TECH TIPS
Looking for help, advice or guidance on your Healey? Here are PDFs containing more than 450 pages of technical articles and information written to help Austin-Healey owners improve and maintain their Healeys.This collection contains both lengthy articles with detailed photographs and diagrams and short bits of helpful tips. Most of the material is from material published by Austin-Healey Sports & Touring Club or the Austin-Healey Club of America and their chapters, all over the country. There is also some material from trusted experts and vendors.
Click on the name of the PDF to view and/or download it. A description of the contents of each is listed below the link.
NOTICE: Should any originators of the articles in this anthology want their articles updated or modified, or withdrawn from the website, contact: membership@austin-healey-stc.org. No articles may be reproduced for sale or distribution without written consent of the AHSTC.
DISCLAMER: These are articles primarily contributed by members of the Austin-Healey Club of America (AHCA) and Austin-Healey Sports & Touring Club (AHSTC) for publication club magazines and chapter newsletters. Others were submitted by British motoring manufacturers and vendors. They are offered as reference only.
Articles should not be considered detailed, comprehensive installation instructions. Readers are reminded that working on motorcars is inherently dangerous. Users should only attempt work for which they have adequate background in safety and installation techniques. Some tasks may need professional advice or services.
The AHSTC and the authors and publishers of the articles do not assume responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or applicability of these articles to reader’s vehicle(s), nor assume any liability for reader’s capabilities and vehicle(s), nor assume any liability for reader’s implementation. The reader assumes all liability for the reader’s use of these articles.
20 pages — MANUALS, BOOKS & TOOLS | Shop Manual Binders • 1957-1967 Color Chip Books • Tool Kits: Original Supplied Equipment • Tools: BMC Supplemental Tool Kits • Knock-Off Hammers for BN2 thru BJ8
33 pages — DIAGNOSTIC | Buying an Austin-Healey • Essential Maintenance for Big Healey • What’s Your Under Hood I.Q.? • When Your Car Won’t Start • Common Problems and Some Possible Causes • Be Prepared, Not Embarrassed Before a Tour • Winterizing the Healey • Diagnosing Brake Problems • Overdrive Problems • Technical Session Upgrades: Radiator Capt, Fuel Filters • Healey Vibrations • Squeaks and Rattles
14 pages — PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE & TRAVELING SPARES | | Spares You Might Carry • Healey Traveling Kit • Advice to New Owners • Make Your Healey Reliable • Wear is the Problem • Check Your Healey’s Fuel Lines • Wear is the Problem: Engine • Summer Touring Safety Checklist • Performance Driving Safety Checklist, Pt 2 • The Devil is in the Detailing
11 pages — TEARDOWN & RESTORATION TECHNIQUES | Cleaning Carburetors • Piston Freed by Molasses • Replate and Save That Cloisonné • British Fastening System: Whitworth Thread History • Plating Parts • It’s All in the Little Details • Dating Your Car by its Windows • Rust Converters vs. POR-15 for Rust • Rust Inhibitors • Fabrication
4 pages — FLUIDS & FUELS | What You Should Know About Antifreeze • Silicone Brake Fluid vs Traditional Brake Fluid • Thoughts on Silicone Brake Fluid • Carbon-Kevlar Performance Front Disk Brake Pads • Improve the Octane Rating of Your Gas
7 pages — ENGINE | Lightening the Flywheel • An Interesting Tool for Simplifying Valve Adjustment: Clik-Adjust • Rocker Pedestal Oil Feed • Rocker Arm Bushes • Installation of a PCV Valve • The “Healey Hunter” Engine
