Right! My hands are finally cleaned up after a fun day at the 'yard', so
for those of you who asked.......
The block on the 1275 Maestro is identical to the Ital so far as I can see.
Oil filter above the 45D type dizzy and the ribbed case block casting. The
head and water pump don't have the bypass fitted and the head studs are the
55lb ones with the better/stronger nuts. The flywheel mates the block to
the transverse FWD gearbox from the V.W. Clutch and flywheel are different
and probably unusable but the spacing of the six flywheel bolts isn't the
equally spaced pattern of the Spridget/Ital crank. The bolts are 19mm
metric. Weird! The ring gear is designed to fit round a 10 inch flywheel.
The distance from the rear of the block to the rear of the crank flange is 1
and 13/16 inch with a flange thickness of 1 and 1/16 inch. The diameter of
the flange is a constant, non-tapering, 3 and a quarter inches with a
locating spigot of 43 mm diameter jutting rearwards to locate the clutch
bits. There is a cast aluminium plate between the block and the gearbox
that houses the oil pump cover and a built-in seal for the rear of the
crank, as per most of the aftermarket Spridget kits. I guess this is where
the idea came from? The sump is slightly cut away to let the oil drain back
off the seal into the sump. I have rescued one of these to try and adapt it
for a Spridget/Ital block that I have down in Bournemouth.
If anyone can get the dimensions of a Spridget 1275 and an Ital crank
flange, I would be most grateful (mine are under loads of rubbish in the
back of the garage!)
£35-75 for a complete engine minus carb and dizzy.
TIA
Rob Thomas
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