Jump to content


Photo
- - - - -

What Spec Head For 130+Bhp N/a & Who To Use?


  • Please log in to reply
13 replies to this topic

#1 Racer_Pete

Racer_Pete

    Up Into Fourth

  • TMF+ Member
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 2,492 posts

Posted 12 March 2019 - 08:48 PM

Hi guys, I sort of know the answer to this but thought id ask for opinions as well, Im running a A+ 1330 In a Morris Ital (spec below)

 

1330cc, Block drilled for 11studs

Forged Omega pistons +0.60


Race Spec Head 29x36

Kent 296 Camshaft

Swiftune alloy Duplex

MED 1.3:1 Roller Rockers

Maniflow Stage 2 Full Exhaust System

Keith Calver Race Dizzy

Crank - Wedged, bladed & crossdrilled

Rods - Lightened & Shot peened

Rotating assembly balanced

Isky Type Lightend Followers

Twin HS4 Carbs with butterflys smoothed

Maniflow steel Inlet

ITG Stub stack Filter

ARP Conrod bolts + Head studs

Lightend dizzy drive

 

I had a Mini a while ago (in avatar) and was running a turbo 1275 T3 with a few upgrades running 1bar boost, I reckon i was then running around 130-140bhp, so i reckon im running around 120-125bhp with my current N/A spec.

 

Cut a long story short - I brought an ex 'Mini 7' race head off eBay a year ago for a good price of £260, i done a leakage test on the head when i got it and all was good so thought i'd risk it and put it on my freshly built engine (bad idea) drove it for a couple weeks all was good but then started smoking badly, took the head off and stripped it down to find the valves & guides were extremly worn and scrap, then had a closer at the head aswell and found a crack between one of the inlet & exhaust ports.

 

As is im sick of buying used shagged out ex race cylinder heads on ebay so want to just get a 12g940 head professionally done thats up to the job. Previously to the turbo in my mini I had a 1293 N/A and got the head done by Turbo Phil to a fast road spec and was very happy with it, With my current engine which is a higher spec than the Mini I want the best spec head possible that i can afford (no more than £1300!)  The Van is used for fast road/ summer hoonabout, I ideally want the most power I can get as the engine can withstand revs up to 8000.

 

So my question is who would you use and why?

 

Attached Files

  • Attached File  _.jpg   65.79K   6 downloads


#2 Carlos W

Carlos W

    Mine is purple, but I have been told that's normal

  • TMF+ Member
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 10,110 posts
  • Location: Sittingbourne, Kent

Posted 12 March 2019 - 08:54 PM

Phil or AC Dodd

#3 johnR

johnR

    Up Into Fourth

  • Members
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 2,242 posts
  • Location: Dorset

Posted 12 March 2019 - 08:59 PM

nice van - don't see many these days.



#4 imack

imack

    Camshaft & Stage Two Head

  • TMF+ Member
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 1,859 posts
  • Location: Orpington, Kent

Posted 12 March 2019 - 09:25 PM

My road cars running an MED 37/31 offset valve clubman head with an engine very similar spec to yours except 1380, MED Fia15 historic race cam, MED 1.5:1 roller rockers and maniflow large bore long 3:1 exhaust manifold.
Carbs, intake, filter/stub stacks,bottom end same as yours.
It made 138bhp on Peter Baldwins rollers.
I feel your pain with the cracked head as my Longman GT15 offset valve head cracked between the valves too.

#5 Racer_Pete

Racer_Pete

    Up Into Fourth

  • TMF+ Member
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 2,492 posts

Posted 12 March 2019 - 09:45 PM

How many miles you covered with the MED head imack?



#6 cal844

cal844

    Crazy About Mini's

  • Members
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 9,482 posts
  • Location: Ballingry, Fife
  • Local Club: TFMOC

Posted 12 March 2019 - 10:40 PM

Turbo Phil or AC Dodd on here. Both will give sound advice, unlike most engine guys and both are very good at the work they do.

Personally my advice is to get a head that's already been fitted with hardened valve seats, get the valves cut and laoped into the seats ready to go. Use the MPI style valve stem seals on all valves.

A 296 cam on the road will be undriveable.

AC Dodd can also do distributor recurve to suit your spec.

Edited by cal844, 12 March 2019 - 10:42 PM.


#7 Earwax

Earwax

    Speeding Along Now

  • TMF+ Member
  • PipPipPipPipPip
  • 421 posts
  • Location: Brisbane

Posted 12 March 2019 - 10:48 PM

hi racer - Pete.  great spec on the build. ( excuse my ignorance i am not sure if the Mini Ital- is a race class or something other - so my next statements may be wildly off key)  I have heard good reports about the MED clubman head - as an off the shelf type article, Other engineering shops that support race teams would be my other line of thought. 

 

In regards your build-  Followers - don't worry too much about weight , they are half full of oil- BUT do go for good hardness and a good radius on the face - don't assume new followers will have both these features.  

