18V engine questions .......

[GrahamF]

First post here, and I have some questions regarding an 18V engine.

I will come clean, and say that I do NOT have an MGB, but I have an 18V engine and a 4 synchro gearbox with a blue label overdrive, that will be fitted to something else ! I have many years experience messing about with old cars, so not entirely ignorant, but I am unfamiliar with B series engines.

Firstly, engine identity. Although the engine came out of an MGB, I am not sure it is an original fitment, as from what I have learned, there are numbers missing from the ID tag. I also thought all MGB fitted engines were maroon or green in colour, and this one was originally black. The engine number reads 18V E H193XXX. I cannot find any reference to the "E", and I gather there should be more number between this E, and the 18V. Also, stamped in smaller numbers underneath the main number, is "408"

Does anyone have any ideas about this ?

I have stripped the engine, but will come to this later !

[Vic Butler]

18V engines were fitted to other BL vehicles like Marinas and Sherpa vans. The only clue is H denoting a high compression engine so not a Sherpa van and Marinas never had overdrive.
Unfortunately my MGB manual is out on loan. I'd say the gearbox and engine don't belong together.
The biggest but unnoticeable difference is that only MGB engines had a forged crankshaft. Everything else had them with cast ones.
I'm certain that MGB engine numbers never had an E in them. The later ones started 18V 847.

[Ian F]

I can't find anything resembling this exact sequence of numbers in my reference books but this may be correct:

18V - late 1800 engine, painted black from factory

E - possibly single carburettor

H - high compression

Almost certainly not MGB unless an engine built for some obscure export country. Morris Marina codes are the nearest thing.

I would ask British Motor Heritage, they should have the best data available.

Does the stamping look like factory stamping? If it was done by someone outside the factory (whichever factory that was!) then tracing it's origin will be extremely unlikely.

Ian F

[Vic Butler]

I've found information on line that Morris Marina engines used the letter E so I'd reckon you've got a Marina 1.8 single carburettor engine from the 1.8 saloon.

[GrahamF]

It is most definitely an original BMC/ BL rivetted on tag. I sort of thought it was a Marina engine, because there is an opening and stud holes for a mechanical fuel pump, which I believe the MGB never had.

Not that it matters particularly, but I am just interested. It is fitted with a pair if HIF4 SUs, but thats easy, who knows what has occurred in the 40 odd intervening years ?

It definitely has a forged crankshaft, and has the 12H4736 head with an "inline" oil feed for the rockers, although I have looked online and found that this head should have an "offset" feed.

The block has been bored to plus 040 and has been fitted with County pistons, but as I doubt I will ever rev it beyond 4500 to 5000, I hope this doesnt matter too much. There is however, some rather disappointingly crude grinding on the big end caps, which I hope is a factory attempt at balancing. I will get some photos of this later.

[Vic Butler]

It looks like a mixture of bits and pieces then. Only the Marina TC had twin carbs but still a cast crank. Looks like it's been built from bits in the past.
I've just checked mine and the MGB engine does have a blanking plate for a mechanical fuel pump.
The later engines did have an offset oil supply to the rockers but I converted mine to a straight feed ages ago when I put a decent head on it.
Of course the E could stand for export. US and Canadian engines had AE in their numbers and European ones were the same as UK to ECE 15 regs. It could have been somewhere else but no info from my book on the BMC & Leyland B Series Engine though.

[GrahamF]

Here is the engine tag

I have no idea what the 408 means.

[GrahamF]

Here is something much more interesting

Looking from the rear main. You will notice that bearing shell does not have a hole to line up with the main oil feed, only one hole that aligns with the feed to the camshaft bearing, so the oil for the rear crank journal will have to feed along the groove in the block, then through the hole in the shell.

The front and centre bearings are the same ! Notice the tags on the shell. The shells cannot be fitted any other way.

Now look at number 4 bearing. the hole aligns with nothing, and the shell actually BLOCKS the oil feed completely Number 2 bearing is the same. Again, the shells cannot be fitted any other way. I did check the shells in all the caps, to see if they were different and have been installed incorrectly, but they are the same.

This means that number 2 and 4 have been getting NO pressure lubrication ! I did look at the crankshaft to see if the journals were fed by drillings, but NO ! It appears that these journals have been oiled by splash only ????

SURELY this is utterly wrong and the wrong bearings have been fitted, or am I missing something here ?

Curiously the crankshaft does not seem to be any worse for wear.

[Vic Butler]

The more I see of this engine the more I think it was assembled from a bin of assorted parts by a complete idiot.
At least it's easily converted to MGB spec.

[GrahamF]

The more I see of this engine the more I think it was assembled from a bin of assorted parts by a complete idiot.
At least it's easily converted to MGB spec.

Funnily enough, thats exactly what I thought ! There is more yet !