I just bought a 1500 engine that came from a MGA titled as a 1957, but I
think it may actually have been produced in late 1956. The engine number
is BP15BG-9640. I don't have the car number in hand (could maybe get it
later) but my best guess would put this engine in car number 19540
(+/-100). As the engine numbers started at 101 and the car numbers started
at 10101, this would make it about 9540 cars into the production run (+/-100).
Now the curious bits. This engine has the early one piece oil filter
housing, where you have to remove the oil supply pipe in order to change
the oil filter. This should be correct for this vintage of engine.
However, in years past (1968) I once owned a 1956 MGA that had a two piece
filter housing, but then maybe that car had an upgraded part on it.
Next, the water pump has a removable pulley mounting hub, held on the shaft
with a key and a locking hex nut on the front. Every MGA water pump I've
seen (original cast iron type) has the pulley mounting hub pressed on the
shaft, non-removable except with a shop arbor press, and tapped threads to
accept bolts from the front to attach the pulley and fan blade.
Additionally, the fan blade and pulley are mounted to the hub with
hex-socket flat head screws from the back and hex nuts on the front, so you
have to remove the hub from the shaft before you can remove the fan blade
or pulley from the hub. Also the water pump housing has a removable grease
plug on top in the vacinity of the shaft bearing, which I have also not
seen before on an MGA.
The engine is painted dark blue. I have seen MGA starters and generators
painted this color before, but I couldn't swear they were originally from
an MGA. I trust that this paint color came with the engine rebuild (.040
pistons) and is not quite a match for the original color, because ....
The inside of the oil pan is painted a dark green, something like British
Racing Green. I have not before seen an MGA oil pan painted on the inside,
although I have seen a variety of (non-MG) engine and gearbox castings
painted inside to surpress casting trash. My guess here is that the this
engine was originally this color of green, and that the fresh paint outside
with the rebuild was intended to match the original color but was a slight
miss. The timing cover is not painted inside. I do not have the valve
cover. (Then again, maybe the oil pan is not original to this engine).
Two of the connecting rod caps have the bottom edge of the web ribs ground
off a bit, looks like maybe part of a balancing act, could have been done
with the rebuild.
I haven't disassembled the head yet, but all of the valves appear to be in
nearly new condition with the appropriate width for the cylindrical flat on
the edges, and the appropriate protruberance of the valve heads above the
surface of the casting.
Except for some surface rust in a few small spots on the cam lobes, I'd be
sorely tempted to just reassemble this engine and drop it in the car to see
how it runs. Maybe I'll just polish the cam and try it anyway. My
original intent with purchasing this engine was just to have an emergence
spare, so I'm not inclined to put much money into it if I don't have to.
Well, $150 for a complete engine sounded like a pretty good deal. For
anyone still interrested, the floor is open for comments.
Barney Gaylord
1958 MGA with an attitude
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