WHAT IS THIS ENGINE MEANT TO FIT?

▶ In the mid-1990’s, the big ends on my 1956 Morris Oxford gave up (at about 140,000 miles) and given that there was also bore wear and other deterioration, I decided to try for a new engine. An unused Gold Seal engine was sourced via the Morris Cowley and Oxford Club.

Over a few weekends I stripped the old engine, removed the radiator and front panel then jacked-up the old engine and eased it over the front cross-member. There seemed to be a few minor differences between the two engines but this was sorted by swapping the breather pipes and the blanking plate for a mechanical fuel pump from the old engine. In order to install the new engine I hired an engine crane for a weekend. The new engine refused to mate with the gearbox. Only some of the bolt holes in the backplate lined-up and the starter motor was positioned much lower down than on the original engine.

The engine was lifted-out then, against the clock since the hoist was going back on Monday morning, I took off the clutch, flywheel and backplate for both engines, found a new gasket and tab washers then transferred the original backplate on to the new engine. Flywheel and clutch went back and I made another attempt. This time everything lined-up and the engine was bolted in to let me return the hoist on Monday as planned. Adding the auxiliaries could take place later! Up to then I was under the impression that with the exception of the MG ZA and ZB saloons (different sumps) all BMC 1500 engines were physically interchangeable and all the mating gearboxes used the same casting, hence the backplates were all the same although later engines had thicker ones.

I still don’t know what my engine is meant to fit. Does anyone out there know the correct application for a BMC Gold Seal engine – part no 8G239?

David Garrett