4 replies to this topic

[Mrpeanut]

I'm interested in knowing what differences, if any, there are between the esp and the mainstream rover carb cooper.

They're both listed as being 61bhp so on the face of it the same. However, they have different engine codes. 12a2aF for Rsp, 12a2aG for the mainstream. If they're the same, why the different numbers?

Reports say they both have an mg metro engine. I've recently removed my original head and it's not an mg metro head. The torque output on the rolling road doesn't suggest that it has an mg metro cam either.

One difference between the 2 is that the rsp has an oil cooler. Why fit that unless the engine is different and would benefit from it.

Has anyone on here stripped down both of these engines, or aware of the build spec, to clarify whether they are different and if so how?

[Guess-Works.com]

You've hit on every question and every answer...

Yes they are basically the same, the RSP was essentially rover dipping their toe into the water to see if there was a market for a 'cooper'esq car again, it turned out that there was and so the mainstream cooper was born...

The RSP had an oil cooler, which was dropped on the mainstream, and yes they are basically the same as the MG Metro engine of that era, with the same carb, cam, and dizzy.

Regarding the head, when the 1300 A+ engine was made compatible with unleaded fuel the Original Big Valve MG metro head was replaced by a standardised small valve head across the whole BL/Rover range, so the head became the same head used on the MG Metro, any other 1300 Metro and any other car which used the 1300 engine, being a Mini, Metro, Maestro or Montego, so saying the head is not an MG Metro head is a false assumption.

They had a different engine number prefix because of different specification of the engine, one had an oil cooler and the other did not.

Edited by Guess-Works.com, 20 October 2012 - 08:10 PM.

[Mrpeanut]

Cheers. So there should be an mg metro cam in there? I only query it as mine pushes out a lot less torque than a mates car with an mg metro engine which definitely has an mg metro cam.

[Guess-Works.com]

To clarify, it is the same as an MG Metro engine of that era, if you 'mates' MG Metro engine is of a generation before the switch to unleaded fuel, then it's not the same engine, as that would have a 'big valve' head, the same cam, but a different dizzy.and designed to run on higher octane fuel, therefore making it a more powerful engine.

[Mrpeanut]

That could explain it. His definitely has a different head, also has a 3.44 final drive compared to my 3.1

The weird thing though is that I've read other reports where some people agree with you, but others saying there's a lesser cam in there. I was planning on dropping a 266 in there but if I already have a mg metro cam then I won't bother!