BN1 engine vibration

I recently purchased a well-restored BN1 but it has a lot of annoying vibration – especially around 2000 – 2200 rpm.

The manual implies that one cause might be:

• Loose dynamo bolts
• Fan blades out of balance
• Incorrect clearance for engine front mounting rubbers
• exhaust pipe mountings too tight.
• incorrect adjustment of stabilizer

When I blip the throttle, the engine doesn’t “rock” even a millimeter – so that seemed like a good place to have a look. There is a very robust mounting bracket attaching the exhaust pipe just below the manifold to the engine block. This is bracket allows for no movement whatsoever.

Should I loosen it so it “slops around” within the bracket and therefore allow some isolation from the engine?

I’m not sure how to interpret “Incorrect clearance for engine front mounting rubbers” or “incorrect adjustment of stabilizer” – i.e. what to look for or how to correct it.

Any help is much appreciated.

Thanks, Dave

Hi Dave,

You might be better off posting your question over on the Healey part of the forum. This area is supposed to be just new member introductions.

My take is that you should be looking for engine mounts that have sagged until there is metal touching metal at some point. Your comment about the engine not moving at all strongly suggests that it's not sitting on rubber at all. (I should add, though, that I've never wrenched on a big Healey, so this is just general car tech.)

"Exhaust mountings too tight" I think would mean the exhaust is too close to the body or frame, such that it hits when the engine moves on it's mounts. The mounting bracket to the engine block is probably supposed to be that way (I'm guessing), but the entire exhaust system should be isolated from the body/frame by rubber mounts.

Hi Randal,

Sorry for the mis-placed post. Here's my brief story of how I got my Healey 100.

When I was 15 my dad brought home a BN1 that was rolled and we tried to fix it up. I should mention that he was a mechanic and he taught me how to use his tools when we got into go-karting – back around 1960 – just when Karting was developing and I was 13. So we’d been having fun working on automotive things for several years when he brought the Healey home. It turned out we couldn’t fix the bodywork so we went down to Seattle and bought the front half that had been in a rear-ender and cut the car in half and welded it all back up. It turned out pretty good and was painted a light metallic blue. We finished the car in the winter/spring when I turned 16 so my very first car when I turned 16 was the Healey. I hadn’t had it very long before he had a heart attack and we had to sell it to make ends meet. So pretty much my whole life I’ve dreamed of getting another BN1 – for all the memories of my dad.

In the past I’ve owned the following British sport cars: BN1, a bug-eyed sprite, TR3 and an MGBGT.

This car was owned by Nigel Lamb from the Penticton region and I purchased it at the end of September and drove it home with the top down (so I could see) in the night during a driving rain storm! Not the most pleasant thing to do but time was running out and I needed to get up and back in the one day. It was a full restoration about 10 years ago but it hasn’t been driven for 3 or 4 years at all so there are some little issues to deal with. I guess pretty much what you can expect from an older restoration when attention hasn’t been paid to the day-to-day driving experience.

Thanks, Dave

No worries, Dave, just trying to help. Cool story, BTW.

I can remember driving Dad's TR3 in a rain that was pouring so hard I had to tailgate a semi just so I could follow his lights. Couldn't see the road at all; had to hang my head out the side to even see his tail lights. It did finally occur to me to pull over under an overpass to get out the rain, but me and the car were thoroughly soaked by then. Ah, to be young and stupid again. (Old and stupid isn't nearly as much fun )

Welcome to BCF Dave! Glad you were able to get another BN1 to relive fond memories! As Randall suggests, you should post your Healey-specific questions in our Austin Healey forum - it's a very active forum and you will get much help there!