Fast Marina Magazine

Does anyone know the purpose of the sheet metal plate, welded to the sump and bolted to the bell housing, when the B series engine is installed?
Considering the bellhousing is bolted to the substantial rear engine plate it seems rather superfluous to me.
It's also a pain to get the bolts in and out!
Cheers Robin

martinclan wrote:Does anyone know the purpose of the sheet metal plate, welded to the sump and bolted to the bell housing, when the B series engine is installed?
Considering the bellhousing is bolted to the substantial rear engine plate it seems rather superfluous to me.
It's also a pain to get the bolts in and out!
Cheers Robin

It’s a bolt head grinding platform!

Ah - sacrificial skid plate. Like F1

Maybe like formula one, but also it’s a strengthening plate tying the engine and gearbox together, especially given that the 1.8 has its front mount is right at the front of the engine and the gearbox mount is at the rear of the gearbox. I’m guessing that BL had some strength worries.

Thanks Chris. That was what I was guessing. But odd that it doesn't exist on the MGB which must have similar engine mountings.
Cheers Robin

I now know the reason!
It turns out that the Marina back plate is about 1/8" thinner than the MGB one. Hence the sump plate to add some strength and rigidity.
Cheers Robin

For the anoraks (that includes me now) here is a picture of the Marina (left) and MGB (right) backplates.
back_plate by Robin Martin, on Flickr
Can't see from this picture but the Marina one is quite a bit thinner than the MGB one.

And the refurbed engine.
engine10 by Robin Martin, on Flickr

Cheers, Robin

Pretty, pretty

Hi Robin, I sent you a pm but perhaps I can ask you (or others) here since I've found this thread. In a distributor thread, you mentioned that a Marina crankshaft'd engine is no good for an MGB. I'm hoping the reverse doesn't apply as I've just picked up an MGB engine. Chris had already advised me about the backplate and flywheel which I'm ok with (also the front plate due to engine mounting differences). Are there any other issues I will have to deal with?
Thanks in advance, Peter