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Austin Healey 3000 Cylinder Heads

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BN6

BN6

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Does anyone know the meaning of the numbers cast in to the Healey 3000 cylinder heads.
 
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The only two casting numbers I have seen on Healeys are AEC 721 and AEC 960
I also wonder if it is aluminum?
Dave
 
red57 said:
The only two casting numbers I have seen on Healeys are AEC 721 and AEC 960
I also wonder if it is aluminum?
Dave
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I take it you're not where the head is, as that's easy to determine; just pick it up! ;)
 
steveg said:
John - do you have a DW aluminum head?

The stock 100-6 head is the AEC 721.
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Yes, mine is from DW. I think the AEC 721 head was used until the thermostatic starting carbs were introduced. That’s the difference between them.
 
Interesting, the thermostat area looks like the earlier AEC 721 so pre-dates the thermochoke set-up. Based on Healey history that would make it around '58 or '59 vintage?? Please let us know when you learn the backstory.
Dave
 
You say that the head is from a Healey, but lots of 2.600 - 3000 Austins, Wolsleys and Morrises shared the same basic engines and indeed through the ages the saloon engines have been used in the Healeys, modified of course.

Could the head be from one of them? or would the casting references be the same as the Healeys?

:cheers:

Bob
 
Bob, all of the C-Series (4 main) saloons 2.6 or 3L used the 2 port integral manifold head as standard.

Danny
 
Danny, they did until the new head came out, now I don't know if there was a different pattern to the chambers in the head or what have you, but a number of restorers on this side of the pond use these engines to replace broken Healey ones.

:cheers:

Bob
 
Bob, yes blocks are the same externally just different compression pistons. The saloons did not use the new 6-port head however in production. As you say many Wolseleys and Westminsters pillaged for their engines.

I was born & bred in London S.E.5. BTW. :encouragement:

Danny
 
Dandare said:
Bob, yes blocks are the same externally just different compression pistons. The saloons did not use the new 6-port head however in production. As you say many Wolseleys and Westminsters pillaged for their engines.

I was born & bred in London S.E.5. BTW. :encouragement:

Danny
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While I cannot quote the passage, nor from which Healey Marque history book, I too am of the understanding that the detachable intake manifold was only used on the Healey sportscars.
 
Well, I must bow to the collectives superior knowledge.

Following some research I must say that I can only find 1 photo that shows the removable intake manifold on an A110, and that surprises me, as I know that I have read at least two articles where the Healey head had been adopted for the saloon cars, see extract of one source below.

The new A110 retained the same basic unit-construction chassis/monocoque as the original A99, but there was a 2-inch longer wheelbase (arranged by moving the back axle rearwards on its springs) which allowed modified wheelarches to be designed and more space to be provided in the back seats. Also at the rear was a newly-installed transverse shock absorber, between the axle casing and the bodyshell, to contain incipient axle sway due to all the rubber in the rear suspension linkage. After the first few months, power-assisted steering became optional.

The engine was significantly more powerful, with 120bhp, this being achieved by 'raiding' the experience gained with Austin-Healey 3000s and involving cylinder head changes, a different camshaft profile and a twin-bore exhaust system. For this


Ah well you live and learn

:cheers:

Bob
 
Hello Bob, The cylinder head changes for the 6/110 & A-110 were in the form of an increased capacity integral inlet manifold...what is sometimes referred to as a big log head.

The cam profile was changed twice on the 110s and the twin-bore exhausts were put back to a single system.The conspiracy theorists would have it that BMC wre worried that the performance of this saloon car was getting too close to the Healey which was not good for sports car sales. In truth nobody really knows why BMC did the things they did!

I have read in a couple of magazines that there were a couple of farina saloons built up to Healey spec by the competitions dept. for use as rally support barges for works Healey crews.

Danny
 
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Here is an image from the Wolseley 6/110 MkII sales brochure. This along with the equivalent Austin was the last example of the 4 main C-series saloon. You can see the integral manifold head and the reversion to single exhaust system.
Another clue re the cylinder heads for these vehicles is the spec for carburetters, they have never used other than twin SU H4.

Danny
 

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I have always thought it curious that the “12 port” cylinder head was used only on the Austin-Healey when so many BMC “Sports Saloons” were powered by the C Series engine.
At the Goodwood Revival last year, an A95 was going particularly well against stiff opposition. I wasn’t too surprised to see that it was 3000 powered!
 
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