Roger Garnett wrote:
> Typical failures include rod through the block, often #3. Also, the
> half-circle crank thrust bearings tend to fall out when worn, leading to
> severe crank end play, which may precipitate the first item.
Ding! Give the man a prize.
I got my Midget 1500 because of this reason, engine had many
problems, a badly patched rod hole, no thrust washers at all,
warped deck, etc. etc.
> One theory is a transplant rejection (TR into MG), while
> another is that the Midget has less airflow than the Spit, making it's
> bearing problems show up more readily.
Interesting theory, two pieces of evidence support this.
One is the one you gave, the spitfire owners seem to like
the engine, midget owners don't. I always pegged this off
as MG snobbery, but it may run deeper.
Also, I live in a cooler area, which may explain why around
here the 1500 engine isn't terribly hated at all and I often
find myself defending it on the lists. Perhaps the people who
have the worst experiences with it live in hotter regions?
I have no oil cooler, frankly I have more underheating
problems than overheating problems. I can't use the heater
on many days or else the car runs cooler than I want it to.
--
Trevor Boicey
Ottawa, Canada
tboicey@brit.ca
http://www.brit.ca/~tboicey/
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