10 pages — COOLING SYSTEM & HEATER | The So-Called Cooling System • The Thermostat, for Efficiency and Reliability • Broken Stem: Heater Control Tap • Coolant Recovery System • Overheating Solution • Radiator Rebuild Aids Cooling • 100 Radiator Funnel • Cooling: Installing an Auxiliary Fan in a Big Healey
3 pages — EXHAUST SYSTEM | Exhaust leak? • Removing Exhaust Manifold Studs • Fitting Instructions for Carburetor Heat Shield Assembly
17 pages — CARBURETORS | Long History of the SU Carburettor Ends • Technical SU Carbs: Banjo and Banjo Bolt Threads • Healey Cold Cough • Balancing SU Carburetors • SU Carb Dashpot Oil • SU Carburetor Tips • Wire Mesh Air Cleaners • Carb Rebuild • Carb Set Ups: It’s Harder Than You Think
23 pages — FUEL FORWARDING | Fuel Tank Sealing • Fuel Delivery Pressure • Fuel Pumps: Tip on Maintenance and Repair • Fuel Pumps for Big Healeys, 1953-1967 • Going Down the Tube: Or, What You Never Wanted to Know About Your Fuel Tank • Solid State Fuel Pump • Fuel Pumps” A Major Cause of Breakdowns • Fuel Pumps: Evolution of Configurations and Mounting on Big Healeys • Fuel Pumps: Installing a Backup Pump
9 pages — ENGINE LUBRICATION & PRESSURE GAUGE | Does Your Healey Have Low Oil Pressure? • 10 lbs. Oil Pressure Increase for 10 Minutes Work • Big Healey Spin-on Oil Filters • B.M.C., M.G. & Morris Engine Codes
4 pages — CLUTCH | Clutch Bleeding: Big Healey • Clutch Disk Stuck? • Clutch Pilot Bushing • Pedal Assembly
23 pages — GEARBOX & OVERDRIVE | Architecture of Transmissions • Gearboxes: A Primer • The Gearbox, a.k.a. Bucket o’ Bolts • Repairing British Transmissions • Smitty’s Toyota Tranny Transplant Kit & 5-Speed Transmission Selection Guide • Austin-Healey Transmission Lock • The Overdrive, Part One • Overdrive Solenoid Info Sheet • More OD Diagnostics • Mr. Finespanner Talks Overdrive • Overdrive Pump Pressure Gauge • Using the Overdrive •
17 pages — FRONT SUSPENSION, HUBS & STEERING | Steering Boxes • Sway Bars • Solving Healey Ground Clearance • Overdrive • Basic Handling Principles • Front Hub Servicing • Front Wheel Bearings • Kingpin Oilite Washers • Wire Wheel Hub Grease Cap Removal • Wire Wheels: Hubs, Splines and Knockoffs •
10 pages — REAR SUSPENSION, DIFFERENTIAL & AXLE | Basic Handling Principles, Part 2 • Rear End Gear Ratios: 3.5 vs. 3.9 • Replacing Rear Wheel Bearings, Axle Oil Seals • Tips on Doing Rear Axle Seals • Topping Off the Rear End Fluid • Rear Leaf Springs for BN1 thru BJ8 • 3.5 Versus 3.9 • Rear Spring Replacement on 1964 BJ8
14 pages — WHEELS & TIRES | Tire Tip • DOT Serial Number System • Flat Tire Mystery Solved • Care and Maintenance of Wire Wheels • Racing Wheels • Frequently Asked Questions About Wire Wheels • The Saga of the Wire Wheel • Spare Tire Downsized • Tire Tires • Cleaning Wire Wheels and Door Shut Pillars • A Jack That Works
26 pages — BRAKING SYSTEM | The Brakes are Binding? • Healey Brakes: Bleeding the System • Soft Pedal Solution • Front Brakes Caliper Overhaul • How to Make It Stop • Bleedless Brake Light Switch Replacement • A Fairly Simple Bolt-On Rear Disc Brake Conversion • Brake Repair • Replacing Flexible Brake Hoses • Brake Drum Balancing • Stuck Brake Calipers • Them’s the Brakes: How to Upgrade Healey Brakes for Track or Street • On Rebuilding Brake Calipers (Discs) • Caliper Pistons • Silicone Brake Fluid and Brake Hydraulic Systems • Drum to Disc Conversion of Front Brakes on 1959 100-6 BN4 with Wire Wheels
3 pages — GENERATOR & STARTER | Polarizing a Generator • Installing an Alternator in a BJ8
7 pages — IGNITION SYSTEM | The Distributor • Electrical Questions • Correct Ignition Coil? • A Neat Way to Set Timing • At the End of a Rope: New Coil • Concerning Rotors
19 pages — ELECTRICAL & BATTERY | Getting Wired, Part 1 • Positive vs. Negative Ground • Regarding Master Cut-off Switches • Stop Light Switches • 40-Year-Old Relay Box: Repair It, Trash It, or Rebuild It • Dealing With Un-fused Circuits • Installing Auxiliary Fuse Block • Keeping the Smoke In: Fuse It So You Won’t Lose It • Cruise Control Made Easy • Installing New Wiring Harness • Power Outlet for Positive Ground Healey
