Advice needed-MG Metro Turbo Engine

[mlswansea]

Hi all,

Thinking of fitting the MG Metro Turbo Engine into my '91 cooper, does anybody have any advice about this swap and whats involved and whether or not its really worth doing , what gains would there be etc, etc, etc.

Cheers,

Mark

[dai9fxey]

Will you be running a Turbo as well.??

[coedy]

you need to have a different fuel tank with a return line going back to it. you will need a bulkhead box to allow for clearance of the turbo. other than that everything should come with the donor engine.

[taffy1967]

Didn't the ERA Mini Turbo have the same type of set-up? Does anyone know how that got shoehorned in as according to the technical information on this site: -

www.aronline.co.uk/

The ERA Mini Turbo was the ultimate 1275cc engined Mini and gave better performance results to the Metro Turbo.

[ljonez]

will be a pretty straight forward swap but as said you will need to fit an electric fuel pump or find a spi or mpi tank and run a return line to it.
also you will need to box the firewall to allow the turbo to fit.

check out

www.turbominis.co.uk/forums/index.php

its easily the best source for turbo mini info

[mlswansea]

;D
Cheers guys, you've been a great help once again, I'll let you know how i get on.

[jimster]

I've done quite a few mini turbo conversions over the past 10 years or so, so if you get stuck give me a shout. As already has been said you will need to cut your bulkhead, unless you use a mirage manifold set, but these are around £350. What do you plan to use the car for, as since the metro turbo came out, things have moved on quite a bit. The t3 turbo fitted to the metro is very old by todays standards, I'd recomened fitting the t2 from a renault 5, or maybe something newer from the GT range of turbo's from garrett.

You don't need to replace your fuel tank, you can have the return go back in the the fuel line with a 't' peice, although often easier to fit and spi or mpi tank.

Don't forget that most metro turbo engine are over 20years old now so will need a full rebuild, the metro turbo rings are NLA so you will need to go +020 rebore. So it's not really that important to get one as a donner engine.

There are lots of myths around about turbo blocks and cranks being different. All the turbo blocks are the same as 90% of a+ (non mpi) blocks, and the cranks fitted to most of the turbo's was the cam6232, which is again a std 1275 crank. There was a cam6521 fitted to some of the earlier turbo engines, but this is not really needed.

The gearbox is also the same, apart from a different final drive, and a larger bearing on the input gear (different transfer housing) then they are exactly the same as any 998 a+ box, and when you see the price of the turbo nose bearing, you'll soon wish you had a std transfer housing.

The metro turbo head came with sodium cooled valves, there is also a myth that these are needed. I have not run them in years and never will, the valve heads have a habbet of falling off. I'd use stainless valves, nice and cheap, and reliable.

If you want to turbo a std engine, you'll need to drop the compression ratio, this all depends on what boost you plan to run. The best way of doing this is to have a large dish in the pistons, if you need some more CC's, THEN started taking material from the head.

The metro turbo cam is a std 1275 cam, it's very mild, the Dizzy is different and so is the carb.

The metro turbo also had a different inlet and exhaust manifold.

So to convert a std 1275 engine to turbo you will need.

Metro turbo dizzy (or go mapped ignition/mega jolt)
Metro turbo carb (or can convert normal 1 3/4 su to boost sensative)
High pressure fuel pump (spi, mpi or metro turbo)
riasing rate fuel pressure regulator from metro turbo
low compression pistons.
bulkhead box (or go for different manifold
metro turbo exhaust manifold
turbo charger (I strongly recomended avoiding the metro item)
plenum chamber
inlet manifold
I'd recomend the mg metro cam, (not turbo) or avonbar phase2 cam.

Any more questionlet me know.

