Tuning a maxi

[-Scott-]

As the title (kind of) suggests.

Ill have an empty space in my garage in the next month or so, and I am thinking of building up a mini.
I want to do an engine swap, and a few people have suggested this engine to me.
However, what can be done to the 1750 engine in the way of tuning?
carbs i know can be changed, but what too?

anything else?

cheers guys

picture, because this thread is useless with out one lol

[akku]

my recollection is that this is a large and not easy to tune engine. You would be far better to transplant something light and powerful into a Mini if you are going to the bother of swapping something else in. Vauxhall SOHC, DOHC, Honda Vtec and others have all been done, and work well when done rigth.

[-Scott-]

I thought this would be the case... thanks for that

[akku]

If I had a 1750 Maxi I'd have a go at tweaking it in its original home but even then I'd be looking at what else would go in there. I know I risk the ire of the BL fans here but even when new that 1750 motor was a damp squib. We used to know someone with a 1750 Allegro and our 1.3 Escorts and my 1.3 Kadett would wipe the floor with it.

Go find some oddball lightweight motor that makes great power as stock and slip that in there

Bonus points for doing what nobody else has, but better to do something which works really well.

[-Scott-]

Yeah.
quite limited with space with a mini, even a clubman, but I'm quite sure theres somthing out there that will fit without much work...

I know i can get a 1.6 zetec to fit in, the new fezzy engine.. wonder if a focus ST will be as easy... i trip to the ford dealership with a tape measure is in order me thinks

[robinmasters]

My dad had a Maxi; 'orrible colour (sandstorm yellow?), with a brown velour interior. The hydrolastic suspension is great for making kids sick!

Won't a Maestro Turbo engine fit in there? They're essentially the same block aren't they?

[mdh]

Isnt the Maxi engine an O series lump?

If so a Rover 820 vitesse turbo motor should fit....

that would be good fun as a sleeper - beige paint, velour interior, spit flames on the over run!! ;D ;D

[akku]

I think he's talking about a Maxi engine in a Mini not what engine to put in a Maxi. Yeah, T16 Turbo should bolt into a Maxi.

[-Scott-]

Yeah, the metro block is a "A + series" as you say, the same size etc, but the newest turbo engine is now 20 years old..

[Clamity]

I saw a Maxi engine fitted in a deseamed Mini at a show when I was a nipper. Must have been around mid to late 80's. I think the car was red and they had extended the body a bit around the scuttle, but it was a long time ago so I could be wrong. Wouldn't the sump have to sit quite low though to fit under the bonnet?

[-Scott-]

the bonnet can be raised simply
gives it a beefy look too

[popuptoaster]

There was a clubman estate running around years ago with a Lotus twincam engine in it, its all a degree of how much work you want to put in really.

[-Scott-]

yes, i think i know which one you mean, that engine is now in a "normal" mini.
Not too bothed about the amount of work, I'm willing to do almost anything. As long as i don't have to get it IVA tested

[Deleted]

Andy Saunders was the creator of the 1750cc Maxi-Mini. It was finished in Raspberry Red metallic and sported a KAT kit (I think...) and what looked like half an XR4i spoiler on the back.

I really liked the car but read some years ago that Andy was less keen on his own creation!

[skinnylew]

Focus St lump is essential the same engine as the Volvo T5 so you could pick up one of them cheapish. That would be an awesome sleeper

[-Scott-]

oh right, didnt know that.
Z-cars do a kit for the volvo engine.. all the rear of the car is cut away, and the subframe/rollcage/engine support goes in
Expensive mind...

but then again.. 250 bhp in a car that will weigh little more the a snotty hanky... should be a laugh

[popuptoaster]

My mate used to run an original Mini Cooper with an ex Monte Carlo rally crossflow head on it, it had a pair of 40's (or 45's, can't remember) sticking out the front of the bonnet, it was bored out to 1400cc i think, went pretty well, easily creamed an RS600i.

[-Scott-]

the problem with boring out an a series lump is the cylinder wall become very thin, thats why I am wanting to put a different engine in
If i were to stick to an a series, the biggest i could go realistically, without having to worry so much, is 1310 with some sort of fored induction.
OK, thats going to produce a hell of a lot of power, I'm not denying that, but I think an conversion would be brilliant to do, and challenge me.

But in the same breath iv got to consider the cost of something like that, and at the moment its not looking good. So I have been thinking that a normal (ish) mini engine to start with, and a conversion later on...

thats kind of why I asked about the maxi engine, its still a series, just bigger, and i didnt know if there was much tuning available to me, but with what you have all said there isnt, and the 1750 is a damp squid (lol)

[composimmonite]

I used to have a Maxi and 1750 Allegro. Neither was a "fire breather" - more of a caravan slogger.
Spent a whole weekend once trying to fish the speedo drive out of the Maxi gearbox with length of wire. I was changing speedo cable, the drive pulled out of it's resess and dropped down !
BTW fastest I've ever changed a clutch was on the Maxi - just over 2 hours from start to finish.

Paul H

[popuptoaster]

Its nearly always cheaper to fit a bigger engine that tune a small one, especially when you take into account the better MPG and reliability of a big motor compared to a small highly tuned one and the better road manners you get from a stock engine