Engine wish list

[Healey Nut]

So Im considering options for when I rebuild the engine for my 62 tricarb .
Im going to do it to look like a rally car , no bumpers , hard top , lots of fog lights , side exhaust (not in the door) etc etc .
I want to keep the engine stock in appearance and use the cast iron head , and will keep the original SU set up . Transmission will stay as side shift but I will change the rear end gear to 3.54 .
So if you had a wish list of internal engine mods what would it be ?
Im not looking for mind numbing performance just a bit more grunt and reliablity .
Suggestions engine gurus ?:eagerness:

 

[John Turney]

In reply to a similar request:

I spent quite a bit of time and money with Denis Welch. Engine mods include:

• Aluminum head with compression ratio for premium gas: They will now gas flow your iron head.
• fast road/rally cam - this required that pockets be machined in the block to allow the intake valves to open completely. Had to get a drawing from Jeremy. My machinist said "never again", but he did a great job.
• DWM tappets to give better lubrication
• vernier camshaft sprocket. Also got DWM crank sprocket and chain.
• I originally had HD6 SUs, DWM recommended HD8s. I found a used intake manifold and SUs and rebuilt them. They now offer a 3-SU manifold that will fit HD6's.
• Oil cooler
• Spin-on filter from Moss
• ITG air filter from DWM
• rear oil seal
• lightened flywheel. If you send it to the UK, make sure you put "Old auto parts for repair and return" on the customs form or they will charge duty.
• uprated clutch
• aluminum oil pan with baffles

I also got a new crankshaft damper (after the original one came apart)

Other DWM items include:

• Disk brakes front and rear
• larger front anti-sway bar
• traction bars (after I broke off the grease fitting on the rear universal from axle windup)
• rally shift knob
• the uprated overdrive accumulator
• lowering blocks for the front suspension - these lower the front by about 3/4".

Other items, not from DWM include:

• rally vents
• sprite rear bumperettes
• anti-sway bar shields/driving light mounts similar to those on the factory rally cars. I think you only get two diving lights on a '62. I think the 5-light setup didn't come until later.
• a re-cored radiator
• Crane electronic ignition from Moss - You may want to use the Pertronix so it doesn't show. Also a hotter coil and bumblebee wires.
• a roll bar from Victoria British
• Kirk headers, wrapped in insulation, although I would probably go with Jet Hot on DWM headers if I do it again.
• I have a stock muffler, but I made a side exhaust outlet from a couple of pipes with 60 deg bends

It was a pleasure working with DWM, but they're not cheap.

 

[DerekJ]

OK here's my 2c

It seems you basically want a 'fast road' engine not a full blown race / rally set up with Webers, steel engine, etc.

The car I bought basically came with a lot of the bits that are mentioned in the second post. Of course it all depends on how much money you want to spend, some of the items are well worth having, others are just 'nice to haves'.

The well worth it items for me are:

- DWR8 Fast Road Cam shaft (or similar spec from a US cam company)
- Twin HD8s

Those two work really well together

Plus

- B &M Super damper
- Balanced and tufrided crank
- Front discs, (i think you already have them - rear discs aren't necessary)
- high torque starter
- alternator (or not, if you prefer the generator look, but you may have a problem if you use a battery of fog lamps!)
- Lightened fly wheel. (Mine was the original lightened to about 20lbs - any US machine shop can do that)
- 6 branch exhaust and side exit system - the manifold is good for about 6-8 bhp increase.
- ITG filter (or similar)
- Gear knob with overdrive switch
- competition overdrive
- spin on filter (why not, fairly cheap)
- thicker sway bay
- lower front suspension
- Twin cable throttle
- 10:1 Compression.

That should give you a nice car. If you want to spend even more money then you can move onto the nice to haves.

- Oil cooler (I really don't think this matters on a road car)
- Aluminium sump
- Lightened DWR steel flywheel (about 12 lbs)
- alloy back plate
- Alloy head (Lovely, but very expensive for what is essentially a weight gain as you can modify the iron head to the same spec.)
-Alloy, deep V, water pulley (actually not expensive so worth having)
- LSD
- Centre change gear box
- Straight cut gears - if you like noise.

If by then you are then totally hooked and want to keep spending! Then add

- Triple 45 DCOEs
- DWR Rally Cam
- Steel crank
- Forged pistons
- Roller rockers
- Carillo rods
- alloy body panels
- etc, etc, etc.

By this time you will be receiving calls from your bank manager!

Have fun with the rebuild.

 

[DerekJ]

Forgot to add. I upgraded my car from the fast road spec.

