10 replies to this topic

[hawthorne]

Hi guys,

 

Is there anyway for me to be able to use my engine number to find out what car it came from? Specifically the year of manufacture of the car?

 

I have an SPI cooper which is nothing but trouble and I am going to swap it over to carb. I know the engine is not original and from what I can tell from Guessworks decoder it is a MG Metro engine so I should theoretically be able to get it MOT'd on the age of the engine so it can pass emissions..

 

The problem is the engine was changed prior to me owning it so I can't currently prove it is an older engine so hence the question is there a way haha?

[stuart bowes]

have you tried the guessworks decoder already

 

https://www.guess-wo...Tech/engine.htm

[hawthorne]

I have but I need the car it came from to be able to prove to the MOT centres in the future that it is indeed an older engine than what should be in the car to be able to get it to pass emissions.

 

have you tried the guessworks decoder already

 

https://www.guess-wo...Tech/engine.htm

[stuart bowes]

ah I see, sorry.  I missed the point of what you were trying to do

[mab01uk]

The MG Metro was only available with SU carb and went out of production in 1989.

MG Metro 1300 (1982-1989) :-

https://www.aronline.../mg-metro-1300/

 

The SPi Mini Cooper was introduced in October 1991 which should be enough to prove your MG Metro engine is older than what should be in your Mini Cooper 1.3i.

https://www.minimani...fication_1803#9

Edited by mab01uk, 05 February 2025 - 11:16 PM.

[68+86auto]

If you think switching to carb & distributor is going to make everything easier, it won't.

[mab01uk]

If you think switching to carb & distributor is going to make everything easier, it won't.

 

However it might run better as this SPi Cooper is said to have had an older MG Metro replacement engine fitted, which was originally factory set up with cam, distributor, etc to run with an HIF SU carb.

Edited by mab01uk, 06 February 2025 - 11:05 AM.

[Ethel]

Depending on the age & whether it was optimised for unleaded. Another issue is whether you'd be allowed to delete the catalytic converter. I'm not 100% sure, but I think you might be obliged to keep it, if fitted, regardless of the engine.  Conflicting regulations: the newer one wins out, unless you can argue it would be applied retrospectively because your car was registered before it came in to effect. The whole topic is a mess because the rules apply from date of registration, but they had to make compromises because manufacturers still had unsold new cars built to the old standards.

 

https://www.theminif...-93-carbd-mini/

[coopertaz]

are you sure it is an mg metro engine and not just a number plate that has been fitted? tried to run an mg cam on a 95 spi and was not possible. easy to tell as mg engine will have temp sender on the head spi is not tapped out. As for mot fitted an mg 12hd24 engine into 1992 car and was able to get tested at 1989 levels without cat. but some testers say cat must be retained, you will not be able to find which specific car the engine is from, i tried with mine, but engine number is all i needed for tester to do test at earlier values.

[Ethel]

<p>Is there any difference in the bottom ends, cam excepted? It could have just been a cost effective fix to a scored bore etc. There'd be a fair bit to swap over just to get it to run as an SPI, crank sensor for starters.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>

[nicklouse]

Pictures. Whole engine would be good stating point. Then the dizzy, cap off. 
 

or find a local Mini club and pop along with it or without it and have a chat to the members.

you say West Midlands which bit?