One For Classic Car Fans.....

[Bonefish Blues]

Dunno, I'm going to have a look in a couple of days and I'll let you know!

No, that was the Mini's schtick, and what made its packaging so revolutionary (and why the A3X has such a schnoz!) - well that and the gearbox/engine being all in one unit.

 

[Profpointy]

But were the A30/A35 transverse engined ? (Thinking about the comment re 1275 engines ?)

I wouldn't have thought so as they were conventional rear wheel drive layout like the Morris Minor. Remember the A series pre-dates the transverse engine mini layout as it was also installed in the A35, Minor, and MG midget, Austin-Healey Sprite. I dare say the two layouts would have had differences and may or may not be easily interchangeable. The Midgets at least had 1275 versions if I remember rightly. I'm reasonably confident the Marina 1275 was a fore-aft A series too

 

[Ian H]

I wouldn't have thought so as they were conventional rear wheel drive layout like the Morris Minor. Remember the A series pre-dates the transverse engine mini layout as it was also installed in the A35, Minor, and MG midget, Austin-Healey Sprite. I dare say the two layouts would have had differences and may or may not be easily interchangeable. The Midgets at least had 1275 versions if I remember rightly. I'm reasonably confident the Marina 1275 was a fore-aft A series too

The Mini was the first transverse-engined vehicle produced by Austin-Morris/BMC. Austin developed the A-series. When they merged with Morris, the Minor benefitted by having its old side-valve engine replaced by the Austin unit. In other ways the Minor, being an Issigonis design, was far more sophisticated than the A30/35.

 

[raleighnut]

But were the A30/A35 transverse engined ? (Thinking about the comment re 1275 engines ?)

The 850 version even could be bored and stroked to 1275 easily..........................the block is the same, they can even be taken out to around 1400cc.
The limit with the transverse engined layout (Mini, Metro and Austin 1300 etc) is the gear primary drive to the underslung gearbox as the engine wants to 'climb' off the gearbox, tuners try to combat this by drilling and re-tapping the engine block to take bigger bolts (stronger too) but there is a limit to how much power you can safely transmit through the gear drive which can get pretty silly with the BMW OHC cross-flow motorcycle cylinder head fitted

 

[DRM]

To be fair you don't have to drive like a loon, and the ability to accelerate and / or cruise at (reasonable) motorway helps keep up with modern traffic. Even in my modern cars it's very rare indeed that I've needed to brake hard. but I can still make decent progress. In any case disc brakes are arguably more about cooling under heavy use than stopping the car any quicker. Properly set up drums should stop the car OK if you stomp on the pedal hard - and modern tyres help too.

Oh I know all that, but as a pre-teenager all you're bothered about is will it go like stink, never mind the important details like coming to a halt,

 

[Jameshow]

The 850 version even could be bored and stroked to 1275 easily..........................the block is the same, they can even be taken out to around 1400cc.
The limit with the transverse engined layout (Mini, Metro and Austin 1300 etc) is the gear primary drive to the underslung gearbox as the engine wants to 'climb' off the gearbox, tuners try to combat this by drilling and re-tapping the engine block to take bigger bolts (stronger too) but there is a limit to how much power you can safely transmit through the gear drive which can get pretty silly with the BMW OHC cross-flow motorcycle cylinder head fitted

How would you fit a BMW ohc cylinder head to an A series?!

 

[Drago]

How would you fit a BMW ohc cylinder head to an A series?!

With an extremely large hammer.

 

[raleighnut]

How would you fit a BMW ohc cylinder head to an A series?!

It's a recognised modification to not only the Mini but also the MG Midget/Austin Healy Sprite amongst other cars. The important thing is the bore size and spacing with the ideal model being the 'K' series BMW twin cam head along with fuel injection and throttle bodies etc. The difficult part is the engineering required to reposition the cylinder head studs but nothing to a proper engineering workshop. I'd post a link but can't on this chromebook but if you google 'BMW cylinder head on Mini' there's loads of info including companies selling kits to do it and workshops who will carry out the work as well as youtube videos of modified cars (oh and BTW this isn't AI generated bull, these are genuine modified cars)
Like I posted the Mini isn't the ideal vehicle to modify due to the gear primary drive* but plenty have been done in the past 20 odd years.

* I think the mods started with the Midget/Sprite where horsepower in excess of 200 BHP is talked about whereas the Mini's practical limit is about 140 BHP even with the bigger engine block to gearbox bolt modifications.

 

[Jameshow]

It's a recognised modification to not only the Mini but also the MG Midget/Austin Healy Sprite amongst other cars. The important thing is the bore size and spacing with the ideal model being the 'K' series BMW twin cam head along with fuel injection and throttle bodies etc. The difficult part is the engineering required to reposition the cylinder head studs but nothing to a proper engineering workshop. I'd post a link but can't on this chromebook but if you google 'BMW cylinder head on Mini' there's loads of info including companies selling kits to do it and workshops who will carry out the work as well as youtube videos of modified cars (oh and BTW this isn't AI generated bull, these are genuine modified cars)
Like I posted the Mini isn't the ideal vehicle to modify due to the gear primary drive* but plenty have been done in the past 20 odd years.

* I think the mods started with the Midget/Sprite where horsepower in excess of 200 BHP is talked about whereas the Mini's practical limit is about 140 BHP even with the bigger engine block to gearbox bolt modifications.

Thanks I thought about as much same bore and spacing. Changing studs, cam belt for OHC etc..
fuel injection too.....

 

[biggs682]

But were the A30/A35 transverse engined ? (Thinking about the comment re 1275 engines ?)

No pretty sure rear wheel drive

 

[raleighnut]

Thanks I thought about as much same bore and spacing. Changing studs, cam belt for OHC etc..
fuel injection too.....

Yep 3 of the head studs are in the right place but the other 7 need plugging and re-drilling/tapping along with oil/water passages but so many have been done that all the parts to convert are easy to come by from reputable companies (not backyard bodgers)

 

[DRM]

With an extremely large hammer.

And No Nails

 

[Profpointy]

Yep 3 of the head studs are in the right place but the other 7 need plugging and re-drilling/tapping along with oil/water passages but so many have been done that all the parts to convert are easy to come by from reputable companies (not backyard bodgers)

Sounds like it'd be easier to drop in the entire K100 engine and try and fit that to the gearbox,

 

[Drago]

The BMW K series engines werent very nice motors. Not all that powerful, rough in a way that the Japanese hadnt been sinde the 60s. The shorn down 3 pot 750 version was actually a more pleasant unit.

Probably better to pinch the head for a conversion than transplanting the whole K motor.

 

[raleighnut]

Sounds like it'd be easier to drop in the entire K100 engine and try and fit that to the gearbox,

Nah for a car to drop the BMW 'K' series motor in you need a Hillman Imp.........another common modification.