30 replies to this topic

[skaterava]

Right, i'm due to receive my settlement money for my car in the next few weeks and i'm dead set on an engine swap, from 998 Stage 1 to a 1275 with a few mods.

I need a setup that provides decent power (60hp+) but still leaves me with a car i can use every day. What sort of cam/carb combo should i be going for? What would people recommend?

[evansisgreat]

Depending on what it is now I'd be thinking about changing your final drive to a lower one if you're going to use it everyday.

If you could find an MPI engine then I think it'd be perfect for you. 63 reliable horses good for everyday abuse, but not the nicest of things to install though and that's if you could find a complete one. You could ask r1minimagic (whose real name escapes me) though, he breaks injection minis.

I do imagine I'll have a bunch of peope after this saying a carb engine is just as reliable,and thats true. But the MPI doesn't need a rolling road to keep it in order and already has electronic ignition and has no choke. Which is all nice.

[skaterava]

I did consider going down the injection route, but i hear you cannot "chip" them as you can with modern ECU-equipped cars. Is this true?

[Turbo Nick]

i reckon a nicely rebuilt MG spec engine with a stg 1 and a 3.1fd would make a nice daily driver and have a bit of go about it. A good RR setup at a decent garage will give the most benefits aswell as a few choice suspension mods.

keep it simple and it'll be a nice enjoyable motor.

[skaterava]

i reckon a nicely rebuilt MG spec engine with a stg 1 and a 3.1fd would make a nice daily driver and have a bit of go about it

Would you say going down the route of upgraded cam/carb/modified head would take the drivability away? I'm not sure how much hp is required, but i would like something that could crack the 0-60 in around 10 or 11 seconds.

Edited by skaterava, 04 September 2010 - 11:39 AM.

[Turbo Nick]

have a look in Pauly's build thread, he bought a metro 1275 off me and then rebuilt it with a few choice mods and it seems like a great fast road type engine.

[njathind]

I did consider going down the injection route, but i hear you cannot "chip" them as you can with modern ECU-equipped cars. Is this true?

I think there is now a re mabable ecu available for the spi engine minis, think I read about it be used in miniworlds sputnik sometime this year, not sure to be honest but I know there is more you can do with a spi ecu than an mpi ecu. Hope this helps

[skaterava]

I am tempted by the injection engines reliability...but i was hoping to use this engine swap as a perfect opportunity to learn about Mini mechanics, i.e stripping an engine, changing the cam and head, etc etc. Is this a bad idea?

[Turbo Nick]

not at all, it's the perfect opportunity. the only way i learnt was by having a go myself, less money spent at garages meant more money spent on beer

Edited by bud666, 04 September 2010 - 11:01 PM.

[pikey7]

Totally agree with Bud. A 1275/1293 with a nice stage 1 kit, metro leccy dizzy, MG metro cam (or sw05), tidy box with 3.1 diff. If built well, it'll give you all the reliability and driveability you need. And it'll be upgradable if you feel like it.

An MPi is all well and good, if it works... and that includes all of the sensors and gizmos, but you'll have to budget in for the radiator, hoses to connect up you your existing car, SUBFRAME (remember they are different) and loads of other bits and bobs probably. If you have an MPi donor car, then fine, but if not, you may be struggling and swearing at it after a while.

[skaterava]

There's a Metro Turbo engine i'm eyeing up at the moment. Just looked up the stats for the Turbo, and 93hp would be fantastic to have in a Mini.

What's people's opinions on them? Are they unreliable/difficult to fit in a Mini?

[Turbo Nick]

the youngest metro turbo engine will be getting on for 20 years old now and will have been ragged to death, i would never stick one straight in without a rebuild.

[ap0llo_*]

Go for a standard SPI or MPI engine. Not sure what they measure on the rollers, but we managed to get 6 1/2 seconds 0-60 out of my mates standard MPI.

[Turbo Nick]

Go for a standard SPI or MPI engine. Not sure what they measure on the rollers, but we managed to get 6 1/2 seconds 0-60 out of my mates standard MPI.

off a cliff?

[skaterava]

Go for a standard SPI or MPI engine. Not sure what they measure on the rollers, but we managed to get 6 1/2 seconds 0-60 out of my mates standard MPI.

off a cliff?

I was gonna say, 6.5 seconds for a standard MPI sounds a little ambitious considering it's only 100hp+ Minis getting to 60 that fast!