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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Unleaded conversion costs

Hi, I have my cyliner head off and the engine and gearbox out etc. Looking at it it all looks fairly good condition. I am considering whether to get unleaded seat inserts in the head as th erest of it look so good.. anyone any idea how much it costs for the machining and insrets etc - I can lap the old valves back in a reassemlble it all myself...?

I will probably want the head skimmed to make suer it flat while its in the m/c shop I guess...

John Barber

Just browsing came across this Tim based metal tablets to dunk int he tank to act as a substitute for leaded petrol - has anyone used this and does it work ? seems quite reasonable price for quite a high mileage they claim..?
John Barber

What engine is it?
Lawrence Slater

The tin based tablets are the usual garbage - think hi-clone, fuel catalysts, magnets on the fuel lines, etc... They do nothing except waste your money.
Andrew F

Snake oil remedies would have been adopted by motor manufactureres like Honda if they worked.
I had valve guides, seats and a light skim on an MG Metro head 2 years ago for _£100.
The other way is to use it as it is until it needs refurbishing, and then do it. You can likely get many 1000s of miles out of it that way.
Why not just ring your engineer and ask. They should have fixed prices for this. Or better - just send it off to Peter Burgess.
Guy

You can't do better than talk to Peter Burgess. He is THE expert as far as BMC cylinder heads are concerned. And he will do a first class job for you at reasonable cost.
The stuff you put in the tank has never been proved to work. I wouldn't bother.
Mike Howlett

Thanks I will rimng around to get some prices - but it useful to have a start figure in mind. Its a 1500 engine ...

The valves etc look really good and the seats - but I may as well get it done whilst I am busy welding up the bodywork..
John Barber

Hey, John.

I am in the U.S., but I'm sure machining costs are similar--though note that I have a 1275.

I paid $5.00 for each seat, and $10.40 to install each one, so $61.60 without tax. Equivalent in British Pounds is about 39.12, I think. Well worth it, as the machinist said I'll be a bloody long time until I have to do anything else to the head (the guides and valves were all in fine shape at indicated 60,000 miles). I had the head surfaced, too. Can't read the guy's writing on that charge, but it wasn't too bad.
JM Young

John, if it's a 1275, buy a used head that's already done, then sell your original head to someone as the base for a race head. Unmolested heads aren't as numerous as they used to be.
M H Allen

Thanks for the comments - 39 pounds sound good value to me ..

Its a 1500 head so probaly not so sought after..

Thanks everyone
John Barber

John,
I'm not sure what you're expectimg to get for £39 but I'd check first

as for the 1500 head they race those too

that's one of the down dides of racing it's regulations consumers some original parts and components until their supply is so limited it's difficult for the sport to get the original parts and components

I remember 20 years back and I was trying to keep my BGT on the road and my nieghbour's friend who raced MGs went to collect five 3 bearing B engines two for his race needs and three to sell on, eventually the rule about having only 3 bearing engines had to be dropped - plenty of 5 bearing engine about I know but it's just an example I know of

oh and rear diffs from Fords as they're used for Rallying(?)

and almosted missed M H Allen's point about unmolested 1275 heads in Aus
Nigel Atkins

I agree Nigel - If I could get the valves seat done for 39 I would set up a repeat contract and start my own webshop to seel them on..!

I got a quote from a local outfit and its as follows:

machine head and fit hardened seats £125

Skim head £35

Plus vat = £186 total...

This doesn't include new valves etc .

Theey said if I need new guides ( can't machine the seats of worn ones for obvious reasons - concentricity of the seats ) Then thats another 10 per guide plus VAT .. (80 + VAT)

I think that brings it close to some of the ready made off the shelf heads... Esp. if you add new valves.

I think for what I want I am going to refurb myself with inserts and live with it until I Konvert.. ( K is deliberate note)

John Barber

New guides are £40-50 a set, and that's for the bronze ones. You can fit them yourself as it's dead easy to do.

Do you need new valves? Are yours worn enough to not seat/fit any more?
S Overy

I haven't checked just yet - I have cleaned up the heads - stick them in my pillar drill and use wet and dry to clean off the deposits - I was going to try lapping them in next - if they look fairly good on the current head seat I may just live with them as they are... The stems look fairly good - not much scoring/wear - the guides are steel so probably original ?

I was also going to clean off the deposits on the chambers and ports whilst I am there - but it all looks fairly good for 76000 miles?
John Barber

if your doing a Konvert why bother with more than necessary unless you want to sell the head/engine as having the work already done
Nigel Atkins

Plan is to get it back on the road and running for the summer - some bodywork to do and recomissioning after many years SORN... Then gather the bits for Konversion over the year for preparation for installation next winter/spring..

I will just do whats required to get it running reasonably reliably.. - Valves lapped as the seats look a little pitted. Just a general clean and back together.. I will check the thrust washers and mains as its out - I am not sure if its been done before since new?

I think the engine will be servicable when I am done..
John Barber

My unleaded conversion was £111+VAT in 2009 (amongst other work) from Scholar Engines in Suffolk.
Dean Smith ('73 RWA)

This thread was discussed between 19/02/2012 and 26/02/2012

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