After having all the original Smith’s instruments in my latest Austin Healey restoration entirely rebuilt I was rather disappointed to discover that the fuel gauge reading was so erratic that it was difficult to know just how much fuel I had unless I stopped the car and waited for the fuel in the tank to… Continue reading Smiths and Jaegar Fuel Gauge Solution
Category: Healey Stuff
Low Mileage Austin Healey 100. A Rare Opportunity to Look Back.
Recently Bob Yule of Autofarm Ltd was kind enough to allow me to take a close look at a very early 1954 Austin Healey 100, with only 5300 miles on it from new, that he had in his shop for service. One does not often get the chance to examine such an original car close… Continue reading Low Mileage Austin Healey 100. A Rare Opportunity to Look Back.
BN1 Gearbox. A Plethora of Threads
Back in the days when I was a really poor British sports car mechanic I managed to pick up a Suzuki LJ80V all-wheel drive van with a badly slipping clutch to use for winter transportation. It was a horrible little thing but great in the snow and all I could afford at the time. Before… Continue reading BN1 Gearbox. A Plethora of Threads
Laycock-de Normanville Overdrive Installation Tool
Many years ago I made up a little tool which has proved invaluable when attaching an “A†type Laycock-De Normanville overdrive unit to a gearbox. For those not familiar with this operation a little explanation will help. If you have “been there, done that†skip this part down to the picture with the tape measure… Continue reading Laycock-de Normanville Overdrive Installation Tool
Early Austin Healey 100 Steering Wheel Detail.
When I was a little nipper back in Dunedin, New Zealand our family car, the first I remember anyway, was a 1948 Austin 16. I have 4 siblings so journeys in the Austin with 3 in the front and 4 in the back were cozy affairs. There was always a race for which of the… Continue reading Early Austin Healey 100 Steering Wheel Detail.
What is an Oakenstrong Washer?
I received a copy of an SU information bulletin from Earl Kagna during my research into whether or not identification tags were fitted to Austin Healey 100 carburettors. Our local SU guru Blain Hughes was good enough to send me pictures of what he had in the way of ID tags from SUs with the… Continue reading What is an Oakenstrong Washer?
Austin Healey 3000 bores in a 100/6 block.
Over the years I have been asked many times if there is any good reason why a 100/6 (3.125†bore) should not be overbored to 3000 specifications (3.281â€). Back, before I knew better, I believed that there was no good reason not to do so and in fact we successfully rebuilt more than one 100/6… Continue reading Austin Healey 3000 bores in a 100/6 block.
Austin Healey 100 #174 Heatshields
The drivers footwell heatshields on #174 were original and somewhat different from those that I have seen on later cars. These heat shields are installed on all “Big” Healeys to limit the amount of heat that is radiated onto the driver’s footwell from the exhaust manifold and down pipe. The Original Heatshield on the Front… Continue reading Austin Healey 100 #174 Heatshields
Brake Pipe Flare TSB
Austin Healey BJ8 Water Pump Rebuild
Because the only available reproduction pumps are such c**p I have been selling a bunch of Austin Healey 3000 MkIII water pump rebuild kits and many people have asked me how difficult is it to rebuild one of these pumps? The kits cost $US68.65 which includes domestic or international shipping. The following is a step… Continue reading Austin Healey BJ8 Water Pump Rebuild