Ruddspeed Tri-Carb Set-up

[Patrick67BJ8]

Anyone have any/all information about these set-ups?
Anything else about the car engine mods?
Thanks

 

[Randy Forbes]

I'm pretty sure that they used 1-3/4" SUs. Camshaft profile and likely the ignition timing and/or advance was optomized. Not sure if the compression ratio was changed.

I "might" have a few pictures of a car I saw at a Cypress Gardens Healey Club show from about 1985. There was a running chassis (about to be restored, body already removed) that had the Rudd setup on it.

 

[Patrick67BJ8]

I would appreciate any photos!
I heard that they used the 1.75" HD6 carbs. I understand that the compression ration used required 100 octane. I don't know anything about what carb needles were used, etc. etc.

 

[Randy Forbes]

I'll have to do some digging, and then scanning, as those were pre-digital days /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif

Even at that, I don't have any technical details about the car, or its history.

Whatever details I do know, must've been from reading any of the available Healey Marque history books available. If I get the time, I'll glance through the index of some of them looking for content on Ken Rudd.

 

[Patrick67BJ8]

There was a website for Ruddspeed earlier this year and they were selling manifolds, valve covers and I think cams, but it's now gone and typing in Ruddspeed takes you to "Brooklands".

 

[Randy Forbes]

Sometimes you just get lucky; these pictures were where I thought they were...

For more details on this car, you might try contacting the Tampa Bay Austin-Healey Club and see if they have the participant's list from the Cypress Gardens show held June 6-7-8, 1985.

BTW, that's a white BN6L-942 in the background (took 1st place for "Keep 'Em on the Road" and 3rd for "Modified Roadster").

Higher resolution shots are at: https://www.rfdm.com/gallery/album08?page=5

Edit: I should add, that while the owner was somewhat "local" to the club, he drove the car to the show on the Saturday afternoon.

It was at this event that I met Paul Tsikuris, who was to do the bodywork on my car almost twenty (20) years later.

 

[Leibinger]

The setup was 3 SU HD6, some had special finned manifolds. The ignition and cam was also optimized and I think that the compression ratio was higher.
There is a very comprehensive write-up about the setup of a similar configuration regarding the carbs at a british healey club (see link: https://www.austinhealeyclub.co.uk/tech-tricarb.html). I am running the “good” setup for the DWR8 cam on my car with good results. I think it must come close to the Ruddspeed setup, which gave the engine about 175hp.
The Ruddspeed Website is offline, unfortunately, the manifolds appear at eBay once in a while.
By the way: There is a test of a Ruddspeed car in one of those Healey test collections (Austin Healey Ultimate Portfolio). In this feature, the car is running without air filters and with longer, finned manifolds. If I remember correctly, the setup is described well in this article.

 

[Patrick67BJ8]

The setup was 3 SU HD6, some had special finned manifolds. The ignition and cam was also optimized and I think that the compression ratio was higher.
There is a very comprehensive write-up about the setup of a similar configuration regarding the carbs at a british healey club (see link: https://www.austinhealeyclub.co.uk/tech-tricarb.html). I am running the “good” setup for the DWR8 cam on my car with good results. I think it must come close to the Ruddspeed setup, which gave the engine about 175hp.
The Ruddspeed Website is offline, unfortunately, the manifolds appear at eBay once in a while.
By the way: There is a test of a Ruddspeed car in one of those Healey test collections (Austin Healey Ultimate Portfolio). In this feature, the car is running without air filters and with longer, finned manifolds. If I remember correctly, the setup is described well in this article.

Thanks for the info and I'll be checking out what I've received. FYI: The "finned" manifolds were for RH drive cars.

 

[johnea]

Hi Patrick,

Only RHD cars had finned manifolds. LHD manifolds were of slightly different construction to clear the steering column. The carbs were 3 HD6. The camshaft used was similar to the MK2 profile.

John

 

[Patton]

Not very helpful, but it looks as though the site was online until late 06, then linked to Brooklands

https://web.archive.org/web/*/ruddspeed.com

Patton