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Photos comparing MGC engine with Healey engine

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BrianN

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A very nice MGC was displayed at Autumn Classic last week. I photographed the engine, since there is always some confusion between that motor and the six cylinder Healey motors. This will give a great visual tour of the differences. They are not as related as some might have thought. About the only thing the same is the green paint.


Healey Motor first. The 1960 29D in our BT7:

engdone3.jpg



The Right and Left side views of the MGC engine:

mgcengr.jpg


mgcengl.jpg
 
Displacement (bore & stroke) are the same, that and the paint are about it;)

MGC has a seven main crankshaft, smaller intake & exhaust valves & ports. Its performance never matched the Healey.

All that said, I do have an MGC transmission in my car. Larger input and layshaft than the Healey box. So far, so good...

mgc1.sized.jpg


mgc2.sized.jpg


mgc3.sized.jpg


mgc4.sized.jpg
 
The cylinder head appeared to be narrower than the Healey motor, by about an inch. Maybe the small porting was due to some design thinking about making the engine narrower (and lighter)? 7 Mains are a good thing. Even my 65 Falcon had that. But why do all that fancy stuff to the dumb end, but not enhance the smart end of the engine where the power is actually derived?

And why all this iron when the people on the other island (Japan) were making some very nice engines with aluminum heads and overhead cams etc. Did the Brit/Aussie developers of the MGC engine hire unemployed anchor designers from the local naval yard?
 
BTW, Randy, Nice pics of the transmission and engine. I am curious, did the shifter land in the right place OK?

And how about the attaching, did you have to make mods to the bell housing?

Were these transmissions only in the MGC, or were they also in the MGB cars? Sometimes I see these cars in the junk yard at Moss Landing. Smog law victims, you know. Maybe I'll get lucky and find a C.
 
[ QUOTE ]
BTW, Randy, Nice pics of the transmission and engine. I am curious, did the shifter land in the right place OK?
>>> Remote control housing shortened by 3", actually comes up about where the ashtray is.

And how about the attaching, did you have to make mods to the bell housing?
>>> Engine backplate required a little additional steel added to it and drilling holes to suit the MGC bellhousing; bellhousing drilled to allow starter Bendix to pass through.

Were these transmissions only in the MGC, or were they also in the MGB cars?
>>> The MGC version has a bellhousing large enough for the Healey's clutch; an MGB bellhousing would be too small for the 9-1/2" or 10" clutch. The internals are almost identical (ratios vary and can be interchanged in sets).

Sometimes I see these cars in the junk yard at Moss Landing. Smog law victims, you know. Maybe I'll get lucky and find a C.

[/ QUOTE ]
 
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