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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Who supplies the best cylinder heads?

I'm in need of a new cylinder head (don't ask!) and looking at the usual suspects i.e. Peter Burgess, Peter May etc. but came across the Skiptune website and wondered if their products are any good? MED is another supplier while Minispares offer a range. Any experiences gratefully received.

Chris (headless) Hasluck
Chris Hasluck

define best!
economy / power / tractability / etc
what is the application?
have you chosen the spec you want?
David Smith

I currently have an MG Metro head that has been ported and polished. The head is mated to a Peter May block and delivered 85 bhp at the Aldon rolling road. I want to achieve a similar or superior output - I use the car for track days. Economy and smooth tickover are secondary to fast road performance (although tractability is important). My current head has an exhaust valve welded to its bronze guide which is in turn loose in the head. I could get this fixed but together with other problems (e.g. worn threads in holes) I thought I might just go for a replacement. By best I'm really talking about quality!
Chris Hasluck

quality #1 then.
Peter May for road use, MED for race use.
I'm surprised you get 13bhp just on porting and polishing but Aldon's r/r was always thought to be a bit optimistic. Are you running 1275 or overbore? Standard dish or big dish pistons? What CR? Which cam and carb? All this needs to be taken into account before you decide on a spec for the head. Both Peter B and Steve at MED will discuss all this and suggest a spec for you.
David Smith

Hi

Another option is Slark Race Enginnering:
http://www.slarkraceengineering.co.uk/engine-products/

Not that long ago you could still buy Longman heads from Richard Longman Engineering (but now from:
http://www.somerfordmini.co.uk/eshop/index.php?main_page=page&id=206&chapter=20(

Both of the above have very long experience of A Series tuning.

Cheers
Mike
M Wood

Also

http://www.billrichardsracing.com/services/cylinder-heads

http://www.swiftune.com/Category/57/cylinder-head.aspx

I'd be tempted by a Longman head as they are legendary but were not available since 2009. As long as you could get it to suit your purposes and the rest of the engine build was compatible in spec and bulld quality.

Cheers
Mike
M Wood

This is the spec. 1330 cc (60 thou overbore), forged pistons with slight dish, 270+ cam (whatever that means), HIF44 carb, maniflow LCB, hi-lift rockers. The MG Metro head has 35mm inlets and 29 exhaust.
Chris Hasluck

Another vote for Slark. It was started by Brian Slark who was at Downton till it packed up. His son runs it now. They have RR facilities. I have used their products over the years and not had a problem.

Longman's are long gone since the factory shut down.
Bob Beaumont

You will need to know the piston dish in ccs or it will need to be measured when the head is next off as otherwise the CR cannot be calculated. Are the rockers 1.3 or 1.5 ratio? I reckon Peter B is your best option given your location.
David Smith

I have dealt with Peter Burgess for a number of years and he has supplied 2 A-Series heads and a B-Series for my son's MGB.

Always excellent service, before and after buying, and you can see exactly what you are getting and who did it!!
Richard Wale

David

In your earlier post, you said "Peter May for road use, MED for race use"

Did you mean Peter Burgess?
Dave O'Neill 2

Bob
If Longmans are long gone, what's being sold at Somerford Mini?

David - Rockers are 1.5 and dish in piston 5cc IIRC.
Chris Hasluck

Longman's were based in Christchurch Dorset and had extensive tuning and race preparation facilities. They supplied my full race engines during the 80's for the Austin Healey/MG modsport series. Sadly the company went into liquidation in March 2009. The company employed a skilled workforce drawn from some of the best A series engine tuners in the country such as Downton etc and were well known for engine and cylinder head development. They were all dispersed when the company packed up

I don't know what Somerford Mini are selling or who is building them.
Bob Beaumont

my proof-reader strikes again, thanks Dave!!
Yes I did mean Peter B at the start, as I correctly said at the end of the post. A tad confusing the way it came out, sorry :-(
David Smith

Peter is a GOD, and toby is his for running prophet

Hahaha

Prop
Prop and the Blackhole Midget

This thread was discussed between 16/03/2015 and 17/03/2015

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