Ranter Posted July 7, 2009 Share Posted July 7, 2009 Alloy heads rotted away thru lack of anti freeze or poor quailty anti freeze. They were much quieter and faster than the cast iron head engines. As mentioned the 175 carb and electronic distributer from late model Hunters are the go. Keen for info on the Lancer distributer swap tho, what lancer? They have different drives don't they? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Borgweiser Posted July 7, 2009 Share Posted July 7, 2009 The worst bit about the alloy heads is the corrosion is often hidden untill they crack, which they do- regularly. Trust me, I ran a H120 Rapier and various rootes group cars and scrapped more useless heads than you would imagine, before giving up and putting steel head on, which your car will have and is fine as the car was designed with the extra weight of the head in mind. The casting process wasn't up to much, they fixed it by the time the Hunter came out, the heads are slightly different and the front plate, manifolds and starters and sump are different due to the engine canted over 15 degrees in the hunter, but you can use the block and head with modification. The hardest part to find for a Superminx is a rot free thermostat housing, you'll find out soon enough unless you got lucky. When you see how bad they rot you'll see why people warn against the alloy heads, they rusted away even early on in their lives. Weber FTW, thats my vote Plus find a Sunbeam Rapier roll bar for the front, stops epic bump steer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RT Posted July 7, 2009 Author Share Posted July 7, 2009 ^ Nice. So you can't / shouldn't try and bolt on a later model Hunter alloy head? I haven't fully inspected car yet. I know the cooling system is full of rust though. I hope the thermstat housing isn't too bad... What about converting the dynamo to an alternator? Any tips there? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HUNTD Posted July 7, 2009 Share Posted July 7, 2009 are the minx thermo housings the same as the hunters? just tried to find a pic of the one i got made up, but failed. you can just see it on the top of this pic. mmm shiny bling ah glad they fixed the cracking problem in the hunters then. iv never had a problem with any of mine, standard ones and up spec'd one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RT Posted July 7, 2009 Author Share Posted July 7, 2009 What do I have to do to a Hunter alloy head to put on teh superminx? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beaver Posted July 7, 2009 Share Posted July 7, 2009 i know that on the hunter engines, the iron heads and alloy heads are not straigh swap. alot of the engine parts a re different so you cant just swap them.not sure about the super minx but i imagine its the same/ i could be wrong/often am Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shizzl Posted July 7, 2009 Share Posted July 7, 2009 my hunter was a 69 with alloy head...it had a fucked radiator.but never cracked a head or blew a gasket. i remember getting it upto 85mph down ramarama straight,was scared shitless to go faster cos i was on my learners... did good skids Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Posted July 7, 2009 Share Posted July 7, 2009 you can put a alloy head on the minx block but the ports are located differently so will need to change the manifolds and fit a cam shaft to suit the alloy head, to make it even go. If you old cast head unit is still working fine try find a manifold for a 32/36 weber. I've seen Griffith's mani's for sale every now and then on trademe. I don't know if anyone stocks exstractors for these but the good old aftermarket humber 80 units should do the trick. Should be reliable and give it a bit more go. as some one said just fit a dizzy of a late model hunter. I'm running a dizzy off a Nissan CA20 but is a bit of a job to make fit. I'f you wont to go alloy head it's probly easyer to just fit a complete Late model hunter unit. You will need to get a hunter unit to get all the parts for a alloy head convershion anyway. It will go slightly better. But as every one say's they are prone to corroshion. The late model unit is slightly more capable of handling extra hourspower with it's twin timing chains ext.. The good old 1725cc was a very outdated motor in the 70's and just doing a carb and exstractors is about all that is viable. it dosn't take much to turn it into a grenade. Unless you wont to spend a cupple thow and go all out. Done well and you would'nt even think the done up motor was related to the origonal unit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RT Posted July 13, 2009 Author Share Posted July 13, 2009 ^ Cheers for the info. No definately don't want to spend thous. As it is my GF's ride and we're fine with it being slow. However, being a '67 I'm expecting we will need to put a fresh motor in it sooner or later. Either rebuilding the existing one or retro-fitting something else. Sounds like late model hunter would be the go. Don't wanna make a grenade.. just want to tune it enough so it's got a little more go to keep up with modern traffic. Do the hunter engines have stronger rods? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowlancer Posted July 15, 2009 Share Posted July 15, 2009 In all seriousness, why not a Pinto or similar? If you can do it cheaply, seems logical. Seen it done in the UK a bit. Probably a hassle given the required use of the car I suppose Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RT Posted July 15, 2009 Author Share Posted July 15, 2009 ^ Can't believe you of all people suggested it. You hate pintos lowlancerlot. nah, too heavy in the front, wrong era of engine etc. Want to keep it original at least a hunter engine would look almost identical. