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Allan Bentley
United Kingdom
253 Posts |
 Posted - 26/05/2022 : 09:31:26
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I have been contacted by friend who is an L Type owner living in France. He requires a replacement cylinder head for his restored L Type. The current head was professionally treated internally some years ago but a water leak into No 1 cylinder has plagued reliability and occurs when hot. My friend who is a retired engineer is very experienced with old car restoration and he has declared the head scrap.
Does anyone out there have a spare head / casting? I believe the engine is a KD, are all the heads the same?
Hope something can be found, as I introduced him to MMM cars some years ago when I was working in France so feel some responsibility for his predicament.
Allan Bentley
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Westbury
United Kingdom
1949 Posts |
Posted - 26/05/2022 : 09:44:09
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Hello, Allan.
If your friend’s engine is a KD it should have an N type cylinder head which was much better than the earlier K head.
I think they are available new but at a cost! ( They are interchangeable)
Chris |
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Foz
United Kingdom
759 Posts |
Posted - 26/05/2022 : 14:56:21
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playing with the alphabet spaghetti ........
KD is K/L but with the taller cylinder block to give 1270cc. Still with the early type (K/L) head .. also had a different flywheel/clutch assembly.
KN is N-type engine in a K chassied MG.
As Chris H says the heads are interchangeable but will need the appropriate camshaft, oil drain pipes etc to suite.
FOZ |
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Westbury
United Kingdom
1949 Posts |
Posted - 26/05/2022 : 15:41:03
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Thanks, Foz.
The KD engine began with the early K head but was later fitted with the much better N head. The KD engine was effectively the engine subsequently fitted to the N type Magnette.
Chris |
Edited by - Westbury on 26/05/2022 15:42:25 |
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Allan Bentley
United Kingdom
253 Posts |
Posted - 26/05/2022 : 15:55:40
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Thanks Barry and Chris.
So I now know what I am looking for.
Perhaps the head fitted to the KD block in the 1950s was from the original L engine which was fitted when the car was re registered in Bristol in 1947. The car was registered as an MG special and chassis numbers were removed and fitted with a late PB body. The car has been traced via its L Type engine number but recorded but not included in the MMM register. Were the later heads a better casting?
Thanks again. Allan
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Foz
United Kingdom
759 Posts |
Posted - 26/05/2022 : 17:18:01
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Hi Allan,
N heads were a better casting as the porting was better for performance and for casting the metal. The valve seats on the K/L head are very close to the ports ( which are larger than best size) so almost impossible to fit valve seat inserts when they wear.
Having salvaged a couple of KD and N engines about the only parts from the bottom end of a KD engine which are reusable on an N engine are rods, pistons and water jacket plates! The dynamo may fit if you are lucky! M35 starters fit all engines...... The P-type engine was a complete redesign and was "stretched" for the N engine..... you can see this in the pattern marks on the cylinder head and that the front/side oil drain pipe is in the 4 cylinder position rather than a more logical bit further back! The only oil pipe which differs is the main bearing feed inside the block (again different from K/L). Cylinder head parts are much more common between all the "big cam" engines .... main difference is the valve spacing on the head.... hence different camshafts. Working through the S & V catt. will show these differences.... and save me a lot of typing! I think It was Mike Allison who said once MG moved away from the Wolseley B6 and Morris Minor engines about the only part common to all engines was the cam follower (rocker finger)... that is once they beefed up their first attempt on the EX130 heads for the cross-flow C-type..... they broke so were strengthened to stop this ....still break .... memories of the 24hour record breaking and finishing on 3 cylinder!
FOZ |
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Mark T Boldry
United Kingdom
95 Posts |
Posted - 28/06/2022 : 18:31:33
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It looks like I may be looking for a replacement N head as the new one I bought from TD was returned to him some time ago for the removal of a broken tap which was there on delivery. Despite attempts to contact said Mr TD, my efforts so far have been fruitless and I’ll be needing a head in the next few months... So, who else (apart from Mr TD ) do I source one from..?
Mark T Boldry
J2 3714
L1 0589
D 0431
Knaresborough, North Yorkshire. |
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