Section : Engine Swaps

Herald vs Spitfire engine 

Posted By : Matthew Finch, 16-Jun-2003, 08:17pm

My 1200 Herald is fitted with a 1200 Spitfire engine, after numerous postings about engine problems, setting the engine up correctly using the Spitfire Spec has hopefully solved most of them

Can anyone tell me what the difference is between the two and why things like the timing are so different? Do the twin carbs work better on the Spitfire engine than converting a Herald engine to twin carbs?? Do I get an better perfromce from the Spitty engine...assuming I have actually tuned it correctly

Cheers to all...especially Nig as I am sure he know loads about this!!!

Matt

• Herald vs Spitfire engine 

  Posted By : Nigel Gibbins, 17-Jun-2003, 09:42pm

  Hi - well where to start?
  
  Essentially the two are the same in different levels of tuning. The spitfire had an uprated camshaft, twin carbs (though this was an option on Heralds) and the MK2 also had a flowed exhaust manifold.
  
  The Herald 1147 (1200) engine, had a milder cam, single SU as standard and a cast manifold. This originally had 39Bhp with single carb and 51Bhp later (1963 - 12/50) as it too was given an uprated camshaft.
  
  So the basic difference is the camshaft (internally).
  
  FC = Spitfire engine (63 bhp), GA/GD = 1200 (39 bhp), GD = 12/50 (51 bhp).
  
  Nothing wrong with a Spitfire engine in a Herald, I have a Herald engine in my Spitfire
  
  NiG
  http://www.niginthecar.net