I'm planning to engine swap my mg midget. I want to use a rotary because I think I would be able to learn to rebuild all the seals my self and because they pack a punch for how small they are and I need something small to fit in my midget. Any other ideas for a skinny engine na engine that pushes 200plus hp and might just fit in my midget? Any tips for swap?
If you are planning to do all the work and maintenance yourself, the rotary could be good since you won't have to pay a shop to fix it. Also strongly consider doing a Honda engine swap into that MG - maybe a B series or K series motor, they are very reliable too. Those engines rev to the moon and you can easily get 200+ hp out of those in NA form. There's more information/resources out there on how to modify the Honda engines since many people have worked with those - I don't know how fitment into an MG would work. Either way, sounds like a fun project!
Rotary engines are super easy to work on since they basically consist of 3 moving parts (2 rotors, 1 eccentric shaft). No valves, no cams, no lifters, etc. to worry about on a rotary! It's actually a smart idea in my opinion...they are very powerful for their small size and simplicity, and not complex to try rebuilding yourself if any problems occur (those apex seals). Typically the apex seals need to be replaced every 100k-150k depending on how the engine is driven. Eventhough the redline starts at 9k, I wouldn't keep it revving past 7k for more than a few seconds. It's the higher rev limits that put the most wear on the seals.
