[renamed] Ford/Lotus engines on Mini gearboxes!

[TurboDieselWeasel]

Hi!

Found this on the interwebs... It's a space framed racing Metro with a weird cylinderhead on a A-Series(?) engine.



Looks very interessting! Can someone ID the cylinder head by looking at it? It's non of the verious A-Series crossflow heads. So I suspect it's from something else - which might proofe to be a cheap donor for a cross flow head conversion for a Mini ;D

Cheers,
Jan

[Richard TR7]

I think it is a ford cross flow, but rather than just the head it may be the entire engine, I don't know how but I know that some of the 70's racing minis used a ford crossflow on a modified mini gearbox.

Google found this for inspiration.

[TurboDieselWeasel]

Now that you say it - it looks indeed a bit wider than an A-Series! I knew about the Manx Lotus conversions... Didn't think of a cross flow I think you'r right!



Thanks!!

Cheers,
Jan

[hardtop]

didn't they call them the 7 port head?

[hcanimal]

i seem to recall ron datson hillclimbing a maguire metro with a kent 1300 crossflow on a mini box back in the 80s.

[Rev. Dick Deluxe]

Surely that's an alloy head, crossflows are iron. It looks like an eight port A series head to me.

[Anglia68]

Sept 23, 2011 7:35:15 GMT TurboDieselWeasel said:

Hi!

Found this on the interwebs... It's a space framed racing Metro with a weird cylinderhead on a A-Series(?) engine.



Looks very interessting! Can someone ID the cylinder head by looking at it? It's non of the verious A-Series crossflow heads. So I suspect it's from something else - which might proofe to be a cheap donor for a cross flow head conversion for a Mini ;D

Cheers,
Jan

It is definately a Ford crossflow head.
You can tell by the end shape and the core-plug as well as the positioning of the sparkplugs and leads,the dry-sump rocker cover and the thermostat position at the other end and also the inlet manifold is for a 1100/1300 engine.Hths.

[The Transplanter]

Sept 23, 2011 7:43:28 GMT Richard TR7 said:

Google found this for inspiration.

I remember a guy from Harrow who had a blue clubman estate with a Ford based 711m Lotus lump in it, that was back in the early 80's and NOTHING could touch it

[composimmonite]

The David Vizard book "How to modifiy your Mini" has a section on fitting Kent engines into Mini's.

Paul H

[tonka12]

it looks like an elder 8 port alloy head to me it was a bolt on conversion for the a series not a ford

[Robinxr4i]

I've seen a couple of 7 port Minis heads, think they are originally a BL works thing that got adopted by the after market. I don't think they are based on a Kent head though?

www.minisport.com/mini-spare-parts/Mini_Sport_7_Port_Heads.html

Or even an 8 port head.....

www.minispares.com/Articles.aspx?ty=ad&aid=583

[TurboDieselWeasel]

No! It's NOT an A-Series head! Neither of them hast the spark plugs on the exhaust side, nor do they have that alignment of exhaust ports (except for the 7 port heads, but these have only ONE center exhaust port).

It's not:
- Arden
- Alexander
- Weslake
- AKM/Minisport
- Pierce
- Allen/Pinion
- Russel 7 or 8 port
- non of the known twin cam heads, obviously

If there was a Space-Framed Metro with a 1300 Kent crossflow, it's good chance that this is it! I just didn't think about the Crossflow OHV heads, I had only the twin cams in my mind...

Manx amongst others sold conversions to fit a Ford/Lotus engine into a Mini. Or better a kit to put a Mini Gearbox in a Ford/Lotus engine's sump ;D Looking like this:












And another one, not sure if it is a Manx, I think not:







And yet another one made in Germany by a privateer, IIRC. And not sure if it's a Ford engine!?







And some more random pictures of such conversions....

[popuptoaster]

my mate had a X flow OHV head on a Mini years ago, said it originally came off a car that had done the Monte Carlo rally although i don't know if it was a works car or a privately entered one, he had twin carbs sticking out the front of the bonnet and i remember him detroying my other mates tuned RS1600i down the lanes.

[tontoe]

Sept 23, 2011 7:35:15 GMT TurboDieselWeasel said:

Hi!

Found this on the interwebs... It's a space framed racing Metro with a weird cylinderhead on a A-Series(?) engine.



Looks very interessting! Can someone ID the cylinder head by looking at it? It's non of the verious A-Series crossflow heads. So I suspect it's from something else - which might proofe to be a cheap donor for a cross flow head conversion for a Mini ;D

Cheers,
Jan

That is an Arden 8 port head you can still buy them from mini specialists now very expensive it could never bee a ford crossflow head as they are cast iron this one is alloy

[damien4884]

That is not an Arden 8 port head!

api.ning.com/files/DFuojuHgvj3-C*5AfJOmiPCz9iQMEbxapDNq5Ylk3Y6b0ibA2Sn3FaxBOhLyhtLZq34YuwC3gPG0M06xg9y3jNWNN6n0DK6m/ARDEN8PortAMAL.JPG

That is^ however massive picture, it looks exactly the same as a normal a series but with the carb bolted on the front and 4 branch rear.

It is however a crossflow engine built onto a mini gearbox. Used to be a popular conversion but required a lot of work. I did hear of a metro thats been running a 1300 cosworth engine on mini gearbox for 20 odd years, 200bhp and 110nm torque.

[TurboDieselWeasel]

No! Ist not an Arden! ;D GDI! It's probably just painted silver... Please believe me, when I say it's non of the A-Series head!

This is an Arden:









This is a Weslake semi-down draft head:







Elder w. Weber manifolds:







Alexander 7 port:



Copy by Pierce USA of the MiniSport copy of the AKM copy of the Danish original 7 port alloy head. As sold by MED:



Cheers,
Jan

[tontoe]

see what you mean now about it being painted and not alloy and the rocker cover now i look at it more obviously Ford , it was just the alloy look that threw me ;D ;D ;D

[TurboDieselWeasel]

Sept 24, 2011 11:19:26 GMT tontoe said:

see what you mean now about it being painted and not alloy and the rocker cover now I look at it more obviously Ford , it was just the alloy look that threw me ;D ;D ;D

Yeah. If I'd had known they'r cast iron, I would've probably fallen into the same trap

That said... Pierce Manifold are making alloy Ford crossflow heads nowadays

www.piercemanifolds.com/product_p/99003.845.htm

[scaryoldcortina]

^ I was just about to mention that, also Burton Power list alloy crossflow heads.

I think the black engine is a pinto.

[bortaf]

Sept 24, 2011 11:36:55 GMT scaryoldcortina said:

^ I was just about to mention that, also Burton Power list alloy crossflow heads.

I think the black engine is a pinto.

with a wierd dizzy position? lucky it's not painted silver or we'd be here all day