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Paul, So you are the one that installed the flywheel and the clutch? Did you use the correct bolts? The use of the improper bolts on the flywheel could cause your problem. If they stick out the rear of the crankshaft they could foul up on the backng plate or possibly on the three bolts that hold on the rear main cap oil slinger. Also by using to long of bolt through your pressure plate into (through) the flywheel the same thing could occur. I'm not sure but I think it could hit the oil pump cover. Sure hope... MORE

Hi all- First, let me take a moment and thank you all for the gracious way so many of you have spent your time trying to help. I recently sold a '96 Porsche 993, and let me tell you, if you do your own wrenching, you are on your own. This group is a real pleasure..... Worked on the problem this evening. Not sure what I have learned. I first pulled the starter. No change in problem. Next I decided to spend some quality time on my knees watching the valve and piston movement. Very interesting. I watched each... MORE

Hi Bob- Good ideas. I have carefully marked the crank pulley and can tell you that when I push it forward, it stops at exactly the same point each time. When I push it back, it stops at exactly the same point. These two points are about 15 degrees apart on the crank pulley. It does not "tighten up" as you approach the stopping points. Engine turns and then stops. Period. I am going to watch each cylinder and valve assembly closely before I tear into anything. I will watch closely for the TDC issue as you have outlined.... MORE

Steve- Since the starter is only two bolts, no reason for me not to pull it. I'll put it at the top of the list. Thanks. Paul "dfwip" 27728... MORE

Hi Alan- Been thinking along these lines as well. I fitted up the flywheel, clutch and tranny. Been so long ago I don't remember much. To your knowledge, is bolt size an issue with anything I have installed? Thanks much. Paul "dfwip" 27726... MORE

Hey Everybody I need some help. The guy I bought my Midget from has two AH Sprites and he doesn't know what year they are so Im trying to find out for him. Iv already taken the identification numbers and tried decoding them using the guide on this web site. http://www.mgcars.org.uk/midgetspriteclub/sprite/spriteident.htm I know there Mark IVs but I cant narrow down the year they were made. My Midget has a plate a the door jam that shows the m/y it was made but these darn Sprites have nothing. Is there anywhere in the VIN, engine, or body #s that... MORE

Hi Nelson- Could not agree more. Dave Tabor's work was always first class. Witness the number of national championships won with his motors. Very hard for me to believe he made any mistakes. I know damn well he turned the engine over a number of times before I picked it up. The motor was built quite a while ago. In fact, Dave's dad was still alive, but had just been diagnosed with cancer when Dave was working on my project. I had many nice conversations with his dad. Dave's shop was about 45 minutes from my house. At the... MORE

Hi Alan- That's what has me really confused. I am NOT sure it is stopping mechanically. Years ago I had a problem like this with one of my race motors, and it was found to be a ring of rust. This time, since I could not detect any "mechanical" stop and the valve train looked fine, I had my boys push a little harder, several times. They ended up skidding the car about a foot. It ain't budging. Got any suggestion as to how I can free up the initial tick-over? One other note. I carefully marked the crankshaft... MORE

"Sounds like you put a long bolt where a short one should go" Boy...this just lit up a bulb. There are two short screws behind the crankshaft timing chain pulley on the front face of the block. If one of thesse screws is a tad too long or is not fully home into the block, it will foul the crankshaft pulley. This may or may not be the source of the problem but just remembered this so thought I would "put it out there" for consideration. Hope you find the culprit, hope it's something simple and easily fixed, and... MORE

Are you sure it stops mechanically? If the engine has not turned over for a long time a ring of rust could have built up above where the top rings would have been , specially if the plugs have been left out for all that time. Then - if the engine has been rebored and crank reground , even with the plugs out , with a tight engine it is sometimes difficult to get the enough umph to turn the engine over top dead centre. At that point nearly all the mechanical advantage has gone and you will be... MORE

Don- As best as I could, I tried to eliminate the tranny in my testing. I put the car in neutral and could roll it all over the garage. I then left it in neutral and turned the engine by hand via the fan pulley. The crank turned the same amount as when in gear. Am I correct that this rules out internal tranny issues? Is there anything I could have done when bolting the tranny to the engine? For what it is worth, as I roll the car it sure FEELS like the problem is in the engine.... MORE

