17 replies to this topic

[ads7]

Well for all my talk about loving my current 850, after some deliberation the bay of e has furnished me with a std 1275 Maestro engine which I'll collect as soon as covid travel restrictions allow.

Just getting this slowly together as a back up motor depending on condition when I strip it down.

Meantime I'll be on the hunt for cheap as chips crank/primary gear in gwo - if such a thing exists. Anyone?

I've got the pre A+ box on my 850 so guess I'll also need an A+ box?

Don't know what else I'll need apart from modding the oil filter housing?

Any other work or parts required?

[imack]

Not sure how compatible the maestro 1275 block is with the mini setup. I'd imagine it's similar to a rear wheel drive block so probably doable with a few mods.

[pete l]

Why a Maestro block ?

[nicklouse]

Ok stop and think.

 

the Mini power unit has 3 main parts that need to be considered. 
 

the engine.

the drop gears

the gearbox.

 

yes you can use your gearbox but check the final drive ratio.

the drop gears need to match the bearing size of the gearbox they changed. So you will also need to use the matching transfercase.

the primary gear also needs to match the crank and the drop gears.

 

now the maestro block. If it is like the rear wheel drive block you will need to get some work done to make it suitable to use.

[GraemeC]

I can't say I know anything about converting the Maestro block, but seems straight forward enough:

https://www.theminif...-a-will-it-fit/

 

 

Your existing gearbox will work, you just need to find a primary gear that matches the idler and input gear you have.

I have a 1275 crank available and probably a drop gear (but might need rebushing)

 

There is no oil filter housing on a Maestro block

Edited by GraemeC, 20 January 2021 - 01:39 PM.

[ads7]

Why a Maestro block ?

Cheap and apparently strong (not that I'm chasing power)

guessworks has used a few, see below

https://www.theminif...maestro-engine/

[ads7]

Ok stop and think.

the Mini power unit has 3 main parts that need to be considered.

the engine.
the drop gears
the gearbox.

yes you can use your gearbox but check the final drive ratio.
the drop gears need to match the bearing size of the gearbox they changed. So you will also need to use the matching transfercase.
the primary gear also needs to match the crank and the drop gears.

now the maestro block. If it is like the rear wheel drive block you will need to get some work done to make it suitable to use.

Thanks Nick. So to clarify my 850 pre a+ box will fit? Although the fd is 3.7 so would be too frenetic for me.
Perhaps a replacement box ready fitted with a 3.44 would make sense.

Then a 1275 transfer case and appropriate transfer gears..

Not much work required to the block apart from crank and modified oil pickup apparently

[ads7]

Sorry, modified Oil filter not the pickup

[ads7]

Why a Maestro block ?

Cheap

[nicklouse]

 

Ok stop and think.

the Mini power unit has 3 main parts that need to be considered.

the engine.
the drop gears
the gearbox.

yes you can use your gearbox but check the final drive ratio.
the drop gears need to match the bearing size of the gearbox they changed. So you will also need to use the matching transfercase.
the primary gear also needs to match the crank and the drop gears.

now the maestro block. If it is like the rear wheel drive block you will need to get some work done to make it suitable to use.

Thanks Nick. So to clarify my 850 pre a+ box will fit? Although the fd is 3.7 so would be too frenetic for me.
Perhaps a replacement box ready fitted with a 3.44 would make sense.

Then a 1275 transfer case and appropriate transfer gears..

Not much work required to the block apart from crank and modified oil pickup apparently

 

One of the main caps need modifying.

 

if your gearbox is good just change the final drive. As you have no idea what a different box is like. And then you can use your transfercase and drops and you just need the primary gear to fit the crank and the drops. 

[ads7]

Thanks Nick.

Yes I was thinking the same about the box being a known quantity. Now need to source a bargain 3.44 fd..

So success now depends on two things things:

Engine being in good nick

Good crank for sensible money

Watch this space

[nicklouse]

Drop Guessworks an Email on both counts.

[ads7]

Drop Guessworks an Email on both counts.

👍

[ads7]

So I've just chatted with John at Guessworks, what a helpful guy.

He's identified my existing gearbox as an early 70s rod change which will fit straight onto the maestro block so an excellent start point.

As for fitting a 3.44 fd, it really depends on how the car will be driven; we are quite happy to potter along at 55-60mph with 65 being pretty much the max since we tend to stick to the amazing driving roads on our doorstep 😏 and rarely venture onto motorways. The 3.7 fd may do the trick.

John also gave me more good news in that he can source the correct oil filters to fit, so no mods needed there. He also confirmed that literally all I'll need is the 1275 crank and primary gear to do the conversion.

Since this is a budget build, my plan is to sell the hif44 that comes with the maestro engine to partially finance these parts, then use my existing HS4 instead. I'm completely happy with 1275gt levels of performance so in theory that's what I'll get.

The only internal mod I'm considering is an evolution 01 cam from minispares, basically because they're cheap - although with the Hs4 and smaller std 1275 valves I'm unsure whether this would help gain any more torque.

This really is the ultimate (if that's the right word) tight wad 1275 conversion!

Edited by ads7, 21 January 2021 - 03:52 PM.

[nicklouse]

to be honest i would keep HIF44 it is just a better carb. 
 

 

BUT if your subframe is not originally from an HIF car then the HS will be an easier fit.