Tommy's A-series Misery - Resuming normal programming

[Tommyboy12]

Not seen him sniffing yet! Give it time! 😂

[Tommyboy12]

Today I came into the office for the first time in nearly 2 years. Rolled in in the most appropriate car I could think of and parked next to a fellow lunatic.

 

[Matts_Rusty_Bus]

Today I came into the office for the first time in nearly 2 years. Rolled in in the most appropriate car I could think of and parked next to a fellow lunatic.
 

There often lots of good stuff in that corner

Sent from my SM-A520F using Tapatalk

[wuvvum]

Norwich plate on the 940.

[Tommyboy12]

13 hours ago, wuvvum said:

Norwich plate on the 940.

Surprised you can read it it's that filthy 😂

[junkyarddog]

Wasn't the Montego found in Norfolk too?

[Tommyboy12]

Some engine job on my 998 engine build for one of my Minis occured over the weekend.

First up a thread repair on the cylinder head on the rather fruity head I have for it.

Also lapped in and fitted my slick racing  valves.

Then gapped some piston rings and got them fitted to the pistons.

Also checked the end float on the idler gear.

Lastly I started stripping and cleaning the carb which had a few choice modifications coming it's way. It's made its way through the dishwasher since then...

 

 

[grogee]

I love a bit of A-series fondling. What's the story with that head, valves look nice and large? 

Will it be Mr Bean standard on the outside?

[Tommyboy12]

34 minutes ago, grogee said:

I love a bit of A-series fondling. What's the story with that head, valves look nice and large? 

Will it be Mr Bean standard on the outside?

So this engine is for my Old English White Mini which looks fairly standard on the outside. It's styled like a Cooper and sometimes gets mistaken for one.

The head is a 12G202 which has been heavily ported and had big 33mm inlet valves put in. Although it's running standard size exhaust valves. I bought it from an elderly chap who had had it in his shed for donkeys years. He told me he bought it new from Alexander Engineering who are a long defunct A-series tuning specialist akin to Downton or similar. He bought it for his 948 Austin A35 and later moved the head to a Moggy 1098. Apparently the 202 is a nice head for porting and doesn't carry the premium of the 295 head. This one is really nicely ported and had some nice shaping to the throats and around the guides.

The valves were trashed with rot and the guides were rusty too so I sourced new valves from G&S valves and some new guides then had a machining shop fit unleaded seats and skim it down to a suitable chamber size. The 202 is a long stroke head so has a large chamber size. Too much for my needs.

This matched to a modified carburettor, fruity (but tasteful) exhaust, and a swiftune camshaft should be good for 70hp.

 

 

 

 

[grogee]

5 minutes ago, Tommyboy12 said:

So this engine is for my Old English White Mini which looks fairly standard on the outside. It's styled like a Cooper and sometimes gets mistaken for one.

The head is a 12G202 which has been heavily ported and had big 33mm inlet valves put in. Although it's running standard size exhaust valves. I bought it from an elderly chap who had had it in his shed for donkeys years. He told me he bought it new from Alexander Engineering who are a long defunct A-series tuning specialist akin to Downton or similar. He bought it for his 948 Austin A35 and later moved the head to a Moggy 1098. Apparently the 202 is a nice head for porting and doesn't carry the premium of the 295 head. This one is really nicely ported and had some nice shaping to the throats and around the guides.

The valves were trashed with rot and the guides were rusty too so I sourced new valves from G&S valves and some new guides then had a machining shop fit unleaded seats and skim it down to a suitable chamber size. The 202 is a long stroke head so has a large chamber size. Too much for my needs.

This matched to a modified carburettor, fruity (but tasteful) exhaust, and a swiftune camshaft should be good for 70hp.

 

 

 

 

Really nice. I had a 12G940 ported and big valves, but I remember trying to flog it to my physics teacher who was an MG licker and he said there was either two too many or too few studs for his block. 

Something to do with rwd having 9 studs and fwd having 7 or vice versa. 

All of the above could be bollocks mind as we're talking 1993.

I think those in the know say one 'big' SU can be better than twin small ones... Again I might have that wrong. 

Lovely creamy Mini btw.

[Tommyboy12]

Your 12G940 would have been 9 stud and he wanted 11.

The thing with SU carbs is they're often underrated. A 1 1/2" is good for about 75-80hp and 1 3/4" is good for 100hp on an A-series and they are more than capable of feeding enough air and fuel to any good road engine. A single is easier to tune and fault diagnose as well as being considerably cheaper! But people like the look of twins or a big fat Weber.

Personally I go for practical and functional 😅

[sharley17194]

ive been tried to sell him a pair of twins for a while, they will be waiting when he changes his mind

[Tommyboy12]

I've been doing some more work rebuilding my carburettor and short block work too.

I've done a few modifications to the  carb to improve flow. The idea being more air in more bang. First off there was a nasty step in the carb spacer which will cause some nasty turbulence.

Secondly thinning down the butterfly spindle.

One modified and rebuilt carb.

Last night I also checked crank end float. Spec is 0.05-0.07mm. I'm smack bang on 0.05mm.

