Hi Mike,
Noltec bushings - its a long story, but here's a short background.
The guy who pretty much pioneered urethane suspension bushings here in
Australia was Greg Nolan.
His first business was Nolathane. Their bushings were red in colour, and
this was the early 1990's
He sold that business, and started again in the early 2000's, called
himself Noltec, and made Blue and/or black busings.
Being a long time BMC sportscar racer - he didn't mind making things like
Healey bushes - because he cared and was an enthusiast himself.
He sold thousands more e.g. Mazda MX5 Miata bushings than Healey - but he's
an enthusiast, and it wasn't all about the money.
Nolathane still make bushings - but they don't/ won't make them for Healeys
anymore because theyr'e more of a corporate, bottom line focussed
enterprise.
Ok - thats the history lesson over.
So in 1998, the only bushings available were Nolathane red ones. They did
many bushings for Healeys - but not all of them - you couldn't do all the
bushings on a BJ8 all in urethane
My car still has some red Nolathane bushes in e.g. the front wishbones, and
they are still fine.
i also have some new old stock Nolathane which have sat in a drawer for 20
years - they are fine too.
Photo attached
When Greg started Noltec, he made all the same Healey bushings that
Nolathane made, plus he made the ones Nolathane didn't.
Here's the weird part. SOME of the Noltec bushes turned to a chalky cheese
within about 5 - 6 years.
Some others are fine.See Pics
Over the past 19 years, I've replaced Noltec engine and gearbox mounts,
rear spring and rear shock bushes (which turned to chalky cheese).
Some I've just had made in graphite impregated nylon, rather than urethane.
Yet - some old Noltec ones are still good.
Here are some pics of packets that have sat in the same drawer - out of UV
light - for 19 years.
Red is nolathane. Blue, and chalky white cheese are Noltec.
So - I don't know. Some are fine - some aren't.
If they are still blue, they are fine., The red ones are fine. But some
turn to chalky cheese.....
BTW, when I replaced my engine and gearbox mounts with Urethane, in 2000,
the 2 year old brand new rubber ones fitted in 1998 were delaminated and
split.
So the Urethane outlasted the rubber that was available in 1998..
Best
Chris
?
PS the white ones can be crumbled like old cheese between 2 fingers.....
On Thu, Nov 16, 2017 at 4:18 AM, Michael MacLean <rrengineer.mike at att.net>
wrote:
> Chris,
> How are your Noltec bushings holding up? I only ask as someone on
> the list is having a problem with them disintegrating in short order.
> Mike MacLean
>
> Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android
> <https://overview.mail.yahoo.com/mobile/?.src=Android>
>
> On Wed, Nov 15, 2017 at 7:18 AM, Chris Dimmock
> <austin.healey at gmail.com> wrote:
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