Every now and then the excitement is great among owners of a former BMC product, when a so-called Gold Seal engine or gearbox is built into the classic car. The excitement reaches the absolute boiling point when a 'new' Gold Seal engine or gearbox comes on the market somewhere. Such an engine has been stored somewhere longer than a few days; the guarantee has long expired ...
Overhauled
What exactly is a Gold Seal engine? An overhaul carried out by the original manufacturer based on trade-in of the old unit. This phenomenon was introduced in 1958. A former Riley factory in Coventry was converted and furnished for this purpose. BMC dealers at the time had their old, worn-out engines and gearboxes delivered there. They were then cleaned deep in the pores, measured, processed and overhauled with new parts. After that, such a component was returned and such a motor could be fitted with a 'new' number. With 12 months warranty. Such an engine and gearbox are next to a 'different' number especially recognizable because of the 'golden' color. The so-called A-series engines were given the prefix 8G, B-series the prefix 84G and the C-series 86G. In case you are not familiar with those indications, it involves the push rod engines. The A-series covers the cylinder capacity from 803 to 1.275 cm3; the B-series - a bit confusing, but it concerns the - optically - larger engines of 1.200 cm3 as can be found in the Austin A40 from 1953 to the 1.798 cm3 known from among others the MG MGB and finally the C-series , these are the six cylinders from 1954 with a content of 2.639 cm3 to the 2.912 cm3 engine as can be found in the MG MGC, among others. And then there was also Silver Seal ... A later 'discovery'. They were sprayed silver-gray and only included a revised so-called 'short block '. So a engine block with crankshaft, connecting rods, pistons etc., the customer then mounted a self-introduced / supplied cylinder head ...