Next job is getting the pistons on the rods and into the block. Then time up the fancy camshaft I bought.

[Noel Tidybeard]

On 23/02/2022 at 07:37, Tommyboy12 said:

Your 12G940 would have been 9 stud and he wanted 11.

The thing with SU carbs is they're often underrated. A 1 1/2" is good for about 75-80hp and 1 3/4" is good for 100hp on an A-series and they are more than capable of feeding enough air and fuel to any good road engine. A single is easier to tune and fault diagnose as well as being considerably cheaper! But people like the look of twins or a big fat Weber.

Personally I go for practical and functional 😅

this would be why there was an S.U under the bonnet of a turbot rs2000 that used to use the petrol station my gf worked at in the 80's

[Tommyboy12]

The Montego has officially gone 🥲

Replaced immediately by something else. A swap for the Montego.

I did a track day with my Fiesta yesterday. Great fun but I felt bad for absolutely thrashing my daily. I think that might tell you the plans for this Scooby.

[mk2_craig]

2 hours ago, Tommyboy12 said:

that might tell you the plans for this Scooby

I’ve never seen one of those upgraded* to an A series and 4 speed box. 

[Tommyboy12]

More engine building has occured for the Mini. Yes I'm doing it on the kitchen floor. The perks of being single 😅 Pistons and crank in. Block bolted down. Camshaft timed in and cover back on.

Next jobs are the oil pump, transfer case, flywheel and clutch on the other side. Then get the head on and it's pretty much done!

[Tommyboy12]

More progress on the 998 engine! Unfortunately I completely forgot that the full gasket set you can get for the A-series doesnt come with a clutch oil seal so have to wait for that now. Also beginning to wonder how I'm going to get it from the kitchen to the front of the house... I feel a bit like the guy who built a caterham in his front room...

[Tommyboy12]

Been a while! The 998 engine is now complete and has made its way into the garage this weekend from my kitchen! One step closer to the car! It's the one with the rad fitted. I've got covid at the moment which is giving me variable bouts of fever and coughing so it may or may not make it into the car this weekend. The other engine is an old 1275 I sold this weekend. Used to be fitted to the turbo Mini. They fetch ridiculous money now and I've been sat on it for ages so thought it was time to sell. I do still have another 1275 😅

I also did some bikeshite this weekend. My motorbike has been sat without a fuel tank for about 7-8 months. Finally decided to paint the tank I bought and get it fitted. It did require a load of fabrication to the bike frame which I did ages ago I just never finished painting and fitting. I've doubled the tank size from 4.5L to 9L and I actually have a fuel reserve now which I didn't before. It should make me less conscious of fuel levels while riding it which did always play in my mind. 4.5L doesn't get you far when the bike only does about 45mpg and you don't want to run out! I wasted my time by painting a steel tank silver so you can't tell it's painted 😂

Lastly I had a dig around under the scooby. It's a bit crispy as I knew but this is all pretty easy stuff so doesn't phase me. Panels are available for the sills and arches and the rear stuff is all flat steel.

[Tommyboy12]

Is it in yet?

Yes. Yes it is.

[rob88h]

I came here hoping to see an A-series Impreza. I guess I'll have to wait 😉.

[Tommyboy12]

I do need to get round to the Impreza at some point. Its had nothing more than a rust assessment and I have put the original bootlid back on because apparently the white bootlid has no mounting points.

[Tommyboy12]

Bit of a fleet update.

Firstly the bike. It failed it's MoT after 7-8 months off the road. I left it with the garage. Probably going to cost a small fortune. The rear suspension linkage  destroyed its bearings and ovaled some bolt holes in the process. That and the headstock needs new bearings. This is work I would happily do myself if the bike had a centre stand or I had a motorcycle jack. Which I don't...

I finally plumbed the engine into the Mini properly on Sunday! Adult life is so tedious when it gets in the way of fun stuff... Just the exhaust to go which I intend to do an evening this week. The downpipe is on I just need to sort the mid and rear section.

I've also taken the decision to part with the Fiesta. I know it's not at all AS but it's been a great car. However, I've mostly been looking at it through the window of my third bedroom as I have worked from home for the last two years. I've also recently separated from my partner and honestly I can't justify the cost of it anymore and although it's nice it only gets used once or twice a week. It's going on Saturday. This is probably my favourite picture of it in its memory!

However this leaves me without my irregularly used daily... Sooooo... Collection caper incoming...

[Tommyboy12]

I also bought some sills for the Impreza which hasnt moved an inch since it landed on my drive...

[timolloyd]

Keeping my fingers crossed that you’ve bought a Maybach with a Perkins diesel conversion.

Or a 3 wheeler Maestro.

[Tommyboy12]

On my way to pick up my new steed! First stage of the journey is this a lift in this shite to get to the station.

 

[Tommyboy12]

Second stop King's Cross

[sharley17194]

hopefully theres a video incoming?

14 minutes ago, Tommyboy12 said:

Second stop King's Cross

 

[Tommyboy12]

Next stop is Waterloo to hop onto this train!

 

[Tommyboy12]

ETA of 45 mins while I watch the world go by