 

I have run a 1310 and a 1360 with twin HS4s, a HS 6 and a weber 45.  The HS 6 (or more preferred HIF44) would be my pick for a street/ track type car.  The full blown modded twins can flow enough, ( and i do love the look) so not knocking them, but in my experience it was easier to make a bit more grunt with the other two carbs.( if they are part of the class rules then disregard)  In terms of overall design - the forged omega pistons for N/A - have a 6cc bowl?- so in my case both the block and the head needed shaving - and i reverted to the shorter version of the ARP head studs.   If you can afford h beam or i beam rods(and class lets you---) 

- that weigh closer to 500gms rather than 600 - your engine will notice it. I have run Cooper S rods( over 600gms), Carillo ( over 500) and maxspeeding  600gms - absolutely nothing wrong with any of them - and all things of beauty- but lightweight omegas are crying out for a light partner.  All of these are just opinions, i find nothing wrong with your list as is- except i do agree a 296 could be a bit of a drag around town - presumably with a grey dot clutch and on the clutch subject  ( MED, SWIFTUNe and KAD make good lightened clutch and backplates -     unless race only don't go ultra light. good luck with the build



#8 nicklouse

nicklouse

    Moved Into The Garage

  • TMF+ Member
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 17,899 posts
  • Location: Not Yorkshire
  • Local Club: Anonyme Miniholiker

Posted 12 March 2019 - 10:54 PM

personally I would dump the cam and fit a 286 if it is going to be on the road. you want more torque than BHP. and then get a head to suit.



#9 imack

imack

    Camshaft & Stage Two Head

  • TMF+ Member
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 1,859 posts
  • Location: Orpington, Kent

Posted 13 March 2019 - 06:01 AM

How many miles you covered with the MED head imack?


I've done just over 3000 miles now, no hardened valve seats with those valve sizes, using castrol valvemaster plus. Fitted 2016

#10 imack

imack

    Camshaft & Stage Two Head

  • TMF+ Member
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 1,859 posts
  • Location: Orpington, Kent

Posted 13 March 2019 - 06:29 AM

Turbo Phil or AC Dodd on here. Both will give sound advice, unlike most engine guys and both are very good at the work they do.

Personally my advice is to get a head that's already been fitted with hardened valve seats, get the valves cut and laoped into the seats ready to go. Use the MPI style valve stem seals on all valves.

A 296 cam on the road will be undriveable.

AC Dodd can also do distributor recurve to suit your spec.


296 cam on the road isn't undrivable, my MED FIA15 is 649 derived, its fine on the road if you accept it for what it is. I wouldnt want to drive it in traffic or on motorways but thats not what I built it for. Its for a blast round the lanes on a sunday morning. 649 cam, sccr gear set,sc drops, sc 3.9:1 final drive, lsd, ultra light flywheel and stripped out interior isnt going to be every ones cup of tea but its emmensly satifying to drive if you're prepared to put up with its short comings.

#11 Spider

Spider

    Moved Into The Garage

  • Admin
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 13,843 posts
  • Location: NSW
  • Local Club: South Australian Moke Club

Posted 13 March 2019 - 06:45 AM

Are you locked in to a 5 Port Head?

 

There's some better options around these days in the way of 7 and 8 Port Heads that will produce the Peak Numbers you're looking for while making a 'fatter' envelope under that, giving something that's more street friendly.



#12 Earwax

Earwax

    Speeding Along Now

  • TMF+ Member
  • PipPipPipPipPip
  • 421 posts
  • Location: Brisbane

Posted 13 March 2019 - 10:44 PM

On the subject of 8 port heads  - i sometimes run in a class with some 8 port head guys - both MED new versions, but prior to that one had an Arden. - and in terms of drivability --- these things are as docile as a sleeping kitten until woken up. They idle like an 850 but easily put out the kind of Hp the OP is talking about with one of the fattest torque curves i have seen in a N/A build,  The downside is the expense of different everything.....but a big smile upside.. I haven't seen an eight port street car yet.



#13 Curley

Curley

    Speeding Along Now

  • TMF+ Member
  • PipPipPipPipPip
  • 466 posts
  • Location: Basingstoke, Hampshire
  • Local Club: Not MINI friendly

Posted 13 March 2019 - 11:14 PM

Quick look on MED website and we can see reworked head is going to be over your budget. IMHO they are overpriced.

 

If it was my money I'd get a NOS MPI head, they are relatively cheap and easy to get hold off & can be found new on Ebay for £180. From these I've had heads made by Arnold @ KAD, Neil Slark @ SRE and my local engine shop CMES for the £900 range.



#14 GraemeC

GraemeC

    Crazy About Mini's

  • TMF+ Member
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 7,300 posts
  • Location: Carnforth

Posted 14 March 2019 - 09:44 AM

Calver cuts a good head at a fair price




0 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users