G'day,
My mini 1000 is currently getting the paint touched up and I'm getting closer to dropping the engine back in and finally driving it again after more than a year off the road. I built up a nice little 1150 with a SC12 supercharger and fitted a 3.1 diff. Its a suck through HIF44, and I've got some work to do getting the carby tuned up nicely and getting rid of a terrible flat spot when putting the foot down, a problem I've heard is inherent to the HIF44 with no accelerator pump. Even without having driven the mini with the S/C engine for long, I'm already thinking of more power and going for a blow through turbo setup for more power and tuneability.
I've started collecting parts for a 1275 (1100s) based engine and think about 120hp would be a nice figure to get without going too mad with the cost of it. I am thinking of building the manifold myself. There are a few options and I don't know which would be best/easiest. Manifold for side mount (over the clutch) turbo, rear mount turbo (no bulkhead mods), or metro turbo style with a low mount setup straight into the plenum (no intercooler), not sure if the no intercooler idea would be feasible for 120hp but it sure would be compact.
Also, now is the time to sort out the fuel line size and return pipe location as the fuel tanks have been sand blasted and I can fit the required pipes to it. I was thinking for simplicity making an 8mm ID outlet in the normal location on the tank and hose it down to the pump wherever that may be (boot or under car) and tee the return line into that before the pump. I just see that as simpler than returning it to the tank, it just goes back into the pump feed.
I've got a choice of two blocks, one is a 1100s auto which will need converting, the other is a 1100s manual at about 1360 once it's had a rebore and i plan to use this one in my deluxe as a nice N/A engine.
The head will be semi standard, maybe slightly bigger valves and some porting and I'll get the exhaust inserts done.
Maybe MG metro cam or something else suitable.
Thinking cast omega's or if there's and equivalent from minispares that's cheaper but still up to the job.
Possibly lightened flywheel, might wedge the crank but either way will get everything balanced.
I've been recommended "maxpeedingrods" H beam rods available on ebay are very good and much lighter than standard ones.
Will a gt1544 work or would that be more for a smallbore turbo? Is a gt1752 more suitable or is it overkill?
Obviously there's many more things to consider but this is where I'm at for now, just seeing which direction to go for modest power increase with minimal hassles for a road car.
Cheers