Ok, I've always wanted to build an engine. First of all my background, I have a very basic mechanically knowledge I can change oil, filters, brake pads, disks and wheel bearings. I've replaced radiators, alternators, starter motors and once a head gasket. I have a decent tool collection covering most of the everyday tools and willing to purchase any specialist tools that maybe required.

I brought a virgin 1275 A Series engine from Gumtree that's complete minus the head. I've pressure washed this today and drowned it in WD-40. Photo below:






While looking for a suitable head I found one advertised from a metro that needs reconditioning. From the same guy selling the head I ended up buying a another 1275 A Series block that's been bored .06 and just needs to be honed. A Wade reground Cam (#104 Profile (what ever that means!)), a crank that's a 10/10 (no idea what that means either?) a new water pump, a set of various bearings and a gasket kit. He also kindly threw in a used gearbox. I need to buy pistons, cam chain as for the rest I have no idea. Photo below of all the stuff I got today:





So, can the kind folk of Ausmini please provide me a shopping list of what I need and what's best for an engine I want to last rather than HP.

Should I get the block and gear box chemically cleaned?
What do I need to rebuild the gear box?

Plenty more question to come while I figure out what I'm doing!!!

Cheers to all,

Marty

The second engine I'm assuming you meant .060 thou over bored, giving you a 1330cc engine I believe. Obviously being a bigger cc it will give a bit more BHP and be just as reliable as a std engine. Both engines can use the head you have and the gearboxs should also go under either one, what you need to decide is what engine you want to build .
Seeing as you have the choice, I'd suggest the 1330cc engine for the extra HP and torque whether the car will be a daily driver or a weekend car, you'll enjoy the extra little bit of power. Plus the std 1275 will only increase in value over time.

If you can tell us all the engine and gearbox numbers we may be able to tell you a bit more about them because you'll need to know what gear ratios and diff ratios you have as that will affect the final results.

Also what are you planning to do with the mini that will get the engine? What size wheels? How often do you intend to use it? Will it be driven at highway speeds more than it gets driven up a lot of hills or just stop start town/suburb traffic?

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Respect mine and I'll respect yours.

You always got me to help you out marty....

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The best part of fixing your mini is the test drive

Minis..

1976 van daily drive
1975 van
1968 deluxe in the shed
1967 deluxe high strung 1310
1959 austin healey sprite

crank looks to be a small journal, the rods are too. The Wade 104 is a nice cam for the road. Looks like the good basis for a 1275. Did you get a 1275 primary gear?

_________________
The bitterness of poor quality (or Crappy Workmanship) remains LONG AFTER the Sweet Taste of Low Price is forgotten.

Cool, I'll drop it all over tomorrow with a couple of grand budget. Can I pick up again this time next week? Ha ha......

The plans is to rebuild the gearbox first, using the second block that's been bored to .06 (may even consider boring to 1380!) and recondition the head. I'll update engine and gearbox numbers tomorrow, where do I find the gear box number?

The car will be a weekend / daily driver around town with occasional longer runs. I'm a Nanna driver as I have the horsepower with my company vehicle

Yeap, it's a small journal (so I was told, what does that mean?) as for primary gear I'm not sure how can I tell?

The virgin engine number is: 12YD/Ta/H15849 & Gearbox: 22A1288 R15842/4

The bored engine number can't be seen & the Gearbox: 22G1832

The car it's going into has 12 inch wheels and will be a dry weather daily driver with longer weekend runs.

The `virgin' one would have had a big journal crank & rods when new.
Personally I prefer the small journal ones, as the crank & rods are not as heavy.

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

Isn't the virgin engine )12YDTaH) a Morris 1100S engine so if it's all still orgional it'll have a diff suited for larger wheels, so good for your 12" wheels.

_________________
Respect mine and I'll respect yours.

Yeap, it's from a Morris 1100 good to know re: diff.

Cheers

1275 primary gear is on the virgin Morris 1100S engine, clean it up and use it.
The gearbox under it isn't a Morris 1100S by looking at the diff housing. Anyway most 12 inch wheels use low profile tyres, giving the same circumference as a 10 inched wheel.
I agree with the Doc, go the small journal, lighter and stronger rods and the crank is cross drilled.

_________________
The bitterness of poor quality (or Crappy Workmanship) remains LONG AFTER the Sweet Taste of Low Price is forgotten.

The Morris 1100S diff isn't even suitable for a Morris 1100S.
They have a 4.1:1 ratio.

I'm running a 3.65:1 in my Morris 1100(1368) with tall 12" tyres and I still think I should have gone for the 3.44:1.

moot point - it's not an 1100 diff housing, so probably not a 4.1:1 diff... but I hate the look of the rust on the crank tail...

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did I tell you that I won a trophy?

The rust all over isn't as bad as it looks, in saying that is it worth getting the crank cleaned up? Or just finding a replacement?

I'm probably not going to use the virgin engine now as the other parts I brought when I picked up the head seem better. The story with the virgin engine was it appeared on Gumtree cheap, I took it sight unseen as the guy told me it turned. When the guy dropped it over he told me he'd taken it out of a South African Mini 15 years ago filled it with oil and forgotten about it! The outta was covered in dusty/muddy oil! The photo you see was after I scrub the outta coating off, pressure cleaned it and drowned it in WD-40.

If nothing else I can learn just from pulling it apart! In saying that once I have pulled it apart I do instead to get it all chemically cleaned, stored and wrapped to preserve it as best as possible.

Smaller journals incur less drag at higher rpm...

Did you get the alloy remote tube with the gearbox?