Nigel I will strip and examine the probably get a local rebore shop to do the cra nk and block if required. Rebuilding and head reprofiling I'll probably do myself. I will probably get hardened inserts put in also. Some machining I can probably get done if required by my sub contractor machine shop. I got a bit interested in the bore Vs stroke for 1340cc . I might look into that also. I got machined and rebuilt modified mini and MGBGT engines in the past (bef ore the kids started growing up) but have really only been doing... MORE

Be sure and pull the starter (easy) and check inside with a light and mirror, and listen in the hole for sound. (Long bolt) Chances are that a long bolt would not stop engine at TDC but somewhere in the cycle. (random). Use the broomstick! It can't ;possibly just stop with out making a noise unless someone left a red grease rag in a cylinder. I am taking Vegas odds on the cause. I think if it stops at TDC, it is something in the Cyl, but my vote goes for a long bolt (Non TDC stopping) in a... MORE

Sounds like you put a long bolt somewhere a short bolt goes. :) anon "Jon Paschke" 27734... MORE

Paul, I have been reading this thread with interest. A lot of interesting ideas. Let me think a moment and apply my simple Polish logic. Before you go into motor....... you have marked crank pulley and it always stops in the same place. If you back it up, it stops a few degrees from the same place always? right? Then take it until it stops and check into plug holes and find if any pistons are at or very near TDC. If they are, there could be something in the cylinder that is hitting the piston. If non of... MORE

If the guy who did the work was this good my hunch is still that you should be able to disengage the clutch before you proceed trouble shooting for possible causes in the engine. Do you know for sure the flywheel gears or clutch pressure plate is not catching up on something? Is the starter installed? Don "Don May" 27722... MORE

I can't imagine anyone competent doing it incorrectly but I would suggest that you take off the front timing cover and make sure that the valves are correctly timed. It sounds very much like the pistons are striking something solid (a valve?) If you carry on rotating the engine given valve mistiming, it can be a bit expensive bending the valves etc. Aside from the con-rod being in the wrong way around, (although I think that the symptoms would be different for that - the interference would be much sooner during the revolution) there is not much else that... MORE

Who in Northern California has a nice cheap used 1275 pan? Jim Coppage in Dixon needs one. David ho ho ho McCartney Captain Rapture 27718... MORE

Gerard Chateauvieux Royal Motor Sales Audi - VW - Mazda - Volvo Direct line 415-241-1711 Check out my new and used inventory at: http://www.royalmotorsales.com/en_US/ gerard 27717... MORE

After all this time do you think something has fallen in there? A 1/4" nut or valve cotter would do the trick. Also possibly you have a sticking or bent valve that is hitting the top of a piston. Take the valve cover off and see if the valves and rockers look allright. Look in the spark plug holes. I can have a head off alot faster than a pan and then you could tell if the engine turns over. Happy trails...Rex Urban "Rex Urban" 27701... MORE

Paul I would think that in the rebuild process to get your valve clearances correct that the engine would have been rotated through the complete 360 degrees. I agree with Rex, easier to pull the head and check for anything that has fallen in, than to pull the pan. Steve Quandt Steve Quandt 27705... MORE

To add to my last post . . . Lets assume the guy tested the engine and it was ok when you got it back . . . possible, but hard to understand that he did not test it out before returning it to you, since then you attached the clutch/transmission. The car will roll around in neutral, but when you put it into gear the engine will not turn over 360 degrees . . . sounds like you can not rule out a mistake/ fault in the clutch or trans when in gear. Until you assure the clutch... MORE

"No hydro fluid for clutch" . . . so the clutch is not disengaged and the transmission is not disconnected from the engine during your attempts to turn over the engine. You may still be in a possible situation where the fault could be the transmission locking up while in gear but not in neutral. Don "Don May" 27707... MORE

If that's not the cause, the pan and everything else will have to come off anyway. Bob, Troutdale, OR "Robert Webb" 27700... MORE

I need help. Here's what happened. Began restoration about 10 years ago. Thought it would go faster than it did, so early on I had the engine done. It was built by Dave Tabor of Comptune, the guys who built all the SCCA champ 1275 motors. Anyway, I told Dave I wanted a 1967 street spec high compression engine. I know he used a factory crank and cam. I believe he used aftermarket pistons that he preferred with a compression of about 8.9 to 1. He used a factory non-emission head, redone to run unleaded. Job was completed many... MORE