MG Performance Forum

The day is quickly approach when I will need to refresh or maybe rebuild my supercharged 1275 A-series engine. I'm running a ported iron head and it has always been hotter at the back. Does anyone have any experience with dry decking an inline A-series? In particular, I want to retain my Datsun transmission that requires an adapter plate that covers the rear core plugs. I know plenty of turbo mini guys do this conversion, but it is trivial on the transverse engines.

Hi ,

Is your heater take-off in function , with other words do you have a constant flow of (hot) water from the heater exit ?

Seph

I've experimented with running the heater outlet back to the top hose on the radiator and it made little difference. I'm also planning on raising the CR, so I'm hoping the dry decking will help head gasket stability.

Hi ,

I looked ( on youtube) some video’s on BMC A - dry deck.

Very interesting.

Will a “ full “ drydeck fit the Midget ; bulkhead constraint ?

Seph

OK, let me play devil's advocate If 99.9% of the rest of the world keep their engine running cool with out dry decking, or simi dry decking. I figure I have tortured this thru national racing, in 45 minute races at 8000+ pm in 100+ degree ambient temp race weekends. I mean if you looking to do a science project for fun, by all means, proceed, but the only method to cool a race car, or a street car, I'm not buying it. Dealing with this for 40+ years never drove me to that point, if I can keep my engine at 200 or less in those conditions, mostly 180-190, then so should others. I tell folks aluminum radiators make a big difference, all one has to do is get one and they will see. On the race cars, I don't run a thermostat or blanking sleeve but rather a limiting washer to slow down the flow and keep the coolant in the radiator a while longer, but that is mostly because at the RPMs a race car goes, it would just run the pump faster, beyond that it can efficiently do, street rpms should cause such an issue.

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Hap Waldrop
Acme Speed Shop
864-370-3000
Website: www.acmespeedshop.com
hapwaldrop@acmespeedshop.com



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2024-04-24 01:21 PM by Speedracer.

I have to agree with Hap regarding the aluminum radiator. Several years ago I had a problem overheating on my 68 Sprite. I ordered a cheap, 3-row Chinese aluminum radiator on eBay or Amazon and the improvement was drastic. It has stayed below 180 even on the hottest days, running for hours on the interstate. I was worried about the quality and figured it would develop weld cracks in fairly short order, but 4 or 5 years later and with lots of hard miles, it is still perfect. As I remember, I paid less than $100 for that radiator.

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Archie (Scott) McAllister
1955 MG TF1500
1968 Austin Healey Sprite
1963 Austin Healey 3000