21 replies to this topic

[1275austin]

Hey guys Im seeking some advice from those more knowledgeable than myself. I drive a 76 austin with a 1275 bored .030. I took the engine out of the car a few weeks back, was planning on fitting a new cam, flywheel, cylinder head and what not. Upon removing the cylinder head i examined the bore and i believe i must have busted a ring in the #3 cylinder as it is badly scored to the point where im not sure if boring it to 1380 will be enough. I am considering purchasing the minispares 1380 half engine and fitting it to my car. My question is has anyone ever used this component? Is it a quality built block? They say it has an evolution camshaft fitted, i had planned on fitting a kent 266 into my 1310 does anyone know how these two compare? Also what would be good specs for a head to fit to this set up in regards to valve size, spring weight, etc. Any impute and advice would be much appreciated thank you. Ps I live in Canada and parts and machinists familiar with minis are hard to come by.

[Cooperman]

It would be very surprising if an engine bored to +0.030" with a scored bore would not be fine at +0.060" which gives 1330 cc.
Boring to 1380, i.e. 73.5 mm, is expensive as the bores need to be offset, nos 1 & 2 by 0.015" to the front, and nos 3 & 4 by 0.015" towards the back. This increases machining costs and means that if a further re-bore is necessary in the future the block might be scrap.
Can you post a close up photo of the scored bore? Best advice would be to take it to a machine shop who regularly re-bore engines, not necessarily Mini ones, and get them to assess the depth of the score. It it's 0.015" or less, then buy a set of P21253-60 pistons from Mini Spares and bore the engine to suit. A scored bore with the score more than 0.015 is extremely unusual and I've never seen it. If it is deeper than 0.015 a good alternative is to get the block sleeved back to 1275
Many of us here believe 1330 cc is an ideal size and those pistons are a reasonable price.

[1275austin]

Thank you, i will post a close up pic when i can get to it as the car is not at my house. The score is bad however ive never seen one this bad which is very strange because the car really wasnt running that bad, it sounded fine. Oil was getting throught to the plug in the #3 and fouling it after a while i assumed it was either the valve guides or the head was cracked. Not a scored cylinder. My other concerns are having my head machined and purchasing the new pistons and rings as well as the cost of a new cam and followers(as i want to fit a performance cam anyhow)might be more than buying the assembled half engine. However they seem to only sell the half engine in 1310 or 1380. Im just not sure of the better route.

[dklawson]

I agree 100% with Cooperman. Tear the engine down and take the block to a local machine shop for assessment. Do not give up on the block you have until a pro has looked at it.

Further to that, I would not consider shipping a short block from the U.K. It simply will not be financially practical. If necessary, get a used block from somewhere in Canada or the U.S. and use it as a starting point for your rebuild. If you don't want to go through that hassle and want a rebuilt short block, contact either Seven Enterprises (my preference) or Mini Mania (both in California). Both can provide you rebuilt engines, rebuilt short blocks, used running engines, or simply new or used parts.

If you buy a used block and do the rebuild yourself, I do encourage you to buy new parts as a blanket order from Mini Spares. That can save you a lot of money and depending on where you are in Canada (big place you know) shipping from the U.K. may even be quicker than shipping from California.

You may also wish to ask about parts on the Mini Mania message board. They have a large number of Canadian members and you may find someone not too far away has a block they would be willing to sell you.

As for the cam, I have never used the Kent 266. You may wish to start a separate thread here asking for advice on the cam. The topic probably won't be discussed much in this thread do to the thread title. When and if you start a new thread on cams, be sure to describe how you plan to use your Mini when asking for advice. For example, will this be a daily driver that needs to be easy to drive, flexible and economical around town, or will it be an all out racing engine? One cam does not fit both applications so when seeking recommendations it helps to know how the car will be used.

[Cooperman]

That's good advice from Doug. With regard to your block, don't go to 1380 as it effectively renders the block unsuitable for further boring later and they are never going to make any more blocks, at least not at a sensible price.
If necessary, there must be machine shops in Canada who can do engine re-boring. If it won't clear the score at +0.060" best advice is to have the engine sleeved back to 1275 and fit new P21253 standard pistons. Sleeving is a very common practice and some Minis even came new with sleeves. It effectively gives your block a fresh start with full re-build capabilities in the future.
With regard to the cam, the Kent 266 is very good for road driving (as opposed to real competition). it's almost identical to the MG Metro cam. However, to make such a cam work well you do need a head with some gas-flowing done and the 35.6 mm inlet & 30.5 mm exhaust valves, plus good induction and exhaust systems.

