MG Metro Turbo gearbox/engine alternatives

The metro turbo gearboxes weren't any different to the standard gearboxes apart from one thing and it escapes me atm but it didn't help anyway.

Your best bet would be to have the gearbox rebuilt by a company like Morspeed, Med engineering, Avonbar etc. Them companies do good quality rebuilds that start from around £300-£400 and you could spend up to £1000 on a gearbox with straight cut close ratio gears etc, that will take 100-150bhp fine.

There's nothing that will drop straight in, only A-series engines will unfortunately.

For idea's on engine swaps a good site to look on is www.16vminiclub.com/forums/ for ideas as mini's are almost the same as metro's so most of it applies.

I'm liking the idea of a 20v 4A-GE but i've also found that the 1.8 120 HP and 160 HP VVC K - Series rover engines are an option but perhaps a bit too heavy?

Do you have a link to the K-series build or any contact info for the guys who did it?

Definately put a B16 or B18 vtec engine in it. You Must!



www.minimania.com/web/DisplayID/1711/SCatagory/ENGINE/DisplayType/Technical%20Information/ArticleV.cfm

The engine in the Morrie is a modified Metro Turbo engine - 1380cc, big compression, big cam etc. And I run a standard 3 synchro 1967-spec Morrie 1100 box underneath it. Which is supposedly only capable of putting up with 30 or so horsepower.

To keep it alive I run fairly standard tyre widths - wide ultra grippy tyres strain the driveline. I also use a set of nylon/plastic universals on the driveshafts. They take up a fair bit of shock, and they're the first things to go if I'm going to blow something in the drivetrain. That said, I've only killed one universal in the best part of a decade of "enthusiastic" driving. No gearbox failures of any kind.

Another thing to keep it alive is to slow down your shifts. I'm talking hundredths of a second each shift. Enough to make sure the clutch is fully disengaged before shifting and then the shifting has finished and the gears are properly meshed before you re-engage the clutch. It'd make for rather slow lap times, but it's totally unnoticeable on the road. Snap changes are the fastest way to kill these boxes.

Aside from going to straight-cut gearsets, there isn't a lot you can do to make these boxes stronger. Just get someone who really knows what they're doing to put together a good one and then don't abuse it.

That said, unless you're really enamored with the A-series, or you've spent a bomb and don't want to get rid of it - heed this advice. If you're chasing power, set the A-series aside and fit something later model, 16 valve and about 1600cc. Spend a bomb on an A-series and you're doing well to break 100hp at the wheels. Most Japanese engines are capable of that out of the box. It's a more expensive path initially, but much much much cheaper in the long run for horsepower gains and strengthening capabilities..

My Aus$0.02

its the torque produced by the turbo rather than big power that ultimately kills a-series boxes. if you are running conservative boost then get the box overhauled but get some straight cuts drop gears fitted and a minispares cross-pin diff. this should be reliably good for up to roughly 120bhp

personally i'd go honda vtec, but the most straighforward way would be to get the standard gearbox built properly and fit straight cut drop gears. then wind the boost up ;D
i think the only difference between the turbo and mg gearbox was the turbo has a 3.1.ratio diff and the standard mg has a 3.4. i think...

Isnt the 620 ti a source of cheap blown k series engines ?