Now the fun begins!

[Jeepster]

I have just started the strip down of my BJ8 ready for its visit to the body shop next week. Its taken a lot longer than expected to remove most of the trim due to rusted fasteners etc.

Glad the forum is back up and running as I am sure to have lots of questions that you guys will surely help with. I will load a few pics and keep you posted as things move on.

How easy is it to remove the windscreen? I want to remove the whole assembly as a single unit. Is it just a case of undoing the bolts on the side supports and lifting off?

I also need to remove the wings but the screws that hold on the rear wings just inside the door shut are rusted solid. Any ideas ? How have others tackled this problem?

 

[shorn]

As I recall (it has been a few years), you need to remove the padded dash, then there is a center bolt from the wind shield assembly that needs to be removed.

For the rusted screws, first try PB Blaster, several applications over a couple of days. That may loosen them so that you don't have to drill them out.

 

[Jeepster]

Windscreen is off. It turned out a lot easier than expected.
just the doors to strip and its almost there.

 

[Jeepster]

https://s834.beta.photobucket.com/user/welshjeepster/media/DSCN1917.jpg.html?sort=3&o=4

https://s834.beta.photobucket.com/user/welshjeepster/media/DSCN1921.jpg.html?sort=3&o=0

https://s834.beta.photobucket.com/user/welshjeepster/media/DSCN1919.jpg.html?sort=3&o=2


Here are a few pics of the car almost ready for the bodyshop. Note the original ice blue paint colour under where the front badge sits. It was criminal to do a cheap respray in the white colour.

 

[Keoke]

Use the PB Blaster on the rusted wing bolts as has been recomended.---Keoke

 

[Jeepster]

We don't get pb blaster over here but I suppose it's the same stuff as wd 40? I did give the bolts a good spray over the past few days but no improvement.

 

[Randy Forbes]

WD 40 is a lousy penetrating oil, that's strictly better than using nothing...

 

[RAC68]

Although I would first try a number of commerciallyavailable rust braking liquid solutions to help extract the door jam screws, youmay have to resort to drilling the heads out if they are too rust-welded. Depending upon how much metal is to be replacedin this area and if you decide to create or acquire the metal sections, I wouldalways tack sufficient supports to maintain car geometry until all replacementsare solidly in place. Although thisseems like extra work, why risk the potential of any negative body/framesettling.

By the way, when looking at your photos, I came across your Jeepand Bike and think they are terrific. Congratulationson your achievements.

All the best,
Ray (64BJ8P1)

 

[NutmegCT]

Somewhere here on BCF is a comparison of various "rust breaking" products. According to the comparison, the most effective in loosening rusted bolts, etc. is a mixture (50/50?) of ATF and acetone.

Here's what I copied (originally from Machinists Workshop magazine):

Product used..........Force required to loosen rusted in bolt.
None ................. 516 pounds ..
WD-40 .............. 238 pounds .. $0.25 Price per ounce
PB Blaster ......... 214 pounds .. $0.35
Liquid Wrench ... 127 pounds .. $0.21
Kano Kroil ......... 106 pounds .. $0.75
ATF-Acetone mix.. 53 pounds .. $0.10

The ATF-Acetone mix was a 50/50 mix (1 to 1 ratio).

Tom

 

[Jeepster]

Ray,
thanks for the kind comments. The jeep and bike were my previous projects but unfortunately I had to sell them to buy my healey. The bike was purchased by an American airline pilot, so you may see it cruise past somewhere near you.

 

[RAC68]

Your skills areobvious and I can't wait to see how your Healey finished. Well disserved acclaims.

Tom, I am anxious to try the Acetone/ATF solution and am actively looking forsomething to try it on.

All the best to all,
Ray (64BJ8P1)

 

[Randy Forbes]

... I am anxious to try the Acetone/ATF solution and am actively looking forsomething to try it on.

All the best to all,
Ray (64BJ8P1)

A mechanic who's opinion I value (on a BMW forum) attempted this, admittedly not believing it would work, and found the acetone and ATF to be immiscible. I do not know what brands of the two (2) products he used.

Frankly, with the readily available, and proven, penetrating oil products already on the shelves, why would anyone want to concoct something like this? If you leave the cap off a quart can of acetone overnight, the can will be practically dry the following evening. It evaporates so quickly, you'd only be able to maintain a 50/50 mix relatively briefly.

But hey, perhaps it's your turn to dispel the myth for this forum

 

[BoyRacer]

A mixture of ATF and acetone will not break loose rusted bolts. It is total BS.

 

[RAC68]

Randy,

If the performance of the solution is near what Tom’s table suggests, it may not have been commercialized because of a short shelf life, however,mixing as needed should not be a problem. In my experience, although acetone may not evaporate as quickly as yousuggest, it will mix with any present moisture and, during evaporation, carryoff that moisture leaving the ATF lubricant behind.

I appreciate your opinion and understand you are not interested in this solution but never suggested that anyone else should be.

Happy Thanksgiving,
Ray (64BJ8P1)

 

[Jeepster]

The tenex studs at the top of the rear shroud are screwed into captive nuts that are fixed to the aluminium shroud. Trouble is all mine seem to have become detatched so there is nothing to screw the stud into.
Any ideas how to fix this? Not sure if you can even get access to the rear of these areas to place a standard nut?

 

[RAC68]

I encountered the same problem many years ago. The timing of your encounter, however, is muchmore advantageous for when I inserted and carefully tried to screw in thestuds, twisting broke the receiver loose and crack the new paint. Since my top and part of the rear interior werealready installed and the torque required to screw in the stud was not significant,I drilled a small hole into the receiver and inserted a pin to hold thereceiver from turning. I then coveredthe receiver with an appropriately sized stainless finishing washer beforeinstalling the stud.

If I remember correctly, the stud receivers on the shroudcan be accessed by deinstalling the rear of the top and drip rail. Since you are in the process of disassembly forpaint, this may not be that much of an added effort, however, I believe thestud receiver is a pressed friction fit and you may need some way to increasethe installation pressure or consider epoxying it in place. With access, you can always clean out the threads in the receiver andinstall the stud with a nut from below.

Good luck,
Ray (64BJ8P1)

 

[Keoke]

no? Then get some Kroil Oil

 

[NutmegCT]

Me again. Here's a recent forum thread on the ATF/acetone technique:

https://www.britishcarforum.com/bcf/showthread.php?67702

Hope this helps.
Tom

 

[Jeepster]

After a few frantic days of taking the car apart, its now with the bodyshop. The removed parts are scattered around the house and associated buildings and my wife is moaning to get me to "put them away"?

The bodyshop are asking about the final paint colour. THe car looks to have originally been painted in Healey Iice blue. I have no idea if this was a 2 tone car with blue over white or if it was completely blue? (I dont have a heritage cert).
Sure this has been asked many times but how do I find out what the paint colour was? I am only spraying the outer panels so it will need to match near enough with the original colour in the engine bay.

 

[HealeyRick]

A BMIHT Heritage Certificate will get you the original color: https://www.heritage-motor-centre.c...d-archive-services/heritage-certificates.html Of course, the red interior on your car was never offered with Healey Blue, so that will need changing too in order to be original.