[1275austin]

Thanks guys. I will search for a machinist somewhere near me to have my block looked at. In regards to mini mania i really am not okay with giving my business to a company who resells and such a ridiculous mark up. I will check out seven enterprises(never herd of them). My problem is im not looking for a stock 1275 again i would like a better performance engine with a fast road cam and after the machining cost, cam and followers, pistons, etc im worried i will be into it more than the cost of a new half engine? I have never had any machining done, im assuming their rates run high? Most likely higher here in canada as well.

[colinu]

I agree with Doug (Hi Doug!) regarding Seven Enterprises (www.7ent.com) - definately worth giving them a call and ask for Jack.

MiniMania... IMHO they are overpriced resellers (but I have used them as a last resort a few times). Simpler, cheaper, and often faster ordering parts direct from Minispares UK.

Another supplier I use occasionally here in California is Heritage Garage in LA (www.heritagegarage.com - ask for the owner Graham - an ex-Scottish guy like myself).

Regarding Block machine work... can be expensive but you get what you pay for. Take it to a reputable machine shop and they'll tell you if it is economically salvageable (if it's touch and go then they wouldn't take the risk even if it meant quick cash in their pocket).

Cheers,
Colin.

[dklawson]

Hi Colin! It has been a while. I hope you are well.

1275Austin, I want to let you know that I understand the situation you are in. About a MONTH ago I started the rebuild of the engine for my wife's '67 Triumph GT6. I thought this would be straight forward as previous engine work I have undertaken. Instead I have found that both the block and crank are unusable and that the Mk1 engines are different enough that I am having to buy a used engine to get the parts I need. Coincidentally, I am supposed to meet a guy this evening to pick up a used short block to move this rebuild forward.

Hang in there and remember to check the Mini Mania board to see what may be available to you closer to home. You never mentioned where in Canada you were. If nothing else you may be able to work something out with "Big Al" on the MM message board to have the parts delivered next time he passes through your area.

[1275austin]

Thanks for the advice guy great help. I'll do some research on machine shops around here(I live in Penticton British Columbia) and see what they have to say about my block. And Doug what do you mean by a blanket order? You mentioned earlier. Names Ryder by the way thanks again.

[bmcecosse]

Been in Penticton - nice place! I agree with the others - stick with what you have. But no harm keeping an ear to the ground to pick up a spare engine at the right price........

[dklawson]

Hi Ryder. By blanket order I mean... build a good sized list of items you need, then order them all at once (a blanket... covering all). If you order things one at a time the overseas shipping will eat you alive.

You aren't really close to any of the Mini owners I correspond with out west. However, do remember there were several Mini owners from BC who post on the Mini Mania board. I encourage you to go ahead and post there. You may find someone close by who has a block for you. I thought there was a Mini enthusiast who lived in Kamloops but that may just be faulty memory on my part.

As for my engine project (for the GT6), I hit yet another snag today. I was disassembling the block and discovered below the grime that this block has freeze damage that was rather poorly welded up by a previous owner. I am back to waiting for another block.

[1275austin]

Ah I see, yes thats how i usually go about ordering parts from the UK. Yes there are two mini guys in Kamloops my mother used to deal with back when she was driving the car. One builds full blown race minis louder than my small block chevy, the other likes to throw Cooper badges on Austins and Monte Carlo badges on Coopers and sell at an upscale price. Ill keep my eyes open for a spare engine at the right price and strip mine and get it to a machine shop and see what can be done with it. Rough luck on the engine, hopefully you can source another at a decent price. Ive always wanted a triumph, a friend of mine just finished the restoration on the TR6 after 15 years. One of the nicest ive ever seen. Good luck thanks for the tips.

[1275austin]

Hey Guys. An update on my engine so far. Ive stripped the block from the car and taken it to a local machine shop with a great reputation. When the machinist broke down the block he informed me that my engine was actually bored 0.060 not 0.030. A big surprise to me. The machinist gave me the number for a mini enthusiast in kamloops i have met once before. He has a set of 73mm pistons new. I got a hold of the shop and got them to do a rough bore to see if it would clear the score at 73mm. No go. So im stuck with sleeving. Ive asked him to sleeve the scored cylinder and bore everything to 73mm. He informed me he can do that for just under $200 parts and labour. Very happy with the price. The guy i am sourcing the pistons from also has a cam from a metro so i am planning on fitting that as well. What are your guys thoughts on this build? Im excited for the finished product.

[1275austin]

Also what cc will my block be at with 73mm pistons? Just curious.

[Pigeonto]

. The guy i am sourcing the pistons from also has a cam from a metro so i am planning on fitting that as well.

Dont want to sound patronising, but, we assume its from an MG Metro or sport or Vanden Plas,not just any old Metro. They're just Mini cams in Metros otherwise.Better check,there are identification marks to tell you. Well done with the sleeving etc

Edited by Pigeonto, 02 March 2012 - 08:03 AM.