[Healeys] On the Road Home from Conclave (Day 3)

[BJ8 Healeys]

Hello, Healeyphiles -

As faithful readers of the Adventures of the Haywood/Byers Convoy to Conclave will recall, I had a gearbox problem just as we entered San Diego.  David Nock had a look at it and suspected a broken or missing circlip on the mainshaft.  Although the gearbox PROBABLY could have got me back to North Carolina O.K., I didn't want to worry about it.  The local Healey club members put me onto Randy Zoller (Heritage Motor Sports) in El Cajon, and let me tell you:  if you ever have a Healey problem in the San Diego area, he's the man to see.  In a little over 24 hours, he had pulled my gearbox/overdrive, disassembled it, diagnosed the problem (yep, the circlip was missing and a bronze thrust washer had also broken up in the overdrive), cleaned it, repaired it, reassembled and reinstalled the whole shebang.  The gearbox works better now than when I left home.

We departed Conclave on Thursday about 12:00 noon and headed toward Needles, CA.  We had spent the last night before arriving in San Diego in Gila Bend, AZ -- the hottest place in the USA on that day.  Needles was the hottest on the day we arrived.  The road through the mountains and across that barren desert was the HOTTEST I've ever driven on, and it seemed to go on forever.  

>From Needles to Tuba City, AZ the second day was a pretty good drive, and today's was from Tuba City to Bryce Canyon, Utah.   Hey, Gary Brierton:  I bet you didn't know you probably participated in an historic event in Tuba City this morning.  It was likely the first time in history that three Austin-Healeys were in town at the same time.  I saw you and the Silver Bullet pass as we were stopped for gas, but I don't think you saw us.

Utah has some really spectacular scenery and rock formations.  Tomorrow we tour Bryce Canyon.

Happy Healeying!
Steve Byers
HBJ8L/36666
BJ8 Registry
Havelock, NC