16 pages — LIGHTS, LAMPS & SIGNAL RELAY | LED Illumination Retrofit • Additional Info on LED Light Conversions • Testing and Repairing Directionals and Brake Lights • Installing Four-Way Hazard Lights in a BJ8 • Installing Hazard Lights in a BN1 • Installing Auxiliary Lights on a BJ8
12 pages — DASH & ENGINE BAY CONTROLS, SENDERS | Dash Knob Removal • Brake Booster Retrofit: Easier Whoa For Not Much Dough • The Impossible Bolt • Rev It Up: Adjusting Your Electronic Tach • One Approach to Restoration – Finishing Up: Horn and Direction Indicator Control, Non-Adjustable and Adjustable Steering Columns, Installation of Soft Tops, Will You Ever Be Done?, Your First Test Drives
49 pages — CHASSIS & FRAME (Including Leo Kob”s BN7 Reconstruction, in 17 parts) | Front Shock Mounts • Shock Tower Repair • Wrapping Up a Basket Case: Leo Kob’s Amateur Excursion into BN7 Frame and Chassis Reconstruction — Preliminary Surgery, Wrapping and Relaxing the Frame, First Fitment of Aftermarket Parts, Continuing Fitup of Aftermarket Parts, Pappa’s Little Fitup Helpers, Giving the Rear Tub a Makeover, Sheet Metal Patching, Trunk Compartment Sheet Metal, Footwell and Firewall Reconstruction, Floorpan Fabrication and Fitup, Readying the Chassis for the Paint Bay, Victory in the Paint Bay, Assembling the Rolling Chassis,
15 pages — BODY BITS and TRIM | Keeping the Door Open: 6-Cylinder Healey • Austin-Healey 3000 Colors • Metallic Paint on Austin-Healeys • Installing Door Handle Pins • Removal of Chrome Grill Surround Assembly • Bonnet Reinstallation • Handy Guide to Beautiful Boot Bottom • Rear Wheel Arch • A Front License Plate Bracket Without Drilling Holes in the Bumper • Boot Lock Disassembly and Reassembly • Scuttle Vent for Your Healey • Carburetor Access Panel •
3 pages — TOPS & WEATHER EQUIPMENT | Healey Hardtop Repair
2 pages — TOPS & WEATHER EQUIPMENT | Sidescreen Sideshow, or “Brits Love Their Bits”
3 pages — COCKPIT, WINDSHIELD, SEATS, UPHOLSTERY TRIMMING | Nail It: Window Crank and Door Handle • Seats Suck? • Dash Replacement • One Approach to Restoration – Windows and Trimming: Rear cockpit molding on convertibles, side curtains and windows, finalizing windshield rake, convertible windows BJ7 & BJ8, top frames, 100s and 6-cylinder roadsters, convertibles, BJ7s & BJ8s • Tips on Trimming the Cockpit • Boot Lid, Bonnet and More • Around the Windshield: Scuttle Seals and Dash Pad, Windshield Assembly and Installation, Aluminum Facing on Door Sills and Shut Pillars, Rear Cockpit Trim and Door Seals, Door Checks, Doors.
28 pages — COCKPIT, WINDSHIELD, SEATS, UPHOLSTERY TRIMMING | Door Interior Trimming Q&A • Carpet Installation in a BT7 • Carpeting Your Healey • Bucket Seat Shape: Isn’t That Hard to Do It Right • Inserting Wiper Blade Refills • BN1 & BN2 Windshield Seal • Repair and Refinish Seat Rails • Healey Mods: Auxiliary Storage Box • In Pursuit of a Cooler Drive(r)
26 pages — PERFORMANCE UPGRADES | Building a Strong Vintage Race Engine • Healey Upgrades: Steering and Front Suspension Torrington Bearings and Adjustable Camber Upper Trunnion Bushes; Alternator to Generator; Upgrading Rear Brake Shoes • Aluminum Head for Healey 100 • How to Upgrade Healey Suspension for Track or Street • SCCA Club Racing: Production Category Specifications (2003) • SCCA Club Racing General Competition Rules (2003) •
19 pages — SPRITE SPECIFIC | Rear Spring Wedges for ¼-Elliptic Sprites • Bugeye Concours Q&A • Original Equipment Tools Supplied with Sprite • 1960 Bugeye Sprite Fastener List • MG Midget & Sprite Front Wheel Bearings
4 pages — GENERAL | Fire Extinguisher Storage Tip • Winter Storage • Tap & Drill Size