[Healeys] Engine dies suddenly--solved???

[Michael Oritt]

Bill--

As they say "every ride is a test ride".  In any case I have Hagerty
Plus....

Best--Michael Oritt

On Fri, Mar 22, 2019 at 8:58 PM WILLIAM B LAWRENCE <ynotink at msn.com> wrote:

> a 250 mile test drive. You are a brave man. Healey on!
>
> Bill Lawrence
> BN1 #554
> ------------------------------
> *From:* Healeys <healeys-bounces at autox.team.net> on behalf of Michael
> Oritt <michael.oritt at gmail.com>
> *Sent:* Friday, March 22, 2019 11:24 PM
> *To:* Austin Healey
> *Subject:* [Healeys] Engine dies suddenly--solved???
>
> Rather than replacing parts on a wholesale basis without learning what was
> the cause of the car's suddenly stopping my hope/goal was to find a
> component/connection in the ignition system that appeared to be defective.
>
> This morning I started at the key switch and it tested fine. I then moved
> to the ballast resistor whose task is to reduce voltage to the MSD Blaster
> 2 coil and the Unilite ignition module. I wanted to check the ballast's
> value with an ohm meter and because of where it was installed--just above
> the starter on the inner face of the passenger toe box--I could not get the
> probes to the contacts, so I removed it to check it on the bench. When I
> unscrewed the bolt that held it in place a piece of its innards fell onto
> the floor of the garage!
>
> The Mallory 700 resistor, which along with the Unilite, has been in the
> car for 10-12 trouble-free years. It is supposed to have a value of 1.5
> ohms. On examining its remains on the bench I could see that the coiled
> wire appeared loose at one end and when I checked its value I got readings
> that were all over the scale. Luckily I had a spare ballast on hand--this
> one actually made by MSD and matched to the blaster coil--so I installed it
> in place of the old unit. I'm "cautiously optimistic" that I found the
> issue but of course that will have to be borne out by experience.
>
> My wife likes to ride in the Healey and we like Richmond VA, which is
> about 125 miles from home. The route down US 301 will keep us off of
> interstates, so we're heading down there in the morning for an overnight
> trip. I'll be bringing along a multimeter along with a spare coil, rotor
> and Unilite ignition module, wire and connectors, etc. Hopefully all will
> go well. Fingers crossed....
>
> Best--Michael Oritt
>
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