Wanted: Engine rebuild on A series.

[steve austin]

Hi all, anyone know of a trusted engine rebuilding service within reach of Lowestoft in Suffolk? My dads 1965 Austin 1100 needs a total overhaul, unleaded head and painting if poss for next years shows. Currently she is drinking a litre of oil every 70 miles at 60mph! Cheers.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Can you not buy a recon exchange one from Minispares or one of these places? I reckon that will be cheaper and less grief than rebuilding your own.

[Torsten2001]

Try calling Les at BL Transverse 020 8654 3069

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

Depends if you could get the engine and box out yourself. I've rebuilt plenty of A Series in the past, all of them Mini units but the 1100 is much the same.

The main bits are easy enough but there may be an issue getting hold of low compression (i.e not twin carb MG type flat top) pistons for the 1098 and I would almost certainly expect it to need a rebore. The block is the same as the 998 Mini although a 1965 will be a thin flange - that's the bottom block flange where it bolts to the gearbox casing. The thin flange ones used to leak, so perhaps a good post '68 Mini 1000 thick flange block with good bores would be better.

If the oil light's not on, the crank should polish up or need a 10 thou grind. The head gasket is regular small bore 998 A Series.

For a head, it's be worth just buying an unleaded 12G202 from a Minor specialist - I would imagine it would be cheaper than having yours done.

It could be worth doing a couple of mods whilst it's out as the 1100 is a bit fartless. I'd suggest a head skim to raise the CR, a better cam and a 1.5 inch SU. That would give it another 5-10 bhp and more torque.

If the gearbox needs doing, now would be the time! A set of baulk rings and idler gear roller bearings plus a layshaft. It'll be a 3 syncro box so the parts mentioned are all different to the later 4 syncro units.

 

A proper engine rebuild will be expensive - even an A Series requires plenty of hours to do a proper job. Good used 1100 engines are rare and whilst the RWD units do not fit, you might find a low mileage Allegro 1100 unit.

[steve austin]

Can you not buy a recon exchange one from Minispares or one of these places? I reckon that will be cheaper and less grief than rebuilding your own.

A good idea, my dad loves the old girl though and she has only done 24k in 45 years and dad wants to try and keep her original.

[steve austin]

Thanks bluejeans, lots of very useful info. Gearbox seems fine atm but I guess it wouldnt hurt to check everything? When do you want me to drop the ol girl off to you?

[michael1703]

I would offer but I am booked up until May.

 

You could try Scholar

 

http://www.scholarengines.co.uk/

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

Likewise, I'm just mega busy until March - if you're not sorted by then, get back to me.

 

I did a mountain of work on a 1966 Morris 1100 about five years ago and that had an engine that was utterly borked - clouds of smoke and a horrendous bottom end rumble. It had been completely run out of oil and driven until it seized.

It was clearly past rebuilding so a rusty 1963 Austin was bought and raped for it's engine. Steam cleaned it off, painted it the land Rovery green, dropped it in and thought 'shouldn't we have fired this up and tested it before we did all this...........'

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And it was absolutely perfect. Oil light straight out, used virtually no oil and a very sweet gearbox. How lucky was that?

[richardthestag]

Hi all, anyone know of a trusted engine rebuilding service within reach of Lowestoft in Suffolk? My dads 1965 Austin 1100 needs a total overhaul, unleaded head and painting if poss for next years shows. Currently she is drinking a litre of oil every 70 miles at 60mph! Cheers.

 

How do you know that the engine needs a total overhaul? could just be dead 45 year old valve stem seals allowing oil in to be combusted. Replacement head should fix that .

 

Mum had a 1.3 allagro estate which we decided needed a bit of a pep up in 1986 it also had done very low mileage and was drinking oil faster than petrol. Hauled the head off it and couldn't see the valves for the carbon build up. Evidently had spent the last 5 years trundling around on short journeys with the choke out.

 

Siezed 1100 engine story reminds me my bro had an 1100 that he complained was making a "horrid noise". I went out with him and stopped him after 200 yards, yanked out the dipstick which was bone dry. I sent him down to Albert (notoriously ill tempered parts counter chappy) down at my local Unipart store to get a longer dipstick. Bro came home 1/2 hour later and was not a happy bunny

[steve austin]

Aha, valve stem seals, she doesnt smoke on start up, only when warmed up?

[jaycey001]

Hi

this garage recomended to me quite a few times, very helpfull and have a paint shop! worth a try.

www.evergreengarage.co.uk

 

j

[steve austin]

Hi

this garage recomended to me quite a few times, very helpfull and have a paint shop! worth a try.

http://www.evergreengarage.co.uk

 

j

Thanks, most helpful and fairly local, will contact them, many thanks

[steve austin]

I would offer but I am booked up until May.

 

You could try Scholar

 

http://www.scholarengines.co.uk/

And another local engineers, thanks, will get a quote from them too.

[keef]

Try calling Les at BL Transverse 020 8654 3069

 

Apparently he can be contacted via email now as well.

 

vek@ see http://www.londoncarhire.com

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

60 miles to a pint of oil will be a bit more than stem seals!

[steve austin]

60 miles to a pint of oil will be a bit more than stem seals!

Thats what I thought to be honest. We did the run from Lowestoft to the Enfield pageant of motoring last May and by the time we hit the M25 the oil light was flickering so she was guzzling oil. Doesnt really matter as dad loves the ol girl so she will be repaired regardless

[warninglight]

If you're changing the oil pump, get shorter bolts! I rebuilt the lump in my '64 Austin 1100 a few times more than I should have because I couldn't get oil pressure. I traced it for leaks, tried 2 different pumps, engine 'specialist' told me to get +10s in mains and big end bearings, before he got his finger out and tested the crank, didn't need them... Eventually it turned out the pump bolts were a few thou too long, the new pumps aren't as thick. Hacked a couple of threads off the end off each bolt and it worked. I think I went through 5 whole gasket sets.

 

Incidentally if you want a good oil pump and some +10s in main and big end bearings give me a shout

[steve austin]

Thanks warninglight, will pass info to Evergreen garage who are now doing the repair work needed.