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Stuart
Just had some very helpful e-mails with AS regarding a similar issue. I assume your mini is single carb? Even if it's not a 1275 the manifold will fit - I've the carb and manifold for a 1275 on a 998/1098 head, so I know they interchange. Early single carb 1275's use a 1 1/2 inch HS4; later ones have a 1 1/2 inch HIF IIRC. Correct needle for the HS4 is DZ on a 1275. I'm sure AS's specialist can advise for the correct needle for the later carb, which I think has the 'sprung' needle. Jet size doesn't change on the SU, only the needle.
JS
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Thats great news John, thanks. The car is a 1991, single carb and I believe the new 1275 that I am getting is from a slightly earlier Metro.
Once the old lump is out I'll report on what exactlt I have to play with.
Thanks again to all who have contributed so far!
Stuart
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The man in my village, who rebuilds carbs and manifolds, is Andrew Turner whose website is www.su-carbs.co.uk. No connection other than he lives in my village and has been helpful to BR members in the past. I just act as an intermediary!
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Thats great news John thanks. The car is a 1991 single carb and I believe the new 1275 that I am getting is from a slightly earlier Metro.
1991 Single Carb Mini - this will probably be a 1.5 inch SU, whereas the Metro used the HIF SU carb, slightly different configuration and incorporates the float chamber underneath instead of to the side.
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Doh! The big question is will the manifold still fit and possibly the carb??
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Stuart
Worry not. The manifold will fit and most 1275s ran on a 1.5 inch SU. I assume that's what your curent engine uses?
JS
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I used to run an MG Metro Turbo and helped a guy who raced in the MG Metro Challenge (highly tune n/a on slicks) and later the MG Metro Turbo Challenge (more std engines tho of course Turbo* , also on slicks) IIRC the n/a MG had one 1 3/4" SU where as Mini Coopers / 1275GTs etc had two 1 1/4.
Perhaps fit a 1 3/4 and a free flowing exhaust, should perk it up a bit even though the compression is lower than an MG and valve lift is less.
*Point of note, the less modified turbos were introduced as a cost saving, cyl heads needed to be unmodified etc, however the rich kids bought half a dozen std heads, turbos etc from the BL dealer, measured them and used the best ones so it ended up more expensive than the modified n/a cars.
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>>Perhaps fit a 1 3/4 and a free flowing exhaust
Yes, that's a carb specification I fitted to a 1275 engine which I built for a much modified Morris Minor (Disc brakes, anti-roll bars, telescopic dampers, remote brake servo, etc., etc.). I used the MG Metro inlet manifold with a 1 3/4 HIF carb. I can't remember the spec for the needle and spring , because it's the best part of 20 years ago.
This was a much simpler set-up than running twin 1 1/4 which is the spec I tried first. If anything, I got better performance from the single carb, and I'm sure better reliability.
Number_Cruncher
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The car is actually fitted with a free flowing exhaust on the existing 998 engine. I'm certainly in favour of a single carb as I had a crossflow engined kit car with twin weber 40's and lost count of the times I nearly took a mallet to them. I changed to a single downdraft twin choke weber and happy days!!!
I've yet to colllect the engine and once its all it bits will report back and see what the suggestions are.................... : o)
Thanks
Stuart
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This was a much simpler set-up than running twin 1 1/4 which is the spec I tried first. If anything I got better performance from the single carb and I'm sure better reliability.
NC, I guess that is why they fitted the single 1 3/4" to the MG Metro, of course it was not as sexy, in the early '70s twin carbs were sex on wheels, twin choke carbs the next best thing, Dolomite Sprint with two 1 3/4 was a pain to keep balanced.
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Yes, I agree, setting and balancing twin carbs is something to avoid if you can.
I know this will not be a popular view, but, much as I like playing with carbs, the binary nature of fuel injection is quite helpful in fault diagnosis. You either have fuel pressure or you don't and you either have a pulse to the injectors or you don't.
Number_Cruncher
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Yes I agree setting and balancing twin carbs is something to avoid if you can.
On the otherhand it is relatively easy to keep four carbs in balance on a motorbike engine and a well set up high performance carbed motorcycle engine, say producing a 100bhp/ltr plus, has a wonderful fluidity between throttle on and off that the best FI doesnt match.
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The problem with twin SU carb balancing, was the connecting linkage. A wages clerk designed it!!!
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>>that the best FI doesnt match.
In general, I agree, but for K-Jetronic. A well serviced and sorted early 1980's BMW 323i is a real joy to drive.
Number_Cruncher
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Ah, the days of listening to the hiss at each carb intake (could never afford one of those swish air flow devices), and then trying to get the two throttles to open simultaneously! I agree that one big carb always seemed preferable.
JS
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