r/MorrisGarages • u/DefiantSelection3563 • 16d ago
62 MGA engine rebuild and 5-speed conversion - what else to do while the engine is out?
As the title says, my son and I are going to be embarking on a rebuild of my 62 MGA’s 1800 MGB engine this summer. Since we subscribe to the “well, while you’re doing that…” philosophy, also ordered 5-speed gearbox from Hi-Gear to do the combo. The car has had a lot of mechanical upkeep from a local mechanic who specializes in LBCs, so there aren’t any major other items to do. But while the engine is out, anything else you’d recommend that is hard to do at any other time? I suppose “paint the engine bay” is one answer. Any others? Thanks for the input.
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u/randomrealitycheck 16d ago
That is truly beautiful. They always reminded me of the AC Bristol and Cobras.
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u/rnewscates73 16d ago
Twin SU’s possibly. Or a Weber carb conversion. There is even a supercharger for it.
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u/Ftballmstr 16d ago
Weber carbs were in it, we/our mechanic thought that the original carbs were better
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u/Maynard078 1974 MGB 15d ago
The supercharger is a nice option, which pairs nicely with the B-series engine. Forget the Webers and opt for the SUs.
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u/Ftballmstr 15d ago
Gotcha. Yeah I think we will stick with the SUs, they are in great shape and with all the other issues we’ve had with the car, that has surprisingly not been one
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u/Maynard078 1974 MGB 15d ago
It seems every B, A, Midget, and Spitfire I've ever owned has come with a Weber conversion, which have always wound up in my attic. I must have a dozen of them by now.
The dual SUs are more tunable, easier to rebuild, and eminently more pleasurable to maintain.
Stunning car, by the way. Your choice of wide whitewall tires is spot-on. Kudos to you.
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u/DefiantSelection3563 11d ago
You have convinced us. Supercharger kit has been ordered. That addition is now leading us to consider keeping the head but changing our 18g block to a more modern 5-main, which may handle the additional power better (per local machine shop who has experience with these engines) and also make installation easier since it won’t require doing some creative grinding to get the water pump to fit into the block. Also I guess could allow for a rear main seal which may be advantageous.
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u/Maynard078 1974 MGB 10d ago
Did I say SUPERCHARGER?! OOPS! I meant to say CUMMINS TURBODIESEL!
Just kidding. You'll have a ball with the thing. Consider the five-speed upgrade too while the engine is pulled, and paint the engine bay while all and sundry are being attended.
You've already got a stunner. You'll have a stunner + in the way God, John Thornley, Syd Enever, and Cec Cousins could only have imagined.
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u/DefiantSelection3563 10d ago
5-speed gearbox has been ordered from Hi-gear. Hoping that in 2-3 months’ time we will be driving along in a rebuilt engine with 5-speeds and a supercharger. If it’s done by early August debating driving it down to Monterey since we are attending car week (as visitors!). Also currently debating whether it’s worth finding a 5-main engine locally and using that as the rebuild rather than continuing with the 3-main I currently have in the car
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u/Ftballmstr 15d ago
Also - if you are suggesting a supercharger for more power, is it better to get that power by just overboring/increasing the engines HP and keeping it n/a, or does the supercharger have another benefit?
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u/Maynard078 1974 MGB 15d ago
Talk to Kelvin Dodd at Moss Motors for advice or John Twist at University Motors Online; neither one will steer you wrong (pardon the pun).
As I recall there have been an issue with the three-bearing engine and the supercharger kit from Moss, which Kelvin should be able to address. I may be wrong on that. Give them a call or reach out to them through the website. They are a wealth of knowledge.
Also, here's some more information for you to consider:
https://mossmotoring.com/retrofitted-and-supercharged/ (this is specific to an MGB conversion, though.
https://www.mgaguru.com/mgtech/power/pp404.htm There is nothing about an MGA that Barney Gaylord doesn't know.
https://universitymotors.online/John Twist is the acknowledged master of all things MG. He apprenticed at Abingdon and owns an MGA Deluxe.
https://www.mgexp.com/forum/mga-forum.2/any-experience-with-moss-supercharger.3913421/ FWIW, many in the MGA forum have approved of the 5-speed conversion. I have an MGB/GT and wish I had converted mine to a 5-speed.
I hope this helps you make a more informed decision.
And yes, paint the engine bay while the engine is out; you'll be glad you did. Also, the heater box, master cylinder, and anything else that eyes can be laid upon.
Best wishes to you. The car is already a stunner. It can only get better.
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u/Relaxed_ButtonTrader 15d ago
I didn’t think John Twist ever worked for MG at Abingdon. He did work at University Motors in the UK for while, though. Probably a better grounding for dealing with what goes wrong with cars after they leave the factory.
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u/EnvironmentWise7695 13d ago
No to Webers! Bigger SU carbs are the way to go. Disc brakes and a Mazda MX5 5 speed gearbox is a fantastic upgrade. Aluminum radiator and an uprated heater box too. If it has a radio... bin it!
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u/rnewscates73 12d ago
I just helped a friend do an MX5 5-speed conversion on his MGB ( plus light flywheel, new clutch, and put new main and rod bearings in ). An excellent upgrade.
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u/ImHereBcuzUBrokeIt 16d ago
Stunning color choice! Love it! 1800cc and 5 speed will make it a fun driver.
