MG Engine Swaps Forum

I cut my ties to the past yesterday. Note the MG motormounts are gone. I have more cleaning to do under the car and Im ready to pop in my V6. Note the intended location for the ECU. Does anyone see any problem with this location?

I am going to install the BMC wire harness on the engine before sticking it in the care.

Jay Musgrave on this forum will assist in the installation of the new V6. We have planned for the installation and believe we only have to put it in one time. I even made a trip to Harbor F and purchased one of their cheap engine levelors. Any thoughts or gotcha's?

Thanks.

How are you doing the fuel lines and type of pumps ??? I am just starting to get parts together for my swap. Tell us your plan, T5,V8 or V6 ???? Thanks Bob

Check with Brian as to the ECU location with his harness. I would suggest moving it into the passenger compartment if the harness will allow. Will keep it cooler and less exposure to possible water from rain or road splash. I take this from the fact that I've never seen a factory ECU installation located in the engine compartment.

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Bill Young
'73 Midget
'59 MGA

There is a fine line between a 'hobby' and 'mental illness'.

Bill, the factory ECU on firebirds and Camaro's is located in the engine compartment. I did talk to Brian about it and he saw no problmes. My Corvette ECU is located under the fender well on the passenger side. The connectors on the ECU are watertight. I also have plans to install all relays and fuse in Watertight/resistent boxes polycarbonate boxes located in the recesses on the passenger side. Im not sure about the routing of the harness just yet, may go the Brian/Gill method of hiding it.

http://www.polycase.com/wc-series

The fuel system is more problematic.

Option A: Run the fuel system like Keith Tanner did his. http://www.mgexperience.net/phorum/read.php?40,1645713,1645713#msg-1645713

Using the 5/16 steel line as the feed line for the fuel rail and then using the vapor line back to the tank as the return line, then using a vented gas cap. Both fittings are in the tank already.

Option B: is running a 3/8 rubber fuel line from the tank to the rail and the existing 5/16 feed line as the return.

Option C: Buy a new aluminum tank from BMC which has the fuel pump and fittings, run a new 3/8 fuel line and use the existing 5/16 as return. Im pretty much decided I wont be using a swirl tank unless the need is evident. ie fuel starvation.

Im sorta planning on using a Wix fuel filter inline http://www.summitracing.com/parts/WIX-33481

and summits fuel pump

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/SUM-G3138/

I have also found someone to braze the sensor in the radiator and do a core clean and flush for me.

Most of the bits I have bought from BMC including a driveline. Saves time and the propeller shaft looks really nice. I havent planned any further except to say I want the car ready to run in a month so I can enjoy the summer. Next year I will paint and further refine. New interior?

Thanks for the rundown. Lots of ways to go on the fuel lines. No real stander, costs wise. Thank Bob

This is just a thought fuel cell sized for my needs fuel pump
GM car some 4" exhaust pipe cut the lock flange from fuel tank I got
the pump from no external fuel pump noise cheap easey to come by replacement pump it works very well for me

just a thought

jim

I mounted the computer behind the dash above the passenger's feet - it is fairly shallow and flat and doesn't get in the way and it is not only protected but also inconspicuous.

A modified fuel tank with pump and swirl pot insert is a really nice way to go. Failing that, consider isnatlling an external swirl pot, use new larger line to the high pressure pump and rail, and the old line, or most of it as a return line. Moroso makes a slick return gadget that goes into the filler tube.

Swirl pot:



Return:

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Bill Spohn www.rhodo.citymax.com/carstuff.html
Current: 1958 MGA Twincam (race car (170 bhp)),1962 MGA Deluxe Coupe (98 bhp)
1957 Jamaican MGA (200 bhp)1965 1971 Jensen Interceptor (350 bhp)
2009 Pontiac Solstice GXP Coupe (375 bhp)
2007 BMW Z4M coupe (340 bhp)
Recent: 1969 MGC roadster (175 bhp),Jensen CV8 (375 bhp),
1969 Lamborghini Islero S (350 bhp), 1988 Fiero GT turbo (300 bhp)
North Vancouver BC

Bill,
The Moroso fitting is for 2" tubing. We have a 2.25" adapter that fits the MG fill tube.

http://britishcarconversions.com/component/virtuemart/?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=117&category_id=19

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Marc

Are all the MGBs 2.25" I wasn't aware of that. Obviously better to have exactly the right size pipe!

