[Healeys] cylinder head questions

[Chris Dimmock]

Hi Josef.
I'm sorry. I pretty much just use my phone on this email account. I  
couldn't remember who guided me to the original casting numbers, a few  
years back, and corrected me on the 960 being just for BJ8's. I'm  
pretty sure it was was you. Thanks for that.
As you said. If all is fine, don't change it. But if you want your car  
to perform as it was originally "designed", then this is a serious  
issue. Harry Westlake designed BMC A, B and C series heads. And 100/4  
heads. His name "Westlake patents" is cast into many BMC products.   
Harry NEVER wrote in his patents "it's ok if the end of the spark plug  
is give or take a couple of hundred thou up the spark plug hole".
Well. Not in the paper ones I read.
If your car is ok, that's fine.
I'm just trying to help other owners (with info Peter Molloy  
identified in my engine rebuild 12 years ago - and Peter is the only  
race engineer in the Australian Motorsports hall of fame).
And I got around to taking pics a year ago. And I've spent 5 years in  
a very nasty divorce, so maybe I'm just lazy.
But generally, I've shared most "secret squirrel" Healey performance  
stuff that I found in my Healey, that many Healey guys never share  
publically. I ALWAYS have shared.
Personally, my philosphy is I'm happy to help a Healey beat a Jag, an  
MG, a Triumph etc. I really don't care if I help another Healey beat  
me. Never cared.  I want Healeys to win. Who cares who's Healey it is.  
It's about Healeys being up there. I'm not alone. Why does e.g Rich or  
Roger or David or whoever tell everyone what is concours correct?  
Because they want to see a higher standard. Me? I'm the same, but from  
a performance perspective.
If you are happy with your head - you shouldn't  do it.
Yeah. A 960 head "works". So do stub axles on non BJ8 3000's. Should  
you crack test your non BJ8 stub axles?
It's your call. You dont need to crack test them because they work?
Geoff Healey was compelled enough to write a tech Bulletin to explain  
that non BJ8 stub axles will fail in competition. Back in about 1990.
About 25 years after the cars were out of production, Geoff wrote an  
article warning about failure rates of pre BJ8 stub axles. Over 50%  
failure rates.
If you've got pre BJ8 stub axles, and never had yours crack tested,  
and they are "fine", and you know the intimate history of your car,  
then all is good in your garage. Or not?
You asked "Why should you do that?"
You don't have to do anything. It's your car. I'm just sharing my  
information.  Take it all with a grain of salt.
Everyone has an opinion. Even Geoff Healey.
This list is for sharing information.
Asking "why should I do that???" is not conducive to people presenting  
opinions, and evidence to prove their opinions. Look at the pics on my  
website. You tell me how you have a correctly machined 960 head.
Sincerely.
Chris
PS the aluminium head you but WON'T be based on the 960 design, if  
it's FIA approved as a homologated replacement.


Sent from my iPhone

On 22/09/2011, at 4:25 PM, <Josef.Eckert at t-systems.com> wrote:

> Why should I do that??
> It worked as it is (as it was done by the factory) for 50 years with  
> my car
> and all others, so it will work another 30 years of my live!
> If I want it different I would buy a new aluminium head.
>
> Josef Eckert
> Konigswinter/Germany
>
> -----Urspr|ngliche Nachricht-----
> Von: healeys-bounces at autox.team.net [mailto:healeys- 
> bounces at autox.team.net] Im
> Auftrag von PG
> Gesendet: Donnerstag, 22. September 2011 00:40
> An: 'Bob Spidell'; warthodson at aol.com
> Cc: ardmorebusiness at xtra.co.nz; healeys at autox.team.net
> Betreff: Re: [Healeys] cylinder head questions
>
> You mill out the plug hole from the outside so that the sparkplug  
> goes deeper
> into the cylinder and the spark gap is not shrouded.......ideally  
> you then
> index the plug to face the chamber....the milling is about .25"
>
> My machine shop was initially nervous about doing it as he was  
> worried about
> the remaining strength.
>
> Paul