Ask the expert
HEAD CASE
Q I’m restoring a 1987 998cc Mayfair which I plan to drive once I’ve passed my driving test. I want to modify it but anything I do will have to be insurance-friendly for me.
Could you tell me what model carb is on it as I would like to fit a K&N or something similar?
Also, would I be able to fit a Metro 1300 cylinder head to this engine as I’m told it has bigger valves and if so, will I need to change my existing manifolds?
Jaidan
A The carb fitted to your Mini as standard would be an HS4 — a 1.5 inch SU. That’s the easy one dealt with.
When fitting a 1300 cylinder head onto a small bore engine, the manifolding is going to be the easiest problem to solve. The head will fit onto your engine, but getting it to work can be very complicated. Some people claim to have done this conversion and claim no problems whatsoever, but this may well be more through luck than judgment.
“The difference in bore size and centre means the valves sit directly above the block face”
The difference in bore size and centre means the valves sit directly above the block face and you need to assess if there is sufficient clearance between the cylinder head face