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Bill Spohn www.rhodo.citymax.com/carstuff.html
Current: 1958 MGA Twincam (race car (170 bhp)),1962 MGA Deluxe Coupe (98 bhp)
1957 Jamaican MGA (200 bhp)1965 1971 Jensen Interceptor (350 bhp)
2009 Pontiac Solstice GXP Coupe (375 bhp)
2007 BMW Z4M coupe (340 bhp)
Recent: 1969 MGC roadster (175 bhp),Jensen CV8 (375 bhp),
1969 Lamborghini Islero S (350 bhp), 1988 Fiero GT turbo (300 bhp)
North Vancouver BC

From what I gather, there are folks who've gone with external swirl pots of some kind, and others who installed internal swirl pots (or bought complete tanks). But seemed from the research I did before starting that those who went with no swirl pot usually found performance wanting - suffering cutting out when cornering or accelerating, difficulty starting, and stalling at stop signs.

But research be damned! I now have practical experience with my own car to prove that unless you have a FUNCTIONAL swirl pot, performance suck! Imagine, you hit the highway and your lovely Hot Rod bucks and farts it's way up to speed? Or, you come through a sweeping corner, enjoying the g-force, the sun at your back and the wind in your hair, the song of your new V6 conversion carressing your ears - and then the engine dies from fuel starvation, leaving you to coast to the side of the road, sad that your corner-carving machine has been reduced to this...

Yup. I predict you'll end up with some kind of swirl pot, either inside or outside your tank. Inside's better because it's quieter and there are less bits, as Brian points out, but outside is damned cheap, easier to service, and works just fine.

These are the fun decisions!

Bills did you use one of those pictured in your car?

I used both. I used a short fuel filter as that is all that's needed and you don't want it stioking down. There is no scale, but the larger filter is the size of a large oil filter. You get the added advantage of additional fuel filtering and a filter you probably need only change once a decade. You should also have a pre-filter to remove any bits of rust etc. before the low pressure pump. High pressure pumps are very sensitive to garbage going through them.

The two barbed fittings that are level with each other are gas in and gas out, the latter picking up at the bottom of the filter so it gets deaerated fuel. The tall hose/fitting is for the return line so that any excess fuel from either the rail or the filter/accumulator go back into the tank via the other gadget I showed.

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Bill Spohn www.rhodo.citymax.com/carstuff.html
Current: 1958 MGA Twincam (race car (170 bhp)),1962 MGA Deluxe Coupe (98 bhp)
1957 Jamaican MGA (200 bhp)1965 1971 Jensen Interceptor (350 bhp)
2009 Pontiac Solstice GXP Coupe (375 bhp)
2007 BMW Z4M coupe (340 bhp)
Recent: 1969 MGC roadster (175 bhp),Jensen CV8 (375 bhp),
1969 Lamborghini Islero S (350 bhp), 1988 Fiero GT turbo (300 bhp)
North Vancouver BC

My ECU is in the same place and was approved by Brian. I think it was easier than inside given the harness length on my version of the BMC harness.

Chuck,

If you want to install the PCM inside the car, I have examples of how to punch a hole through by greenlie or hole saw here:

https://picasaweb.google.com/bmcautos/BrianMcCulloughS1980MGBV6#

-BMC.






Engine bay side before hole was punched:

A very swift read through it appears he uses just a fuel pump with a large filter. No extras.

With consideration for safety and reliability I will tell you that most good shops would disapprove of rubber hose any longer than 3-6" in any one location like he has.
The clamps he has are high pressure.
The routing is simple but effective.



Again, metal lines all the way. Use rubber only where you must. Flex points such as to the engine and from the pump to the metal lines or from the tank to the lines. Another reason to do this is HIGH PRESSURE MPFI rubber fuel hose runs about $5 per foot whereas the standard hose runs about $1 per foot. Steel line will only run about a $1 per foot and will not rot, chip, or puncture anywheres as easily as the rubber hose. DO NOT use braided lines for fuel hoses. I have seen the stuff rot out from the inside and when you have 10' of it, you have far more potential to have a real issue 3-5 years into this. If it was not true, you would see flex lines running through your daily drivers for hydraulic brakes, power steering and fuel front to rear because they install very swiftly with no special equipment to bend.





Whether you order a MGB Petrol Tank from us or use a simple external pump, the 3/8" feed and 5/16" return just like you mentioned is exactly what I would recommend to anyone with an internal, external with or without a swirl pot.



It's a good idea to install a large filter. Always has been but FI with a constant return system should have a good sized filter because they have more potential to leave contamination behind.

-BMC.