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MG TD TF 1500 - XPAG with 1,5 litre?

WKF Wood published the possibility to tune the XPAG banana block with inserting Wakefield P2/102 sleeves for XPEG.

Who has done and has experience? Where to get such sleeves?



W_Mueller

It appears that Wakefield is a USA company, still in existence in automotive engineering, but they no longer list cylinder liners as a product.
Another problem is the +0.125" overbore mentioned, as pistons were never available for that size. For larger overbores, I have only seen pistons for the following sizes;-
# +0.100", 1348cc, pistons available.
# +0.110", 1358cc, pistons available, but less often.
# +0.120", 1368cc, front wall of number 1 bore quite often cracks behind the water pump, pistons very occasionally available.
# +0.130", 1378cc, front wall of number 1 bore usually cracks behind the water pump, pistons difficult to obtain.
# +0.140", 1388cc, front wall of number 1 bore usually cracks behind the water pump, pistons almost impossible to obtain.

If you are going to proceed, then +0.120" pistons are probably your best bet. If so, then you should use Westwood cylinder liners - they are a UK company. The liners would be;-
EITHER; WCL 13, which are pressed in to sit on a step at the bottom of the bored hole.
OR; WCL 13BFL, which are flanged at the top to sit in a recess at the top of the bored hole - and I think the flange will need reducing in size.

For my own 1250cc engine (round water holes), I was given a set of +0.130cc (1378cc) pistons many years ago. They were fitted using the WCL 13 liners - and they don't leak and work perfectly.
R WILSON

Thank you R. Wilson

yes 0.125 is unusual and I have not seen before.

The actual bore is 69mm (.100).

Did WCL13 got in contact with water? With an outside diameter of 73mm and 0.130 it will result in 1,5mm thickness. So that seems sufficent.

Continuing discussion about 1,5 litre - what kind of head gasket would be right?

W_Mueller

Several 1250 XPAGs were punched out to 1500 by the legendary California MG mechanic Mike Goodman. It can be done.
Steve Simmons

Thanks Steve

it works if.....?
W_Mueller

Boring an oval or round water hole block to 69mm is fairly common, giving 1348cc (people usually say 1350cc) - and liners should not be necessary.
However, do you mean that you have 69mm bores that are damaged, so you need liners to go back to 69mm.
When fitted, liners are tight fits in their bores, so no water gets to the outside of the liners from the top or the bottom. However, in my block, when opening out the number 1 bore, the cylinder wall split where it is very thin at the bottom of the water pump housing (examine the engine cross-section in the workshop manual). This did not prevent fitting the liner to that bore, but I am fairly sure that water is in contact with the outside of the liner in that area. I put an anti-rust additive in the coolant, but in 40 to 50 years someone may have to deal with a rusty liner.
Up to +0.130" (69.802mm bore) it is OK to use a standard XPAG head gasket - oval or round water holes according to the block & head combination. If liners are fitted they make no difference, it is the final bore size that is important.
For 1.5 litres, only the XPEG gasket has bores that are large enough. However, using this gasket and an XPAG block & head to give 1.5 litres has problems. The XPEG water holes (block/head/gasket) were moved out, so do not line up with the XPAG water holes. Also, the XPAG block will end up with thin walls at the tops of the bores adjacent to the water holes, and a very thin wall at the bottom of the water pump housing.
I wish you luck if you try for 1.5 litres - I hope you have several blocks that you don't mind scrapping.
R WILSON

One of our TDs came from California highly modified, including bored to 1466cc. I've always wondered who would've dared to punch an XPAG out that large. When I replaced the core plugs, one spot in a cylinder wall miked out at only 0.10" thin. Fortunately, the cylinders get thicker towards the top and bottom.

As for which head gasket goes on what, WKF Wood said the gaskets are interchangeable and I agree with him. The water passages between the block and water are not critical from a cooling standpoint but I can appreciate the head gasket does not crush and seal right at those spots with the hybrid matchup.


JIM N

This thread was discussed between 29/07/2021 and 30/07/2021

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