• Hi Guest!
    You can help ensure that British Car Forum (BCF) continues to provide a great place to engage in the British car hobby! If you find BCF a beneficial community, please consider supporting our efforts with a subscription.
    There are some perks with a member upgrade!
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Subscribers don't see this gawd-aweful banner
Tips
Tips

2 into 1 HIF44 manifold

Share this page

Luke_Healey

Luke_Healey

Jedi Trainee
Offline
I'm spying sprite goodies again now that it's spring time. I'm still entertaining the thought of ditching my HS2's for a single HIF44 carburetor.


4474037293_09393def98_o.jpg


Does this setup built to fit a 1275 engine also fit my 1098 engine? I'm thinking yes, but I wanted to ask first before I spend money on something I'd have to immediately resell.
 
Yes it will fit but do watch the bonnet clearance if that manifold is from a Mini.
It will leave a pimple on the bonnet.
Don't ask me how I know this.
 
The Austin America used a similar setup (single HS4), may want to check it out.
BillM
 
Hi,the MG Metro (and turbo versions) used the HIF44 set up until the K series engine was bought in (1990).
The carbs work well on 1275 engines but unsure how well they would work on a 1098 set up, you may have to used the slightly smaller HIF38 (1.5") .
As already stated the manifold choice is critical to avoid a dink on the bonnet, but this issue has been resolved by fileing/grinding the manifold face to give a shallower angle where it mates to the block.
These carbs are soooo much easier to set up and they do give an increase to driveability and fuel economy.

For a bit more info on the Metro's history:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rover_Metro

HTH
Mark
 
Luke_Healey said:
According to this page, the Metro manifold will cause the hood to hit the top of the carburetor:

https://www.mgcars.org.uk/bcmg/did_you_know.htm



I was looking online for the ones that fit the sprite, Titan I think? but I couldn't find them. Does anyone have a link to the setup that's guaranteed to fit? This is the goal.. Driveability.
Click to expand...

No guarantee and I didn't find it listed on the website but
my Minispares intake works fine and doesn't ding the BE hood.
Perhaps give these guys a ring or e-mail. They sure as heck made my intake for the HIF6. Their website address is cast into
the intake.
Motor runs great and it doesn't ding my hood.
Previous owner installed this set up around 2005. I don't know if it required modification but I do know it works.
 

Attachments

  • 20746.jpg
    20746.jpg
    30.8 KB · Views: 1,384
I've got a choice on a 1380 I built for customer to use the single HIF44 or the twin HS2 set up, I can't really see how one carb meets the fuel cfm supply of the twin 1.25" carbs, and the intake design on the HS2 is a direct shot towards the intake ports, where all the single carb set ups including the Weber DCOE has to run around curve to get there. I think sometime the twin carbs set up imtimadate folks, but it's simple set up and good one. I'm still working on David to switch to the twin HS2 set up.
 
I'm going to the twin SUs from Hap in the near future.
My ol Lady's new MGB wheels come first.
:wink:

At the point of change I may have my trick set up for sale.
Sometime this summer is my goal.
I've toyed with changing to a twin set up since the day I bought this car. Don't get me wrong, the current HIF6 really
has been smooth and dependable and the motor screams like
a banshee. Great power to 7k and a little beyond in a pinch.
Twin SUs just make more sense and Hap's are not stock and
just soooo pretty. I sure they would give me some HP boost
and every little bit helps when you are talking about a 1380cc engine. Even 5 additional HP would be welcomed.
Many knowledgeable "experts" claim my set up is good to 100HP.
Vizard for one.
My type set up is "claimed" to exceed 100HP by Minimania. They advertise this engine package as 113 HP but I'd have to see it on a dyno to believe it.
In any event 2 SUs are in my future for sure.
Maybe even HS4s.
:jester:
 
My issue is that I'm on year #3 with crappy HS2s on my Sprite. I know what a GOOD set of them will do. However, my set has nothing visibly wrong with them (like leaky throttle rods) but they run like crap. I've got the jets centered and yet they still never adjust according to the text book.

Most people turn them 6 flats out and they run fine. Mine are sitting at about 12 and 14 flats out. They run too rich at idle and too lean at throttle. I've switched between dashpots running AN needles (stock) and the springy needles from a 71 midget and the car runs the same either way.

I suspect the previous owner rebuilt them and lost a few critical parts along the way. And I just don't have the patience to sort it out. Therefore I'm looking for a single carburetor solution that I don't have to fiddle with. I don't race around, and I just want something that warms the car up quickly so I can go off choke and doesn't overheat the car while driving it on the highway.
 
The set up I currently use has been seamless in function.
Pull the choke and it starts even in sub freezing weather.
After a minute or two it needs no choke.
I don't even pull the choke once the weather warms.
It you are set on a single carb I'd highly recommend give the guys I referenced a call.
Results often vary, but I'm a happy camper with the current set up.
 
Don't give up on your HS2s. Go to this link and click on the Technical tab on the left. Choose your carburetter type and you'll get the best-written description and how-to advice I've ever seen. What's more, it's accurate and devoid of the folk-lore and nonsense that's been built up around these carbs over the years.

Twin SUs rock! I learned them 50 years ago or so, and they're really not that hard. I'll bet your issues are very simple and won't require a lot of your time to fix.
 
I know they can rock. I had some on my other sprite with grose jets that made the car haul... It's just -these- ones on my car are doomed for whatever reason. I've spent well over 100 hours messing with them and I'm sick of it. Last year I found the wrong needles in the float bowls, and I presume other mystery parts incorporated into the bottom ends of them.


As for the technical link, I can handle the top ends of these, but the bottom ends with the throttle rods and main jets (and countless washers and tiny things) have too many parts for my patience level. I'm bound to just ruin them if I take them apart myself.

And if I'm going to pay sums of money to have someone professionally rebuild them, I'd rather have something I can easily work on myself. However, I am against the Weber DGV setup because I think SUs are cool. I want maximum fuel economy and minimum engine wear due to overgassing the cylinder walls or running too lean.

I sent an email to minispares.com. I could not find the manifold listed on their site anymore, so I have a feeling the supply has dried up.
 
Luke
It sounds like your floats are possibly not set right-
If you take off your dashpots and pistons (both) and turn on the electric fuel pump the fuel should be about 1/8" too low to overflow the bridge. If this is not the case then you need to readjust your floats.
BillM
 
Don't despair. I found a minispares manifold on eBay and managed to pick it up pretty cheap. Just keep your eyes peeled or even consider setting up a "saved search".

JACK
 
If you are looking for performance and the absolute surety that it will NOT catch you bonnet you can get the correct manifold from Maniflow in the UK - they post worldwide.

They do two versions - one to match the standard head ports and a large bore one to match the larger ported head.

The quality is SUPERB. The website isn't great but the product is! If I could suss out how to post an image I would do.....
 
here is a link, yes it has pictures.
https://www.eatworms.org.uk/album/album2.php?album=Midget-HIF44&mode=page&index=1

I bought an hif 44 with a metro manifold. Later i found out the mini manifold is set to 30 degrees and the sprite is 20. I had an offer to trade it to a guy with a mini that had a titan . In a typical moment of stupidity i declined the trade thinking if i decided not to install it it would be easier to sell as a mini upgrade. Very shortly there after i called him and tried to do the trade, but he already modified the titan and had it installed.

MiniMania use to sell the Titans, may still, but they were pretty expensive new. My su's are working well so the hif 44 has stayed in the box for the last 3 years. good luck with yours.
 
Back
Top