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Borgweiser Posted July 15, 2009 Share Posted July 15, 2009 The best conversion i've seen in a Minx-like vehicle (Sceptre- flash as Superminx) was a T series Rover 2.2 Turbo from a Tomcat, fitted in sweet and looked the part, Hillman had prototype twin cam motors in sixties so kinda fitting. Also 289 Ford should go in as engine bay and suspension basically same as Sunbeam Alpine, which got those motors installed factory for the Tiger version Meen, do it and add j-type overdrive or five speed and have power and economy fuck the Pinto let those boat anchors sit in bogans shed's and seize. Or use as toxic landfill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RT Posted July 16, 2009 Author Share Posted July 16, 2009 ^ I'm guessing you missed the bit where I said I wanted to keep it original Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Borgweiser Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 Yeah but pretty sure OS peer pressure will win out in the end.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Posted July 17, 2009 Share Posted July 17, 2009 Yea there is only too options. go origonal or a Hunter alloyhead motor transplant. Pritty easy tansplant. You do have to use the cars origonal bell housing and engine mounts. just trying to remember i think the minx style engines have the engine mounts part of the front samwidge plate. Requires removel of the timing chain cover. rest is easy going. Technically you are ment to adjust the angle of the oil pick up in the sump but shouldn't be a problem and the fill level on the dipstick is about 4mm on the high side. I do remember someone having to change the sump from one motor to the other before. But i've never had to. I see someone suggested a 289 motor. I don't know about fitting a superminx. They do fit in Hunters with easy. Is period and a motor on Hillmans parts list. When rootes group fall apart they were just finnishing an all alloy overhead cam v6 for there new range of cars. I've seen pick of the Hillman design and is rumered to be what sprung up againg as the alloy tec motor. Would be a good transplant If you could get your hands on one. A alloy head 1725cc sounds a bit more relisic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Posted July 17, 2009 Share Posted July 17, 2009 For rods being stronger, probly not. The 1725cc does'nt like the old revs so much, not a problem for grandad. has more torque so would be ideal. The 1725 are normly badly balenced not that matters under 5500rpm. doesn't sound like much but the old fulla's making a real fuss at these sorta revs unlike a japa. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RT Posted July 17, 2009 Author Share Posted July 17, 2009 Does the alloy head hunter engine bolt up to the superminx 4-speed? What do you mean the 289 was on the Hillman parts list? its a ford motor? Yeah if the hunter engine bolts straight in then that sounds like the go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Posted July 17, 2009 Share Posted July 17, 2009 The Sunbeam tiger MK1 had the 260ci ford and the Mk2 had the 289ci ford powerplant. The sunbeam,singer,humber and hillmans were all made by rootes group. so you could order a 289ci motor down at your hillman agent as i was on there parts list. They did fit the v8's into some of the other cars eg Superminx's, hunters, avengers but only as sponsor rally cars rather than hillman special additions. So you could have brought a new hillman and all gear to make it a v8 all from the same shop. so yes the 289 is period. I could be wrong there may have been some factory v8's sold off the yard. Yes the minx box does bolt up to the hunter motor. The hunter has the same box but different bell housing to allow the motor to sit on a lean in the hunter engine bay. You can't use a Hunter pre'engaged starter in the minx bell housing it wont fit. So you may need to fit the minx flywheel to the hunter motor as the ringgear assembly will be pressed onto the flywheel the wrong way around. pre 73 alloy head motors have the minx style starter setup. I have ignored the ringgear entry pitch and the starter only jammed 1 in 100 starts but you don't realy wont grandad belting the shit out of the starter in the supermarker car park. I've junked a cupple 71-72 motors and the ringgear is designed to take both types of starters. So a old crash starter needs the ringgear beavel on the friction side of the flywheel and a pre'engaged needs the beavel on the crank side of the flywheel. And it is possable to get flywheels with beavels on both sides. nothing worse than trying to start your hard work and the starter jams then finding you have to pull the dam thing apart. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Borgweiser Posted July 17, 2009 Share Posted July 17, 2009 Rootes group did the largest engine order between companies of all time 15000 engines The plug was pulled when Chrysler brought them as Chrysler couldn't bear the thought of selling a car in the states with a Ford motor.. Plus the Mopar unit wouldn't fit, too wide and distributor at rear of motor, shame coz apparently according to the old boys the Sunbeam would outhandle the Cobra, not surprising as Shelby had a crack at designing it before they got Jensen to do it, who ironically used Chrysler motors for their products.. Keen to hear more about the V6 prototype, would explain why the Talbot V6 was in development before the PRV V6 that powered it.. Have heard about the twin cam prototypes and seen a Avenger Twincam in the flesh. Back to the subject of the Superminx, yeah the Hunter unit will fit, just use the backplate from the Arrow motor and front plate for engine mounts. Done, but ditch the SU's or strombergs they dont suit the motor, get the twin choke weber. Cool Still waiting for pic's... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Borgweiser Posted July 17, 2009 Share Posted July 17, 2009 Oh snap, Rootes group in da house!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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