[Healeys] 26H engine

[Peter Svilans]

Going by the BMC Workshop Manuals:

The first six cylinders carried on using the 1C ( first series C-type engine)
number system, with an "H" denoting High Compression.

The numbering system was changed from late 1957 on, and was now three groups
separated by slashes:

In the "First Prefix Group":
- the number is the displacement, ie. 26 = 2.6 liter, or  8 = 850cc

- the first letter is the BMC make, ie. M is for Morris, G for MG, R for
Riley, V for Princess, W for Wolseley, J for Commercial and......wait for it
Gergo.......H is for "Miscellaneous Special".

'A' for Austin as a first letter is not found on Austin motors.  ( for eg. the
first  3 liter A-99 had only a '29' motor, but the similar Wolseley had a
'29W' motor.

- the second letter after the displacement (or the first one after, for
Austins) is for "variations of engine type".  Here, an 'A'  was used as a
First Variation.  For eg. the second model of 3 liter Austin, the A-110, had a
'29A' motor, and the corresponding Princess Mk II had a '29VA' motor.  The
Austin motors in the Healey 3000 had 29D,E,F and K variations.

 The "Second Prefix Group" has to do with the gearbox, R being Laycock
overdrive (O is Borg Warner), and U being side or centershift (as opposed to
column shift).

The third group is the serial number, preceded by a high (H) or low (L)
compression indicator.

........so is there anything interesting about your 26H motor ?

Peter