[Healeys] Where to Next?

[Patrick and Caroline Quinn]

G'day

 

Many would remember that a few weeks back the engine of the BN3/1 started
making expensive noises.

 

Well, while the engine is still in the car, all ancillaries have been
removed from it. All sounds straightforward, but it helps if you can imagine
the engine bay of a 100 with a C-series shoehorned into it. Like to remove
the carburettors the heater Kopex tubing had to be removed and for that to
happen the grille had to be taken out. That's okay, as the radiator can only
come out via the grille opening.

 

Anyway the engine is bare within the car. The rocker cover is off, as are
the rockers. This afternoon I was about to undo the cylinder head nuts, but
ran into a problem.

 

The rear of the engine and cylinder head is about half an inch from the
firewall which is already concave. That means that the rear head stud is
directly under the bonnet catch (remember it's a 100 body with a forward
opening bonnet). To get at the bonnet catch fasteners you have to go into
the cockpit, but they are unreachable unless the heater is removed. Even if
I could undo the cylinder head nuts I wonder if I could get the head past
the bonnet catch and the overdrive throttle switch which is right next to
it.

 

I should say that the engine will NOT fit through the 100 shroud opening
which means that the shroud has to be removed first. Surely the main reason
why the production six-cylinder cars have a larger bonnet opening.

 

I still don't know what caused the loud noises, but it looks as if I have to
start on the bodywork next. I suspect that I won't know what's wrong until
the engine is out.

 

However I thought I should say hello to everyone as someone else might have
a bright idea. Yes 30 years ago I did fit the engine before the body.

 

Hoo Roo

 

Patrick Quinn 

Sydney, Australia