I added:

- Triple 45DCOE Webers
- DWR Rally Cam
- Steel rocker pedestals and spacers
- Aluminium valve caps
- DWR lightened steel flywheel
- 11:1 compression ratio

That gives about 215bhp at the flywheel, with a very flat torque curve from 2000-2500. (max torque 235 ft/lb at 4500 revs). I drive it on the road without any problems, ticks over beautifully and once the Webers are set correctly you don't need to touch them. The only downside is you have to keep the revs up to get going as not much happens under 2000. This is not the case with the DWR8 Fast road cam which is excellent right throughout the range.

 

[DerekJ]

I meant the flat torque starts around 2000-2500. It fairly flat right through to 5500.

The car that I think you would like to build has just been sold at Bonhams for an amazingly reasonable £35,650 (including sale premium)

https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/21735/lot/234/

 

[Healey_Z]

So Im considering options for when I rebuild the engine for my 62 tricarb .
Im going to do it to look like a rally car , no bumpers , hard top , lots of fog lights , side exhaust (not in the door) etc etc

no help on the engine, but I love the look

 

[dougie]

I meant the flat torque starts around 2000-2500. It fairly flat right through to 5500.

The car that I think you would like to build has just been sold at Bonhams for an amazingly reasonable £35,650 (including sale premium)

https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/21735/lot/234/

Dino what Derek said....... Especially the amazingly reasonable auction price for VFH 600.

 

[Randy Forbes]

Polymer coatings for as many internal/external bits as possible. Dry-film lubricant applied to any part that rotates or slides (plus intake ports). Thermal barriers to keep the heat where it belongs__like in the combustion chamber and exhaust ports (NOT in the water-jackets, or heating the oil on the underside of the piston crown). Thermal dispersants to improve the transfer of heat to the surrounding air (this is also an "oil-shedding" coating, which keeps the oil from clinging to connecting rods, the aforementioned underside of the piston, and crankshaft counterweights).

Improved efficiency, reduced friction and better thermal management, as well as increased longevity__the pistons will still look like new, with a complete absence of skirt scuffing, after 80,000 miles.

If I was building one for myself, this would be at the top of the list.

 

[Healey Nut]

Thanks for the wish list guys but
Im keeping the original carbs ....its not a tri carb if I put twin carbs or webbers on it .
The cast iron head is staying too .
The side shift gearbox and OD is staying too.
It probably will get alloy body panels with vents , oil cooler , upgraded radiator , alloy fuel tank, hidden electronic ignition (maybe Lumenition) havent decided on wheels yet but possibly Mini-Lights or Jaguar Centre laced wires. .
Basically when you lift the bonnet I want it to look just like it did when it left the factory but run with more power and reliability .
I have a full Jule superstructure ready to go .
This is a full matching numbers tricarb with original factory hard top so I dont want to go completely overboard with it .

 

[Healey Nut]

As far as "the look" goes ... heres a couple of examples

 

[DerekJ]

Its your car so obviously you must do want you want. However I don't really understand the logic. Alloy panels, vents, oil cooler, aluminium radiator and tank don't do anything for the performance of the car, which I thought is what you said you wanted. None of those modifications are going to give it extra power. Plus minilites and/or Jag centre laced wheels are not what Healeys of that era actually had, so its not going to look 'original' anyway.

 

[DerekJ]

Healeynut. They look Ok, but I don't get the chrome wheels, especially on 57 FAC.

 

[DerekJ]

I forgot you had a Tri-Carb. The three 1 1/2 inch carbs should work well with the DWR8 cam shaft. Just shave the iron head, increase the valve size and polish and port it.

 

[dcarlg]

Funny , but I was about to post the same question.
I plan to retain existing triple HS4 carbs, head and block, manifolds, Pertronix ignition, Hi torque starter motor.
Economical improvements previously suggested:
Shave head. How much? Assume premium fuel.
Change cam to BJ8 or DWR8 spec.
Lightened flywheel. Final weight?
Port and polish head. DIY or machine shop? I haven't done engine work before.
Larger valves. Details?
Increase piston size to .040 over?
Balance all moving parts.
Dry film barriers and lubricants. Cost?
I recently re-cored the radiator, installed a Texas Cooler fan, BCS fan shroud and a pusher fan in front of the radiator. Finally stopped overheating. Even in stop and go traffic.
Any more suggestions?

Thanks, Douglas

 

[DerekJ]

Douglas,

The first thing you have to decide is what you want the car to do and how much you want to spend. Once you know that you can target the areas to get the best bang for your buck.

The simplest way to get some immediate noticeable improvement is to change the cam and the exhaust manifold and polish and port the head. DWR8 is the way to go for a fast road car, or just a BJ8 cam if you don't want the hassle of pocketing the block.

The existing flywheel is way too heavy even for the stock road cars. I think around 20lbs is a good compromise. Still gives a very smooth engine.