[mlswansea]

Mar 9, 2009 23:37:54 GMT 1 jimster said:

I've done quite a few mini turbo conversions over the past 10 years or so, so if you get stuck give me a shout. As already has been said you will need to cut your bulkhead, unless you use a mirage manifold set, but these are around £350. What do you plan to use the car for, as since the metro turbo came out, things have moved on quite a bit. The t3 turbo fitted to the metro is very old by todays standards, I'd recomened fitting the t2 from a renault 5, or maybe something newer from the GT range of turbo's from garrett.

You don't need to replace your fuel tank, you can have the return go back in the the fuel line with a 't' peice, although often easier to fit and spi or mpi tank.

Don't forget that most metro turbo engine are over 20years old now so will need a full rebuild, the metro turbo rings are NLA so you will need to go +020 rebore. So it's not really that important to get one as a donner engine.

There are lots of myths around about turbo blocks and cranks being different. All the turbo blocks are the same as 90% of a+ (non mpi) blocks, and the cranks fitted to most of the turbo's was the cam6232, which is again a std 1275 crank. There was a cam6521 fitted to some of the earlier turbo engines, but this is not really needed.

The gearbox is also the same, apart from a different final drive, and a larger bearing on the input gear (different transfer housing) then they are exactly the same as any 998 a+ box, and when you see the price of the turbo nose bearing, you'll soon wish you had a std transfer housing.

The metro turbo head came with sodium cooled valves, there is also a myth that these are needed. I have not run them in years and never will, the valve heads have a habbet of falling off. I'd use stainless valves, nice and cheap, and reliable.

If you want to turbo a std engine, you'll need to drop the compression ratio, this all depends on what boost you plan to run. The best way of doing this is to have a large dish in the pistons, if you need some more CC's, THEN started taking material from the head.

The metro turbo cam is a std 1275 cam, it's very mild, the Dizzy is different and so is the carb.

The metro turbo also had a different inlet and exhaust manifold.

So to convert a std 1275 engine to turbo you will need.

Metro turbo dizzy (or go mapped ignition/mega jolt)
Metro turbo carb (or can convert normal 1 3/4 su to boost sensative)
High pressure fuel pump (spi, mpi or metro turbo)
riasing rate fuel pressure regulator from metro turbo
low compression pistons.
bulkhead box (or go for different manifold
metro turbo exhaust manifold
turbo charger (I strongly recomended avoiding the metro item)
plenum chamber
inlet manifold
I'd recomend the mg metro cam, (not turbo) or avonbar phase2 cam.

Any more questionlet me know.

Thanks for all the information, sorry about the delay in responding but I've had a lot on and the Mini took a back seat. The conversion is still going ahead but I am now considering paying someone to do it if the price is right as I will probably be going away for a while abroad to a sunny place thats pretty hostile. I believe I have all the bits including an expensive MED head and metro block/pistons (rebored +20 thou) and gearbox plus all the other bits reqd(Turbo and all ancillaries), would like it checked and rebuilt/painted and fitted if someone is up to it, looks like the car would be available from Feb/Mar 2010 for six months, exact timings TBC.
If you or if you know of anyone interested in doing it then please let me know.
thanks,
Mark

[Phil J]

Do you know the place next to the old Smiths crisps factory in Fforestfach ? he seems to know his is minis pretty well. I have never had any work done by him but very immpressed with his knowledge so might be worth asking.

I don't have his number at the moment but could get it tomorow

[mlswansea]

If you could dig it out would appreciate it, also need to get the cone tool back to you mate, been away alot and now catching up. Just a quick one while you're here, today i changed my cylinder head, carb and fuel pump and now when I accelerate I seem to lack power as if the engine is restricted, any ideas, could it just be the timing thats out?

[Phil J]

no problem mate, I still have your tourqe wrench here too,

I wouldnt like to guess on the problem though , hopefully someone with more knowledge will be able to help

[mlswansea]

I bought a new torque wrench today as I'd forgotten where it was so that one is yours mate if you want it, no need for two of them so you can have it. Will take the car into the Hafod tomorrow to have it tuned and see if he can sort it.