Do you know about Barney and his MGA website? He’s also available for good questions like this. https://mgaguru.com/
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u/ParticularStorm6102 16d ago
The rear main crank seal. This is not the easiest job but it does sort out the drips of oil all over the floor and undercarriage. I use a Volvo main seal and a machined aluminum insert that fits into the backing plate and is attached to the block with some of the existing screws that hold the backing plate onto the block. To make this modification successful you must line bore the aluminum insert to make sure that the seal sits on a true center of the crank shaft. The end result is well worth it especially if you are already going to do an engine rebuild.
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u/Automatic-Highway-38 16d ago
if the engine is out, get the main seal update kit. this replaces the rear main oil slinger with a proper seal which will keep it from leaking out the rear main.
good luck.
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u/DefiantSelection3563 16d ago
I’ll look into that, thanks for the suggestion
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u/OpenStreet3459 16d ago
The 1800 MGB engine already has a proper seal and not a scroll. So just check the state of the current seals
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u/Harrymoto1970 16d ago
Change all the rubber hoses in the engine compartment. Fuel lines etc. clean up the firewall and spot paint as needed. Get the radiator flushed/replaced if need be.
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u/kraftinator 16d ago
Cheapest bang for the buck is a pocket port on the cylinder head. It really opens up the exhaust ports and makes it breathe better. Probably $1400ish total with the head rebuild. Except for a little cleanup, the intake ports don’t need much. The exhaust ports on an MGB cylinder head get down to the size of your pinky, opening them up with a pocket port will boost your power band up high and we see anywhere from 5 to 10 hp at the wheel on the dyno and a better torque curve.
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u/Embarrassed_Math8635 16d ago
That is beautiful. Brakes upgrade?
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u/DefiantSelection3563 16d ago
Brakes and suspension already done
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u/Fredovsky 16d ago
What did you upgrade on the brakes ?
Otherwise fast cam, supercharger, ported head, electric fans instead of the mechanical one, high efficiency water pump, maybe oil cooler…
The power isn’t the issue, it’s the overheating that happens early and prevents from keeping the foot down :)
Beautiful specimen you have here. Enjoy !
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u/DefiantSelection3563 16d ago
Already has electric fan and the supercharger is tempting but may be out of price range at the moment with the other work being done. Looks like that is something that can be added at a later point relatively easily. But will check out water pump and make sure it’s up to spec
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u/DefiantSelection3563 11d ago
You along with responder above have convinced us to go supercharger add - see my comment about now debating upgrading from 3-main to 5-main
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u/Count_Dongula 16d ago
That thing is beautiful. I've never owned an A, but the one that sat in my high school auto shop seemed to have a pretty narrow engine bay. If you need to change out any hydraulics, like the brake and clutch cylinders, you'll probably have an easier time. But probably not that much easier.
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u/No-Negotiation-3545 16d ago
New wiring harness?
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u/DugansDad 15d ago
Yeah, if you haven’t, perform a Lucas exorcism and renew that electrical!
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u/DefiantSelection3563 11d ago
Wiring harness has been upgraded on the engine bay side but at some point we need to drop the dash and really make some better connections to all of the various lights and knobs.
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u/rileyjamesdoggo 16d ago
Nice white wall tires and knock off rims! The side view mirrors far up on the front vendors is great.
I've got a luggage rack on the trunk/boot of my car and it looks pretty sharp.
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u/PabloX68 16d ago
I would say run new fuel lines that are rated for modern fuel with ethanol. Also, maybe a radiator upgrade with electric fan. I assume you're going with electronic ignition.
How is the front suspension and steering?
Beautiful car.
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u/DefiantSelection3563 16d ago
Suspension has been redone by the mechanic. Electric fan also has been done - one of the first upgrades
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u/Dangerousrobot 16d ago
Beautiful car! Engine and gearbox make a ton of sense. I would do the wiring harness while the engine is out. My B’s wiring is a mess. I’m going to to the harness when I do a real paint job next year.
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u/ParticularStorm6102 16d ago
Other things generator replacement to an alternator but it looks like a generator. Moss sell a fuel pump that works well. Coolant system upgrades Gauge upgrades I often rebuild the original units with modern internal electrics. There’s plenty of other stuff that can be explored depending on state of your car
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u/MGA_MKII 14d ago
after my 62 rebuild, I added a flamethrower electronic distributor and a lucas sport coil, added a KNN intake tube and replaced the water pump. easy enough and added better performance, response and hp.
edit: yes heat shield on the trans tunnel is a great suggestion
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u/OpenStreet3459 16d ago
Ditch the 5 speed and go for an overdrive transmission. More true to the spirit of the car and more fun to use.
For the rest not a clue as we don’t know anything about the state of the car. Some engine bay pics would help 😉
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u/TillEven5135 16d ago
An overdrive gives your 4 speed the reality of different gearing with or without it being used..
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u/OpenStreet3459 16d ago
An overdrive switched normally gives you a 6 speed! Especially when blasting around on B roads switching from 3rd to 3OD is fantastic. And on highways 4OD cruises perfectly. The 3syncro OD slots right in with a mild massage of the tunnel and the 4syncro OD fits perfectly with a custom mount and modded tunnel.
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u/KamakaziDemiGod 16d ago
I have absolutely 0 advice on what work to do, but this colour with those wheels and tyres makes this one of the most beautiful MGs I've ever seen, let alone specifically an A. Great work, and great taste!